What's a 'Beer Snob'???

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Caplan

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The term 'Beer Snob' has been used on this site to describe people as some of us apparently don't drink the 'More available Corp Brews' anymore.

I disagree with term on the following points.

Beer is great - so many styles and variations within styles. You could try (if you could track them all down!) a new beer every day from around the world and still not taste one you'd tried last year or even the year before!

Beer is also inexpensive - What's the difference between the price of a bottle/pint of 'Big Corp' versus 'Craft Brew'? A few cents? Maybe even a few dollars? I've drunk most 'Big Corp' brews. Most are dull, some are rubbish, one or two I like. In contrast I try to drink more 'Craft Brews' now. One or two have been rubbish, Most have been good and some have been excellent!

Homebrew set ups - have we really spent megabucks that only our Kid's Kids will see the benefits of our long term outlays with this hobby? And also are we communicating in a language between ourselves as homebrewers that no one else can decipher it?

So to summarize - Beer is cheap. Ingredients are cheap, home brew processes don't need to be over-complicated as long as you follow the basics so why not experiment with both drinking and brewing other beers than haven't been available to you before?

How is that 'Snobby'????:confused:

Sorry for the rant.....
 
Snobby is as Snobby does.

I think you could define Beer Snob as anyone who knows better. Anyone who won't lay down for what the big three have to sell us. Anyone who won't accept Budweiser as the King of Beers. Anyone who posts on this, or any other homebrew site.

They tell me that it doesn't get any better than their beer. If that's so, how come the stuff I made in my kitchen is so much more fulfilling/ intoxicating/ flavorful ? Hell, I'm nobody ( OK, I'm the damn Monkey, but that's not the point !) ! Who am I to say that mine is better than theirs ? The Dudes' is better ! El P.'s ! Sudsters ! Caplans! Orfy's ! Anybodies !
I'm a beer snob ! F. them ! I can do better than the crap they sell me !


- Editor's note: Sudsmonkey is now in a padded room thanks to the Limey. The views expressed by the Monkey do not necessarily reflect those of this forum, etc.... Please enjoy whatever beer you choose.:)
 
"its better to be a human being dissastisfied than a pig satisfied..."

when i think of a beer snob i think of people who look down on those who drink budweiser...theres a bar in s.f. called the 'toranado' that sells awesome micro-brews, the problem (for me) is that they have a 'no budweiser' sign behind the bar. this to me is pretentious, so i would order a bud-light just to piss them off, they look at you like "heres another dumb tourist, he must be a moron if he thinks budweiser is good"...whatever! ill drink budweiser (not so much budlight) or coors, or even Merlot (for all you wine snobs), i also like good cheese like bell paese or drunken goat, or manchego, but guess what? i love good ole' crappy american cheese as well...
 
Don't misunderstand me. I'm drinking Milwaukees Best Ice at the moment. I asked the Wife to get me a cheap case at the grocery today. I've never met a beer I wouldn't drink. I just don't class this as a good beer. It does the job, no doubt. Just look at my earlier post. It just lacks the flavor and kick of my homebrew. I , too like American cheese, but Swiss is better.:mug:
 
I don't want to ever be considered a beer snob. My theory on beer is to each his own. If you enjoy it then it is absolutely right for you. How could someone else's opinion have anything to do with the things you enjoy?
So hoist up a mug of Coors, Bud, Miller, Samuel Smiths, your home brewed Porter, your favorite Pilsner, or any other beer you enjoy.
A toast to enjoying the beer in your hand and to NOT being a beer snob.:tank:
 
sudsmonkey said:
No, my Pastor ; My beer is better than their beer. Yours is just fine.
I agree.

I am a(n) (American) Beer Snob. When it comes to beer, I consider myself (over)educated (compared to the mass consumers) as to what "real beer" is and what is passed on as "real beer" to (the) under-educated (American) consumers.

Basing my beer drinking experiences upon geography and economics, I am drawn away from the mainstream American brews because of their blandness and the addition of unnecessary chemicals.

Unfortunately, at times, I come upon the decision to purchase an "off-brand" owned by one of the "Big 3", i.e., Ice House, Colt 45, etc., just to avoid the other "crap" they offer.

Many good local breweries have, for one reason or another, sold-out to the lawyers of the "Big 3" for $$$ (my opinion only).

We consumers, are the unfortunate recipients of this "legal" system. This is yet another prime example of what's "legal" isn't always "right".:mad:

If given only 2 choices, Paulaner over (American) Budweiser, the Paulaner would win.

If my choices were my urine and Budweiser, my urine would win!

Budweiser - talk about Arrogant Bastards?!:mad:

That, my friend, is my definition of a "beer snob".:D
 
I might be a beer snob. I do everything I can to avoid drinking budweiser and coors products. I love micro-brews and imports, and I like to sit around and try to figure out how the beer was made.
However---I drink cheap schwill all the time. I prefer to buy things like stag, PBR, Old Mil, etc., over the big breweries. And that is really because I'm a snob. I'd rather drink a product with no advertising than the multi-million dollar ad beers. I think PBR is better than budweiser, but I really think that deep down, I just don't want to give bud my $$. I'll drink it if it's free though.:D
But one way or the other, I don't go crusading telling people that they have no taste or don't know good beer. Maybe they're just broke and want a cheap buzz. Nothing wrong with that. And it's just not my place to tell people how to drink beer.
 
I think money has a lot to do with it. Some people don't understand why you would pay $8 for a six pack of good beer instead of $.40 for a 18 pack of Bud Dry.
 
another point: no matter how good 'chimay' is you cant make a crack pipe out of a bottle like you can with a bud can, a pin, and some ciggarette ashes...:rockin:
 
I agree with Bill.....it's a matter of education, which comes through seeking out and trying many different beers.

If a guy drinks Bud, has only drank Bud, and only cares to drink Bud, then I consider him ignorant. If he's tried all sorts and still thinks Bud is the greatest, then it's just a matter of taste.

I like all sorts of beers, but I like hoppy ones the most. A lot of my fellow brewers/drinkers think that anything over about 30IBU's is nuts. But, I think we'll all agree that it's all about sampling, and finding what it is you really like.

The whole "snobbery" thing comes about when one person wants to put someone down for their personal taste. If I (a hophead), were to tell Bill (not a hophead) that his taste in beer sucks, then I'm a snob.....and vice-versa.

There are some highly rated beers that I think are crap. Duvel being #1. To me, it's overcarbonated garbage. If I want that much foam, I'll eat some Redi Whip. So, who's the snob? Me, for not liking it, or all the other people who rate it so high? The answer is "neither". It's a matter of taste.
 
Sam75 said:
The whole "snobbery" thing comes about when one person wants to put someone down for their personal taste. If I (a hophead), were to tell Bill (not a hophead) that his taste in beer sucks, then I'm a snob.....and vice-versa.

I whole heartedly agree Sam. I have tried a lot of different styles of beers since I started brewing and I know I make a better tasting brew than the Big3. However, what I don't need or like is someone telling me I'm a brain dead slave to mass consumption with no taste and a F'g moron to boot just because I still drink Coors Lite occasionally:mad:

I drink what I want and don't expect to be bashed for my choices. I won't do it to anyone else.
 
I guess my classification of a beer snob is not the same. I am not one to judge others on much, so I've never really thought of others as beer snobs. I have, however, caught myself being what I would consider a beer snob. Example:

Waiter: "What would you like tonight?"
Loop: "A half slab of ribs and some fries."
Waiter: "What would you like to drink?"
Loop: " What's on tap?"
Waiter: "Bud, Bud Light, Miller Lite & Michelob."
Loop: "No craft brews?(in head thinking wtf, you guys don't have anything?)
Waiter: " No sir, that's it" (staring at me now waiting for a response)
Loop: (still looking at waiter in disbelief, with voices in head saying many bad things about the selection and then remembering when it was ok to drink any of these with his ribs and fries. )

going home after meal and saying to myself, Jesus , I've become such a beer snob.



loop
 
I agree with 2nd Street brewery and sam75 about the definition of beer snobbery.

To use an anology - in a Model RR forum I used to follow there was an expression of a "rivet counter". This was a person who was so wrapped up in trying to re-create a type of existing railroad car or engine - that if the modeler in question did not have the detail of the model down to the correct number of rivets on the side then the modeler and model were sub- standard. THAT is in my opinion a snob. It boils down to putting someone else down because they don't do it like the way you do because your way is the best (does this sound like the marine brewer from quam anyone?)

In the Homebrewing realm I quess the equivalent could be all grain v. extract v. Mrbeer or beer in a bag or something. The all grainer saying to the extract brewer you are not a true brewer.

That is why I LOVE this forum. You all are the most understanding supportive bunch of folks on the web. There is nothing better to support the Homebrewing movement than this site!!

So ....... that's what I think a beer snob is!
:)
 
I don't call myself a Beer Snob to put anyone down. I once knew a guy ( before I made beer) that would give me crap over my $5 12 pack of PBR when he had just spent $8 on a six-pack of Pete's Wicked Honey Strawberry Blonde Girly- man ( my opinion at the time) Fizzy Crap. For me , it was a matter of economics. The PBR would get me there for $5. His stuff would get him there too, after he'd had a couple of my PBR's.
It made me feel small, and less of a person. I would never make anyone feel that way on purpose. It's all about being a kinder, gentler Monkey.
 
I'm with you Sudsmonkey. I don't put anyone's taste in beer down (at least I don't believe I do). It is all a matter of personal taste.

I know what I like and I've learned (through sampling) there's a lot out there that I will NEVER try again no matter how thirsty I am.:D
 
Well a snob is a person who has a discriminating pallet such as thay would rather go to a fancy French restaraunt rather than an everyday restaraunt such as McDonalds. Ths is much the same with beer. Beers have differantr tastes depending where they are brewed, who they are brewed by etc so a beer snob is someone who won't drink any old commercially made beer
 
BU, I'm not sure how you mean that. Given that money is not an object, who wouldn't rather go to a great French restaurant than McDonald's. We all have our moments when we need our fix, but if we had it our way, wouldn't we all go to a great restaurant, be it French, Italian, Mexican, whatever? Maybe what you're getting at is that beer snobs are often rich. I'm not. That's why I often drink PBR, Stag, etc. I just don't want to give my money to the Big Breweries. I don't rip on other people for making that decision. I also don't tell other people what to think in terms of politics, etc. I respect people who have opinions, no matter what they are. I just can't respect people who let corporations do their thinking for them.
 
sudsmonkey said:
I don't call myself a Beer Snob to put anyone down. I once knew a guy ( before I made beer) that would give me crap over my $5 12 pack of PBR when he had just spent $8 on a six-pack of Pete's Wicked Honey Strawberry Blonde

I've never been a fan of anything from the Pete's brewery, so I suppose if I was a true beer snob I could put them down for being inadequate, etc.

I think the problem with "beer snobs" is that those types of people haven't gotten far enough along in their appreciation of beer to know that all beers have their place within their style.

When people hate on the big breweries (myself included) they are really hating the fact that the only beer you can get in most restaurants are those beers.

When a "beer snob" expresses dislike for bud light, etc. that's fine. When that same person tries to say those are bad beers, they are showing their inexperience or bias. Those beers are very good examples of their style. It's just like the BJCP thread where Tnland was talking about how he had to judge lambics and he hates lambics. He didn't try to say they were bad beers - he evaluated them within their style.

Sorry - I'm rambling. It's too early for me to focus properly.
 
This hobby has made me a "beer connoisseur" which I never initially expected to get out of this. So when I go out with buddies or they bring over a 6er of whatever (we sample a lot) I tend to "explain" the beer. Basically like wine tasting. I describe the malty/hop/yeast of it. I went to a BJ's brewery chain and their Hefe is strong in banana taste so I start telling co-workers why. They never put nana and hefe together until I explained and they all of a sudden could taste it as well.

Because I'm obsessed with this hobby like many of you are I do this all the time. When I catch myself rambling I self label me a "beer snob". But I believe most people just think I'm informed and usually like to hear about it.

A beer snob would put down the macro brews, belittle those that drink it and rub it in their faces. I explain why "Macro" tastes like this as well and how they get it there (rice bla bla) while drinking them.
 
I'm a quiet beer snob. Meaning I know the difference between good beer and bad and go out of my way to avoid Bud. But I firmly believe in "to each, his own" and would never knock someones beer choice. If he/she is drinking a beer then I'll be their friend. Now, if someone starts talking trash about how great Bud or Miller is then thats where my "snobbiness" comes out and I try my best to set them straight.
All that being said if I am drinking with my college buddies who don't know better then I'm right there with my 12 pack of Bud Light...mmm, mmm.
 
Some good points raised so far - How do 'Micro Brew' beers (say in similar sized bottles) compare in price to the 'Big Corporation' beers across the US? I know State to State it varies due to laws/etc but i'd love to see a rough idea on prices when you guys go and buy a few beers in your area.
 
i pay about 7-9 dollars per six pack of good beer, and 3-5 dollars per sixer of crap...but you really save money when you buy crap by the case, you can get a case for like 10 bucks!!!
 
The local O'Fallon brews are about 7 bucks, bigger micros, like New Belgiums are 7-8 depending on the style, and some of the harder to find brews like Bells, which only a few stores around here carry, run as high as 9 bucks for non-specialty beers. The Bells Third Coast Old Ale was like 14, but it is obviously a different animal. Ommegang big bottles are 4 bucks, and I drink it all the time because I think it's well worth that price. Not the best Belgian style beer out there, but for four dollars, it makes me happy.:D
 
I think I see things a little differently now. Using the word Connaiseur sounds much better than Snob. The only problem I have in describig myself that way is that I sometimes swill Cheap-Assed Beer. I prefer PBR or Beast, maybe the hoppy goodness of a Steel Reserve. I ignore everything written on the can. Actually, I think the things written on the can are funny. " Twice the hops for twice the gravity". Think I'll buy me some of that !
I prefer better beer. I can't always afford it. I don't always want to waste it in a swill-fest. When I drink the Big Corporate Beers, I do it grudgingly. When somebody sneers at my homebrew in favor of a Bud, they do it unknowingly.


Maybe I'm a Snobbaseur !:rockin:
 
Apparrently I am a beer snob because when I taste a beer, I talk about the flavors, and because I do not like the same beers one of my friends likes.

What a crock of ****.
 
I am not, nor will I ever be, a beer snob. That seems to be the only gripe I had about brewing forums(I read several) is that a percentage of the posters refer to the macrobrews as "swill" and are therefore beneath them. These beers may not be to their liking, but they are not necessarily bad beers, and those who enjoy them are not necessarily uneducated or ignorant about beer. They just know what they like and stick with it. I once offered a friend a homebrew and asked if he liked bock beer, just so I wouldn't give him something he wouldn't care for. He replied "Does it foam? Then I like it." Now that's the ultimate beer non-snob.
 
i'm a pleeb at heart. i enjoy and appreciate the good beers out there, but i'd just as soon pound down a bunch of swill with the guys...

'sides, you can't drink homebrew outta the can whilst watching sporting events or mowing the lawn. :mug:
 
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