Meet the women breaking the stereotype at Nottingham's Robin Hood Beer and Cider Festival

The 50-strong group enjoy a pint with enthusiasm and want to encourage diversity

They're passionate about beer. They gather to talk and drink about real ales - and they're women. It might seem a strange statement in 2024 but statistics show women are still very much a minority in both the male-dominated industry and world of beer-drinking.

Gone are the days when beer festivals were only attended by middle-aged bearded, sandal-wearing men in woolly jumpers - however, just 14 per cent of women regularly enjoy a beer. The stats include a group from Nottingham who are eager to sup a pint with like-minded women.

Borne out of a conversation between two Nottingham bar owners, Lucy Simons and Aimee Harbison-Roper, in 2022, No Half Measures is a collective of strong-willed female beer enthusiasts who gather to talk, and drink, all things beer.

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The group will be making its debut at the Robin Hood Beer and Cider Festival at Trent Bridge from October 9-12. They will have three stillages in the main marquee, close to the popular Blue Monkey Brewery and the main stage, where they’ll be serving up a carefully selected range of 30 beers and ciders that come from breweries with a strong female presence.

“Everyone can drink at our bar. It's not just for women. It’s to be enjoyed by everybody, whilst we also aim to put a spotlight on women in the industry” said one of the members Clare Grantham. They won’t be the only bar serving beer from breweries with a strong female involvement.

“We know that other bars at the festival will serve beers like this, and that’s brilliant. If people approach us and let us know of a diverse brewery they know of, then that’s great, let’s connect – we want to be inclusive, not exclusive.”

The beverages are chosen with careful consideration by volunteers at CAMRA, the event hosts, who import beers, ciders and perries from brewers all over the country – which is no mean logistical feat. And beers from diverse breweries or those with a strong female presence on other bars at the festival will be highlighted by No Half Measures stickers.

“They’ve put a lot of time in to understanding what we want at the festival, and what beers fit our criteria. It’s not easy to find that out,” said fellow beer drinker Alice Henley.

Besides beer, the group of female volunteers will also be serving a range of ciders and gluten-free beer, and whilst they won’t have non-alcoholic beverages at their bar, there’ll be plenty of those being served across the festival. “Non-alcoholic beer is a huge industry now, with supermarkets and good pubs offering a few different styles of it,” said Alice.

“That’s one of the nice things about the group,” added Clare. “We can make recommendations to one another as well, so many of us can ask ‘have you tried this one? It’s really good.’ We like to try low-alcohol beers because when we go out, there’ll always be one or two of us driving or who have to work the next day.

“We’re looking forward to meeting people at the festival. It’s just nice to have a platform to show that we’re here, and we do drink beer. We want to help show that beer has a more diverse crowd.”

The group boasts around 50 members. “There was clearly a need for it, as the enthusiasm was there from the beginning,” said Clare. The first "nervy" meeting in August 2022 saw 12 strangers cautiously approach one another in the quirky Barrel Drop pub in Hurts Yard.

The group now includes those who work in the industry, as well as those who simply enjoy a drink. “Lots of us have links to beer in Nottingham, and we meet in lots of different locations – we like to spread our wings a bit," Clare said. "We’ve made friends with local breweries and pubs, so we try to go to lots of different places. You can be a part of the community without jobs in beer – you can just drink beer and like it to join us."

They don't stop at just consuming the beer, though - No Half Measures also attend brew days and work with local breweries to brew their own local beer. The sessions include lessons on the manual process, allowing members to get into the heart of it through shifting and mashing – and bonding in the process.

“For me, they’ve really been the things that have united us all," Clare said. "They’re long days and we’re sitting around a lot, so there’s lots of chatting – that’s when the good stuff comes out!”

Aside from the social aspect and the enjoyment of beer, there’s also the harsh reality that many women still face today within beer-drinking environments. Seeking to challenge the perception of women in the world of beer, No Half Measures humbly challenge patronising or sexist remarks they may encounter.

“A number of us have been asked if we want a drink in a ‘lady’s glass,’” said Clare, citing one example of the marginalisation still experienced by women today.

"She'll have a mulled wine" said by someone standing next to them at a bar when deciding what to order was another and "can you bring wives to the beer festival?" is another typical comment.

The women are committed to provide the most effective, rational response, saying they're not out to cause a riot, to mob sexist comments online or go in all guns blazing, but simply form allies and work to reduce the disregarding of female existence in the world of beer.

Clare said: "We want to handle things like this respectfully, we like to chat to discuss how we can give the most effective response in a calm manner. We want to have those discussions and when we have had them, a lot of the time, people are understanding and recognise their oversight. Don’t treat us differently. We drink the same beer as you guys, and it’s an enthusiasm thing as well."

Despite the name, they will be pouring in halves and thirds at the beer festival. The work doesn’t stop at the festival; No Half Measures get involved in projects to promote women in beer throughout the year. They are hoping to welcome new members, either through the festival or via Instagram, their main public platform.