Beers just for girls? The Pub Landlord might not be pleased with how Marks & Spencer has twisted his “beer for the gentlemen, and a wine or fruit-based drink for the ladies” pronouncement.

In what’s thought to be a first for a high street retailer, M&S has launched a case of ales aimed specifically at women for Mother’s Day.

Many people’s standard go-to place for grabbing a gift for their mum every March is supplementing its usual range of toiletries, flowers and chocolates with its Mother's Day Mixed Beer Case in response to increasing numbers of women enjoying the drink.

The £27 case is selling exclusively online and includes Cambridgeshire Golden Ale, Yorkshire Gold, Amarillo Golden Ale, Cornish Pale Ale, Cascade Pale Ale, Organic Scottish Heather Honey, Cornish Red Ale, Greenwich Black IPA, Cheshire Chocolate Porter, Citra IPA, Belgian Wheat Beer and Cornish IPA.

Latest figures from the Society of Independent Brewers show 24 per cent of women are drinking more beer than they did three years ago.

Madeleine Lovett, M&S product developer for beer, said: "I can't imagine a better Mother's Day gift than a beer case, so we've decided to introduce one for all the beer-loving mums out there.

"Beer is certainly booming in the UK, among a wider audience than ever before and with new styles and trends being introduced all the time.

"We hope our customers will enjoy treating their mums to some great beer this Mother's Day."

Kim Buckenauer, 26, a brewer at Cornwall-based St Austell Brewery, which is stocked in M&S stores, recommended that non-beer drinkers tried matching beer with food to "completely change" its characteristics.

She said: 'A great example of this is how well beer works with chocolate. The sweetness from the cocoa pairs perfectly with the fruity bitterness from the hops."