Are you serious about beer if you consider any beer that is not bottle or cask conditioned inferior?
Are you serious about beer if you think that you have to be able to drink a gallon of it for it to be a good beer? Are you serious about beer if you think it can only ever be drunk in pints, perhaps halves, or if you think the 2/3 pint or metric measure is balmy?
Are you serious about beer if you overlook beer that is not between 3.4% and 4.5%?
Are you serious about beer if you think that beer and food matching is a poncy activity that should be left to the wine bores?
Are you serious about beer if you consider beer that is too dark, too light, too brown, too malty, too hoppy, too sweet or too dry to be considered good beer?
Are you serious about beer if you think that beer can be too fizzy, or too flat, too cloudy, too strong, too weak, too old, too young or in some other way break from what your narrow mind can cope with.
Are you serious about beer?
23 comments:
Turns out I am serious about beer - who would've thunk!!!
I'm not serious about beer. But I am open-minded. It's seriousness that leads to pomposity, verbosity and restricted thinking.
I think this is a serious post.
Just to take one point; if you don't try something, you aren't qualified to comment on it.
The exception being Hardknott beers. I've not tried, but I think they're excellent! ;-)
If you constantly refuse to drink any beer made by big multinational brewers without trying it, then you are a pretentious prat.
If you consider any beer that is not bottle or cask conditioned inferior, then you are a pretentious snob.
If you think that you have to be able to drink a gallon of it for it to be a good beer then you are an alcoholic trying to justify your addiction.
If you think it can only ever be drunk in pints, perhaps halves, or if you think the 2/3 pint or metric measure is balmy, then you most likely voted Tory and would love to see the UK back in Victorian times.
If you overlook beer that is not between 3.4% and 4.5%, then you are ignorant of beer because you don't know what you are missing.
If you think that beer and food matching is a poncy activity that should be left to the wine bores, then you have no idea that the best thing to do with good food is have good beer with it.
If you consider beer that is too dark, too light, too brown, too malty, too hoppy, too sweet or too dry to be considered good beer, then see previous reference being a pretentious prat.
If you think that beer can be too fizzy, or too flat, too cloudy, too strong, too weak, too old, too young or in some other way break from what your narrow mind can cope with, then sit in the corner and mutter, for it is clear you are a fool.
Not sure where that leaves me, other than longing for a beer.
Too hoppy?
Are YOU serious?
:P
Chunk.
I'm serious about supporting those who brew The Good Stuff. Not sure if that's the answer you're looking for, though.
With the partial exception of Molson Coors, I haven't seen any evidence for years to suggest that big multinational brewers are serious about beer, in fact it suggests more that they are serious about taking the piss. So you'll forgive me if I give my money to brewers who genuinely are serious about beer.
Putting aside that most of this post is a clever trap, the answer is yes. Though maybe in a different way to you!
I must say I do like most of your points, though probably a bit unsure about the two thirds chappie and agin metric for UK draught beer.
Kristy, I've seen you drink, of course you are serious about beer, all of it.
Haddonsman, are you serious about much? I thought not, that's why we like you.
Fishter, I'm striving to make Hardknott beers excellent, and I hope they are, but I'm unsure if I'll ever be satisfied that they are.
Al, some days i wonder if it would be better if I sat in the corner and muttered. Instead I can always blog.
Chunk, "too hoppy, are you serious?" - I'm sure it might be possible, I think.
Leigh, exactly, but The Good Stuff can take many forms, that's all I'm saying.
Balm, you are of course correct. Many of the big brewers see beer merely as a commodity from which they can make a profit. Of course, from a business point of view, I can see nothing wrong with that. Molson Coors of course are taking beer seriously with various products us beer geeks crave for, P2 for example. We should keep checking the others, just in case.....
Tandleman "....most of this post is a clever trap...." thank you for the compliment, although trapping was not my intention. Provoking thought was.
On the issue of measures, I used to be agin the metric measure too. Indeed, I applauded the chap who continued to sell by the pound after the gummit made it a legal requirement to do it all metric like.
There are some instances where draught beer would be better in different measures. I really must post more about this. However, as is the case with bananas, or whatever, I think that the measure is not important, what is important is that the customer and retailer are both happy that the measure is accurate and both sides understand it.
If I want to buy a pound of bananas then I should be able to. If I want to buy 330ml of Westmalle Dubbel, or 50ml of draught Tokyo* then I should be able to do so, providing the retailer is prepared to sell it to me.
"Al, some days i wonder if it would be better if I sat in the corner and muttered. Instead I can always blog."
I wonder if blogging is the new letter to the editor?
The correct answers are no to everything except the last question, which is a yes.
Now, where's my prize?
I wonder if blogging is the new letter to the editor?
Nah, it doesn't involve green ink. Or lined paper.
I am serious about beer till I have drank a few pints and then I am not serious about anything.
http://beerdemon.blogspot.com/
I like beer but I can't say I'm serious about it. Although beer has got me seriously pissed in the past.
Considering the amount of time and money I spend on beer I try not to take it too seriously.
I'm not sure about the ecumenical tone of the questions though. I have definite beer preferences and this is based on my experience.
Multinationals don't generally make the kind of beers I like to drink.
When I go to the pub I want to drink cask beer, I can only drink cask beer in pub so I make the most of it when I'm in pubs.
If I'm in a pub I don't often go over 4.5% ABV as I like to sink a few and not make a tit of myself.
Yes, I do think beer and food matchigng is poncy but if some of my fellow beer bores enjoy it then that's fine.
Yes, of course beer can be too sweet, too dry, too fizzy or too flat. I'd probably still drink it if I'd paid for it though!
You can be serious about beer and hold opinions. In fact if you don’t you become a serious dullard of the first order; an anorak extraordinaire. I’m all for an open mind on all beer but an empty one is no use to anyone. You can also be too serious about beer, after all what’s the point about enjoying alcohol if you can’t have a laugh at the same time?
I think your posting can all be summed up much more briefly: if you form views without the necessary information - in the case of beer, without trying it - then you risk making a fool of yourself.
There! Much quicker!
crikey blimey.....I have spotted 2 nice things said about Molson Coors in one pongy ale post!
Would love to write more but off to spend my bonus on tickets to Barbados......
It's amazing what a free trip round the white shield brewery can do isn't it?
Zak, if I could afford a prize, then you'd get one.
Ed, ecumenical? perhaps, but I'm only really suggesting that the rigid pint swilling beer culture that dominates is promoted by a similar ecumenical attitude from some quarters. Perhaps I should also have included "Are you serious about beer if you think cask beer is warm flat dish water?" just as incorrect a position. Or "Are you serious about beer if all you want to do is tick off a list, or search for only extreme beer?" or "Can you be serious about beer if you fail to realise that most people just want to unwind over a few pints and are unlikely to be as serious about it as you?"
However, what's wrong with sinking a few halves of something at 8%? Many people who don't drink beer like a few glasses of wine instead. Some people who do like beer sometimes have a problem with the volume and drink wine or brandy or whisky or similar.
When I had the pub I often had people coming to the bar and complaining that they had eaten too much and couldn't drink a beer. They also didn't fancy a spirit. With a stock of stronger bottled beers a Belgian beer often hit the spot, but because we have our beer culture firmly rooted in the pint culture very little is made of the range of stronger beers, in smaller measures, that could be made available.
Ecumenical? you bet, but that does not mean your preference is not valid either.
And a trip round the White Shield Brewery? No, 'twas the clotted cream what did it.
Nev, well put, why do I waste all my words?
Paul, opinions are indeed important, and I know that people who read this will have alternative opinions. There is no right or wrong in this discussion and the very fact that people comment shows thoughtful engagement. But you are right, one can become too serious. Perhaps sometimes I am.
Washy, you have a very serious intent when you do drink beer.
Beer is not something to be serious about. Beer is fun, life is serious. Neck what you enjoy, enjoy what you neck.
You should try every beer possible with an open mind; that's what I try to do.
in 99% of cases, however, this confirms why I think multinationals are a pack of cretins and why I don't drink their swill through choice if there's owt else worth having.
I don't drink weiss beers as, despite constant trying, I just don't like the style(s) at all but that's not to say I think they're bad beers it's just I don't like them, similarly pale ale made with crystal malt is a no-no for me as I hate the flavours it gives.
You should always try new beers, though, as the next one just might be the best beer in the world. it probably won't be, but if just might... and that's why I'm a scooper!
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