Thursday, August 16, 2012

#CraftBeer Snobs

I have been accused of being a Beer Snob, and it is not a point which I argue. If I have a choice between an inexpensive or even free mass-produced American Light Lager and a more expensive flavorful craft beer, I will almost always choose to spend the money.

I try not to be condescending about it, but I don't always succeed in that attempt.

I cannot help it. I prefer to drink beers with more flavor, and if that makes me a snob ... I am a snob. As a craft beer drinker, being a "beer snob" is somewhat a badge of honor.

But one thing about me as a craft beer drinker ... compared to your typical BMC beer fan ... If you offer me a beer I have not had before, telling me it is good / unique / wonderful / interesting, I will always try it. ALWAYS. I won't care what color it is. I won't care what style you tell me it is. I won't care what character you tell me you find in it ... I will try that beer. I will try it and thank you. If I don't like it, I will tell you specifically what I don't like about it along with what I do like about it.

Generally, your average BMC drinker is much more loyal to a particular style and even brand of beer, and is much less likely to try a beer different from what they always drink.

If you drink Bud Light, and I offer you an IPA ... I will usually get "ooooo .... I don't like bitter beers". Most likely, you will not try my IPA.

SheppyBrew's Buckwheat's BPA


If you drink Coors Light, and I offer you a Stout ... I will usually get a "I don't really like dark beers". Most likely, you will not try my Stout.

If you drink Miller Lite, and I offer you any type of Sour beer ... I will almost always get complete confusion as a response. Eventually after some explanation, I will get something like "Sour? On PURPOSE?" It is almost inconceivable that you will try the sour beer.

Steamworks Brewing Co "Colorado Proud"


I even know people who drink Bud or Miller or Coors who will turn up their noses at the other two brands of beers even though those are almost exactly the same.

Isn't it a bit more snobbish to turn something down before you even try it?

I took a quick poll of the last 25 beers I have tried, I have had beers from 10 different breweries. I have had 18 distinct different styles. 12 of these beers I had never had before. AND ... a couple of them have even been from Anheuser-Busch InBev. Yes, the craft beer snob still gives BMC beers a chance.

Hell, not too long ago, I even tried a Bud Light Lime (Yuck!)

New Belgium's 1554


I am guessing that your average BMC drinker won't have anything like that kind of variety in the last couple of dozen beers they have had. There is a good chance most of their beers all came from the same case.

On the other hand, there is a better than even chance that the average craft beer drinker has had even a bigger variety of beers than me over their last couple of dozen.

Oskar Blues Deviant Dale's
And so, maybe us Craft Beer Snobs are a bit more accepting than we are given credit for. We certainly try a much bigger variety than our BMC counterparts.

Something to think about.... just saying.

8 comments:

  1. Thanks for leaving the comment. Glad you agree.

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  2. Very well put. It reminded me of this article by Boak and Bailey, which you might enjoy if you haven't already seen it:
    Actually, you’re very fussy indeed.

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  3. Thanks, John. Good article. Exactly what I am talking about.

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  4. Let's face it, this topic has indeed been bought up again and again in the craft beer world. And I'm somewhere in the middle of road on the entire subject. On the one hand, us beer snobs seem to be more willing to try everything and anything and are more accepting of even the strange.

    I do agree that it seems there's a much higher proportion or those that simply aren't willing to give anything a damn chance.

    But then on the flip side, you have some seriously douche folks out there. That take it from beer snob to beer douche level. And that personality and character is worse for a lot reason. Not only are these people just not fun to be around, but hell do give us all a bad name and only manage to push more and more people away from craft beer that could otherwise be right there on the edge of willing to try something new.

    There has to be a balance between the two. I would probably say that the perfect balance is somewhere right before people start seeing us as a snob...but just close enough to it to make it fun ;)

    P.S. Funny enough, the first time I tried anything outside of the macro pilsners I knew years ago it was a bottle of Red Seal. It tasted like throw up to me at the time, and I couldn't stand it. It's one of my favorites now, and it took a couple years for my tastes and understanding of them to mature and progress forward. Not many can go from drinking nothing but Coors their whole life and then jump right into a double IPA.

    Dare To Eat

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  5. Good point about the beer douches. Luckily I do not know any of them personally. Beer should be fun and it is never fun to be around a douche.

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    Replies
    1. That should be a famous quote..."It is never fun to be around a douche" ;)

      Dare To Eat

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