How Beer Girl Is Tapped Into a New Era of Girly Beer

Let's be honest, we don't usually consider beer a girly drink.

Beer has always been seen through a masculine lens. Think sports, tailgates, and big trucks. Meanwhile, drinks like fruity cocktails, white wine, and cosmos are usually catered to a female audience.

Which leaves us with the question: Where is the girly beer?

Caroline Renezeder Foulk, founder of Beer Girl, is brewing up her brand to make beer for women, by women.

The Beginning of All the Buzz

Caroline originally worked in the music industry as a singer and songwriter. When the pandemic paused her music career, Caroline started working at her family's brewery, Wagon Wheel Brewing Company in Oxnard, California.

There, she noticed many women studied the beer menu before settling on a seltzer or cider instead. This left Caroline questioning, "Why?"

She found that women skipped over typical beers because they left them feeling full or bloated even after one drink. This sparked the inspiration to craft a crisp, lighter brew that was easier to sip on.

Caroline began working with Wagon Wheel's lead brewer to create a "better-for-you" girly beer. When Beer Girl was tapped at Wagon Wheel Brewing in the summer of 2023, it quickly became their most popular beer.

The Science of the Sip: Why the Brewing Process Matters

Typically, beer is brewed using grains such as wheat or barley. This gives beer a high gluten content and can leave people with that "full" feeling after drinking it.

Beer Girl changes that by brewing its Mexican-style lager with corn instead, creating a gluten-reduced, zero-sugar beer. In addition, Beer Girl's products have a low ABV percentage at 3.5%, so they can be enjoyed even more responsibly!

During the creation of Beer Girl, Caroline also battled with Lyme disease. This diagnosis further motivated her to create a drink she could enjoy without negative side effects.

Beer Girl currently has two beers brewing: an Amber Lager and Lighter Lager.

Tapped In on Branding

In her recent appearance on Shark Tank season 17 , Caroline began her pitch with "beer has been made by men, for men. Women in beer ads were merely bikini-clad extras."

Beer Girl's marketing is very clear: it's for the girls! Their website embraces a hyper-feminine style with bright colors and eye-catching graphics. Their photos featured on their website are editorial and fashion-forward, capturing how beer does not stand out in a feminine space.

Caroline said it best: beer advertisements tend to cater to male interests. And it's about time that girly beer branding had its breakthrough into this male-dominated market.

What sets Beer Girl apart from traditional beer brands is that they're not just selling a product, they're selling a lifestyle. Their marketing invites customers to join a community and embrace an aesthetic, not just buy a beverage.

Many brands rely on consumers to impulse-buy their product. Most beer shoppers simply grab whichever six-pack catches their eye at the grocery store. Beer Girl creates a brand that makes consumers want to seek out their cans specifically.

When it comes to Beer Girl's socials, they heavily feature color palettes of red, white, and blue. This deepens the brand's identity to reflect an all-American girl lifestyle. We find other beer brands selling this true American image, but it is usually portrayed in a more masculine tone.

Picture this: you're sitting on the beach at golden hour. You and your girls have your favorite comfy, beach outfits on to watch the sunset. Card games are out, the picnic spread is ready, and your bestie breaks open the cooler and hands you a Beer Girl lager.

The perfect evening has commenced! That is the vibe they have built their marketing around and it's working.

While their lifestyle photos feel polished and editorial, their TikTok and Instagram Reels take a different approach. Their video content feels authentic, making viewers feel like they're watching a friend's feed.

They don't just create brand elements for you to see, but for you to hear! Check out their official Spotify playlist. Just another example of how they strive to create a personality for their brand.

Girly Drinks Are Popping Off

In the last five years, we have seen "better-for-you" sodas trend sky high. Brands like Poppi, Olipop, and Bloom popped open the beverage industry. These brands introduced gut-healthy beverages as an alternative to traditional sugary sodas.

And these brands can be proud of not only their aesthetics, but also what's inside the can. Many of these brands boast their products as healthier options with fewer calories, less sugar, and added probiotics for gut health.

Much like soda, beer is not considered good for you, but Beer Girl has expanded into an early market of health-conscious alcoholic beverages. They have also embraced a girly beer aesthetic that many beer brands have not tapped into, literally.

Still Pouring Strong

During her time on Shark Tank, Caroline landed a $125,000 deal with Fawn Weaver in exchange for 20% equity in Beer Girl. This appearance and investment deal also gave the brand valuable national exposure.

While giving her investment pitch, Caroline had a display that showcased the brand beyond the beverages. It included feminine touches of flowers, a retro bicycle, a sticker-decorated cooler, and a striped umbrella. This display perfectly embodied a day at the beach that also paid homage to her SoCal roots.

The "sharks" quickly noticed her strong marketing strategy and how it set Beer Girl apart from other beverage brands. Caroline shared that events and field marketing were key to building brand awareness in Beer Girl’s early days.

Beer Girl has quickly become a growing name in the expanding "better-for-you" beer market, with inclusive options appealing to a wider range of drinkers. The brand is now available in retail stores in five states and offers nationwide shipping.

It is always a win to see a female-owned brand breaking into a male-dominated industry. Caroline has shown that you don't need to reinvent a product, but you can reimagine who the product can be for in a way that feels more inclusive for everyone.

Beer Girl has carved out its own space in the market, proving that girly beer has a place in the beverage industry.

We are raising a glass to Beer Girl and rooting for their growing success!

🪽 Written by Claudia Cooper