How to create a reference grid in QGIS print composer?

Is there a way to create what is called a 'reference grid' in ArcMap using QGIS print composer:

Answer

I wrote a QGIS plugin for this very use case, called Create Indexed Vertex Grid.

It works like the standard Create Vector Grid (Polygons) but assigns names to each cell in a spreadsheet-like format. It can also add label tabs on the top and left. You can use the name and isLabel fields to style the grid and headers.

It can be a bit finicky to use it with Print Composer, though, as you need to manually copy the extents over (using the layer metadata to get the bounds, and pasting into the extents on the Print Composer)