I'm sure this thread will get locked, but does anyone else skip the beermonger posts because the comments are locked? Maybe it's just me, but I like to comment on posts. I'm the guy that writes reviews on Yelp, instead of just reading them.
I'm sure it's been explained before and I'm sure there are good reasons to lock them (i.e., beer snobs will come out of the wood works and pollute the comments.)
Beer snobbery is a really weird thing, in my opinion. I don't get why some people only drink obscure beer. I guess it makes them feel special or something.
What do you mean by “Obscure”? Craft Beers aren't necessarily obscure. I don't drink Bud or Coors or Miller because they are gross. They have no taste and are IMO, simply an alcohol delivery mechanism. If you look at the history of beer, the reasons that the Traditional Big breweries are what everyone drinks are the federal and state laws regulating the production and distribution and serving of beer. In the last 20 years those restrictions have been loosened, Craft Brewing has blown up. It might be a bit snobbish, but it's no more snobbish than any hobby where people discern quality and personal tastes.
He's a paid sponsor. Perhaps we could ask arlnow for a moderated question and answer forum for those? They can pick and choose which questions they'd like to answer.
An opinionated Asian on yelp? Now I've heard everything!
He’s a paid sponsor. Perhaps we could ask arlnow for a moderated question and answer forum for those? They can pick and choose which questions they’d like to answer.
Great idea!
I appreciate the posts. I like trying different beers. I'll still have a Miller Lite from time to time (tailgating or my options are limited) but I like to try different beers.
My latest obsession is the New Belgium Lips of Faith Tart Lychee. It's sour but good!
John Fontain said:
Beer snobbery is a really weird thing, in my opinion. I don't get why some people only drink obscure beer. I guess it makes them feel special or something.
It's not obscure if you open your mind to it……There's a whole, centuries old tradition to beer that was lost in the USA until recently. And it is a lot more democratic than wine – as it is still extremely affordable.
I appreciate the column, as I appreciate anything that serves to broaden our experience of life's pleasures. Excuse me I need to go open an obscure IPA
John Fontain said:
Beer snobbery is a really weird thing, in my opinion. I don't get why some people only drink obscure beer. I guess it makes them feel special or something.
Some people drink good beer.
It’s not about obscure. It’s about good beer.
Bud/Miller Lite = stomach ache, gassy, belly full of water, pee every 5 minutes
Micro brews = tastes great, quick drunk, no stomach issues
Not me — I don't skip them at all – in fact I read them diligently. Although I'll rarely taste most of the beers that he recommends, I enjoy reading about the different styles (some obscure, to be sure), where they came from and how they have changed over the years. He knows his stuff and it's interesting (to me, at least). The lack of comments is, in a way, a bonus because it would inevitably somehow devolve into some sort of partisan political bickering. Every other comment section seems to.
A decade and a half ago, Sam Adams beer became popular because fans said it was a better tasting, more flavorful, rich-bodied beer. Then when Sam Adams became really popular among the masses, the same people who had originally like Sam Adams because it was different than the Coors, Millers, and Buds of the world turned their backs on it because it was suddenly “crap beer”. Those people moved on to less popular, more obscure names.
Then the same thing happened with the then lesser known beer names. The next relatively obscure beer became pretty popular, then faded into “crap beer” territory as it's drinkers wanted something more “unique.” You all know you can name lots of brands over the past decade that have risen and fallen in popularity (all in the guise of taste, of course, even though the taste that originally attracted people hadn't changed). Red Hook is another example.
I have no problem with people drinking obscure beers, I just think it's funny to pretend that it's done for any other reason than wanting to feel special about yourself.
I also find it odd that these same people don't demand that the other things in their lives be obscure. Obscure deli meats for example. Or obscure sodas. Obscure ice cream, smartphones, or cereals. Why only obscure beers?
I guess this is the same concept as that certain segment of the population who turns their back on their favorite musical group if the group gets too mainstream in popularity.
John Fontain said:
I have no problem with people drinking obscure beers, I just think it's funny to pretend that it's done for any other reason than wanting to feel special about yourself.
You have no idea why anyone drinks the beer they choose, unless they tell you.
I also find it odd that these same people don't demand that the other things in their lives be obscure. Obscure deli meats for example. Or obscure sodas. Obscure ice cream, smartphones, or cereals. Why only obscure beers?
You have no idea what people who drink a certain beer also eat or consume.
+1 to John on the observation of the “hip to crap” transition. The funniest for me was Fat Tire. When it launched here in D.C., they were having launch parties at all the bars and people were going crazy over it.
Two months later, they had it at Costco.
