Could your local guy-dominated watering hole be getting a femme makeover?
Proving yet again how well beer companies know women, Molson Coors is launching a line of lemony, citrusy and rosé sparkly bevs for girls called Animée. Some flavors will be clear like Diet Sprite, others hued like Crystal Light.
Apparently, the reason 79% of women avoid drinking sudsy lagers is due to fears of bloating, weight gain, and the perceived notion that beer is for boys.
That’s according to expensive company research; a design collective out of Denmark begs to differ. Bars are the problem.
“A pub full of men is not a place we would normally go for ourselves,” explains Mie Nielsen, Managing Director of a progressive design collective called Femmes Regionales. The same goes for a cocktail bar full of women.
In the interest of creating a chicer and brighter coed drinking establishment, Femmes Regionales recently set about renovating the microbrewery Mikkeller pub in Copenhagen, a perky place where no one expects a phone number with your name. It’s a hang out that some are calling downright femme because of its refreshingly pretty aesthetic sprinkled with vintage and bespoke furniture, delicate chests of drawers with golden knobs, whitewashed walls. From the looks of it, even the lighting is flattering.
Nevertheless, Nielsen says, “we didn’t have a specific female audience in mind when designing this, but rather a place that would appeal to both men and women. A mix of both genders is always much more fun.”
True. But we can’t help but notice just how lovely it is, combining the best of traditional Danish pub-ery – lots of wood and brass, rooted in a “storytelling” aesthetic – with Femmes’ unique vantage – combining heavy and light expressions, mixing vintage and modern, interspersing handmade and pre-produced.
“We approach the concept of sustainability with the quality of [objects] in mind, which will ensure a long life.”
Maybe we’re just trend-spotting here or making like Molson Coors with sweeping gender stereotypes, but the Femmes’ touch of lightness and airiness is far more refreshing than an Animée could ever be.
Our prediction is that rather than downing cases of daintified beer before abandoning our bras and ponytail holders in dark watering holes that bear a striking resemblance to Superbowl commercials, the bar scene will fare far better with pubs like these. Go ahead and order us a Guinness.
Surely you’ve got a pretty lady bar near you. Where is it? We could sure use a cold one.