The Campaign for Real Ale (CAMRA) says research suggests eight out of ten women haven't tried the drink, even though the market is now in recovery after a number of years in decline.

CAMRA joined together with brewers to launch the Cyclops tasting scheme a year ago. It describes in simple language how a beer will look, taste and smell. It now wants more brewers to adopt the scheme in a bid to attract more female drinkers.

It also hopes the introduction of stemmed third-of-a-pint glasses will help encourage more women to try real ale.

CAMRA's Paula Waters said:

"Nowadays people care about their image when they are out, as well as what is in the glass.

"Stylish glassware has boosted the sales of Belgian beers and there is no reason why a similar approach could not work for British real ale."