EinGutesBier
Well-Known Member
This isn't really an official thing, just something that I've been thinking about. Recently, I started a bit of part time work at a LHBS that pretty much specializes in 90% wine and 10% beer extract kits. Sad, I know, but there isn't anywhere else to shop, which is why I order online. Anyway, these people are pretty ignorant of beer and think wine is the real "cultured person's drink." Talking about nuances and subtle flavors, etc, when in all honesty there isn't much to be said.
Now before you start sending white powder to my house that isn't confectioner's sugar, let me clarify.
Wine is good in and of its own right. There, I said it.
However, I believe that beer has more nuances, angles and complexity. More than any wine could ever hope for. Think about it. With beer you have the water, which actually affects the finished product. Then you have the contribution of the hops, which adds a good deal of depth. Then, of course, you have the grains, which are the back bone of the beer...the combinations of the grains are virtually infinite. Finally, you have the soul of the beer; the yeast, the stuff that really makes each beer unique. You don't have to be a math whiz to realize that if you took all of the possibilities and did a factorial equation, you'd have a virtually limitless amount of potential.
Whereas, with wine, and I can say this with some authority, there is less variation. The only difference you get is the type of grape and where it's grown as the base of the wine. That would be comparative to someone saying that beer is primarily dictated by its base malts, and where they're grown or kilned. That's even overlooking the fact that wines are fermented with a very limited array of yeasts. As you can see, much fewer possibilities. Beyond the grapes, you can add fruits if you wish or cask them in a variety of wood containers. Hm. Fancy that. The same can be done for beer. No advantage there.
Beer, by virtue of its versatility, can be conceivably combined with just about any adjunct a brewer is capable of skillfully integrating into a batch. Anyone who peruses the HBT forum can definitely see that there are a lot of creative brewers pushing the boundaries of conventionality in this regard. Just ask yourself this: how many categories and types of beer are there? Now, how many categories or types of wines are there?
All of that said, I'm not trying to start any feuds or insult anyone's preferences. I've made my feelings known, and have no intention of insulting wine makers on this forum. Most of this is due to me getting tired of people at the LHBS (customers and sometimes employees) obstinately insinuating that beer is a very basic, simple creation with very little nuance...these people obviously only know BMC.
That said, there's nothing wrong with a little healthy discussion.
Now before you start sending white powder to my house that isn't confectioner's sugar, let me clarify.
Wine is good in and of its own right. There, I said it.
However, I believe that beer has more nuances, angles and complexity. More than any wine could ever hope for. Think about it. With beer you have the water, which actually affects the finished product. Then you have the contribution of the hops, which adds a good deal of depth. Then, of course, you have the grains, which are the back bone of the beer...the combinations of the grains are virtually infinite. Finally, you have the soul of the beer; the yeast, the stuff that really makes each beer unique. You don't have to be a math whiz to realize that if you took all of the possibilities and did a factorial equation, you'd have a virtually limitless amount of potential.
Whereas, with wine, and I can say this with some authority, there is less variation. The only difference you get is the type of grape and where it's grown as the base of the wine. That would be comparative to someone saying that beer is primarily dictated by its base malts, and where they're grown or kilned. That's even overlooking the fact that wines are fermented with a very limited array of yeasts. As you can see, much fewer possibilities. Beyond the grapes, you can add fruits if you wish or cask them in a variety of wood containers. Hm. Fancy that. The same can be done for beer. No advantage there.
Beer, by virtue of its versatility, can be conceivably combined with just about any adjunct a brewer is capable of skillfully integrating into a batch. Anyone who peruses the HBT forum can definitely see that there are a lot of creative brewers pushing the boundaries of conventionality in this regard. Just ask yourself this: how many categories and types of beer are there? Now, how many categories or types of wines are there?
All of that said, I'm not trying to start any feuds or insult anyone's preferences. I've made my feelings known, and have no intention of insulting wine makers on this forum. Most of this is due to me getting tired of people at the LHBS (customers and sometimes employees) obstinately insinuating that beer is a very basic, simple creation with very little nuance...these people obviously only know BMC.
That said, there's nothing wrong with a little healthy discussion.