It is sometimes seen as a very male interest, but a group of women proved that a taste for real ale crosses the gender divide this week.

Four women brewers staged a day-long “takeover” of the London Brewing Company, a microbrewery based at The Bull pub in North Hill, on Tuesday, as they began the process of creating a new beer.

As well as celebrating the role of women in beer making, the new drink will mark the birthday of a pressure group dedicated to real ale drinking and safeguarding the pubs of north London.

The north London branch of the Campaign for Real Ale (CAMRA) turns 40 this year.

Christine Cryne, of CAMRA north London, said: “We thought it might be something a bit different and we wanted to show people that beer is more than just a masculine thing.

“More women than ever are trying real ale. Recent research showed that 34 per cent of women have sampled it, which has more than doubled in three years.

“Over the last 30 or 40 years it has been seen as unfeminine, but it isn’t.”

Mrs Cryne, who joined CAMRA north London in 1977, added that there are health benefits of choosing beer over wine, including the high vitamin B content, which is “great for the skin”.

The London Brewing Company is one of more than 50 microbreweries that have launched in London in recent years. It was installed during a refurbishment of The Bull in 2011.

A competition to name the women’s new beer, which will not be ready to drink for some weeks yet, has been launched and the winner stands to win a pair of free tickets to the London Drinker Beer Festival, a souvenir glass and a free pint.

To enter, visit the pub and fill out a competition slip.