Using Preferred Attribute Elicitation to Determine How Males and Females Evaluate Beer

• Published in: Journal of food science 2017-08, Vol.82 (8), p.1916-1923
• Main Authors: Muggah, Elizabeth M., McSweeney, Matthew B.
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Adult; Beer; Beer - analysis; Bitterness; Breweries; Brewing; consumer acceptance; Consumers; Descriptions; Female; Females; Food Preferences; Humans; Male; Males; Markets; Nova Scotia; Perception; sensory evaluation; Sensory properties; Taste; Young Adult
• ISSN: 0022-1147; 1750-3841
• DOI: 10.1111/1750-3841.13799

The variety of beers available for consumption has increased due to the recent emergence of many craft brewing operations and it has been suggested that this is affecting how consumers evaluate beer. Currently, beer consumers are mostly male and only 20% of women are primarily beer drinkers. The main objective of this project is to compare and contrast descriptions of beer products created by males and females. The preferred attribute elicitation (PAE) method was used to create a description of 4 beers common to residents of Nova Scotia, Canada. Four PAE sessions were held: 2 sessions consisted of females (n = 16 and 15) and 2 sessions of males (n = 11 and 17). Four beer samples were chosen from locally available commercial beers, 2 of these samples were considered to be craft‐brewed beer and the other samples were nationally available brands (macrobrewed). Both the males and females generated descriptions that included 5 identical terms; however, they differed in the importance they assigned to each attribute. Notably, bitterness was perceived to be of more importance to female panelists. Throughout all PAE sessions, the craft‐brewed beers were associated with considerably more sensory attributes than the macrobrewed beers. It can be concluded that both the female and male groups found discernible differences between the craft and macrobrewed beers; however, they place importance on different sensory attributes. Practical Application The variety of different beers on the market has changed drastically in recent years. However, few studies have been completed investigating how this influx of new beers has influenced consumer perception. Specifically, the aim of the present study is to compare descriptions of macro and craft beers by both male and female groups and determine if there are differences. The present study also contributes to the understanding of how consumer perceptions can be evaluated using preferred attribute elicitation.