Beer advocate mag

Nobody here subscribe to BA? I already get BYO but am wondering about BA

I've gotten BA the last couple of years as a gift. Recently my subscription ran out an I thought long and hard but in the end decided to renew.

It has some fun interviews with commercial brewers and I like reading the profiles of some of the smaller breweries that they hilight. It's certainly not an essential read for a homebrewer, but it is kind of nice to read about some things in the craft beer world that I might otherwise have not known about.

It depends what you're looking for in a beer magazine. If you are looking at something geared towards homebrewers than BA isn't worth it. Your money would be better spent getting an AHA membership so you can get Zymurgy. But if you just want some light reading that gives you a peek at what is going on inthe world of commercial craft beer then I find it enjoyable enough for the price.

Well. I'm involved with a new brewpub and just looking for more to read and maybe just have issues on tables and so forth. Like a Dr office but for a brewpub AND something that would not be a total waste of time.

No one else reads Beer Advocate?

I see the magazine in book stores all the time. I pick it up every now and then to see if there's ever anything interesting in it, worth buying the issue for. Their website is very useful, and they have a huge community of craft beer drinkers who write reviews on beer, talk about beer, trade beer, give out news on beer, etc. The magazine is like a smaller version of that. BYO will tell me how to build a crazy new contraption, and give me clone recipes co-designed by the brewery itself. BA will tell me that stout tastes good with steak, and that SN is coming out with a neat harvest ale.

Like Gduck said it's not really a homebrew mag. The issues from about the last year or so have 2 or 3 recipes in them but that's about it. I've gotten it since the beginning and usually thumb through the issues in 15 minutes or so.

What bugs me about it (and BA in general) is the snobbery. The editorials by the Bros are always extremely holier-than-thou and they all but say outright (or maybe they do sometimes, I can't recall) that if you disagree with them you're a poor "beer advocate". I don't think it benefits anyone for people to argue over who is a better beer advocatererer than anyone else.

whatsleftofyou said:

Like Gduck said it's not really a homebrew mag. The issues from about the last year or so have 2 or 3 recipes in them but that's about it. I've gotten it since the beginning and usually thumb through the issues in 15 minutes or so.

What bugs me about it (and BA in general) is the snobbery. The editorials by the Bros are always extremely holier-than-thou and they all but say outright (or maybe they do sometimes, I can't recall) that if you disagree with them you're a poor "beer advocate". I don't think it benefits anyone for people to argue over who is a better beer advocatererer than anyone else.

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I agree- I can easily see it all in 15 minutes so it's a browsing magazine. It's ok, though.

But oh, the snobbery! It is the biggest group of know-it-alls I've ever seen. Most brewers are laid back and easy going. But beer snobs are arrogant and smug. It's unpleasant to read any editorials or their website as a result.

Yooper said:

But oh, the snobbery! It is the biggest group of know-it-alls I've ever seen. Most brewers are laid back and easy going. But beer snobs are arrogant and smug. It's unpleasant to read any editorials or their website as a result.

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you said it!
just my $.02, but reading BA.com is painful. half the reviews flame the beers for not having IPA-like hop rates. the other half seem to be reviewing something other than the listed beer. i used to frequent BA to get an idea of a beer i'm looking to try, but now i just try it and let my palate (and brewing experience) tell me what i'm experiencing.

Same here, the snobbery turned me off. I was given a subscription as a gift a few years back and didn't renew it. The whole beer advocate world is a case study in snobbery.

I still go to their website on occasion, especially if I see a new brew in an area I'm unfamiliar with. It can help you decide on what to try when you're traveling.

But for the most part, the higher the alcohol, the better the reviews. 9+% ABV beers are usually well-reviewed! Any "normal" beers are pretty much panned.

Yooper said:

I still go to their website on occasion, especially if I see a new brew in an area I'm unfamiliar with. It can help you decide on what to try when you're traveling.

But for the most part, the higher the alcohol, the better the reviews. 9+% ABV beers are usually well-reviewed! Any "normal" beers are pretty much panned.

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yep, a bad example of IIPA gets a 90, a great example of english bitter gets a 78, go figure.
i still like to read the reviews there from time to time, especially when trying a brew i've never heard of, but i take what i read with a grain of salt.

I've been a BA subscriber for about 3 years and I like it. It's definitely not a homebrewers magazine, but it's a good read for anyone who enjoys beer.

If you are involved in a brewpub, they do a good job of covering some of the regulatory issues that impact commercial beer. They also cover topics and trends in the craft beer ecosystem - something that may also be of interest to you.

I agree that the tone of some of the editorials can be a bit much, but I enjoy the contributors and profiles of successful craft brewers.

I don't pay much attention to the reviews except to help guide me to new beers or styles I might want to look for at my local.

Overall I think it's a well published magazine that would interest anyone who likes beer. Of course, I also enjoy Modern Drunkard Magazine...

Hey Grinder!

Spartan from FGI here! I get BA. It's okay. It would probably be better reading for those on the East Coast. But there's a couple interesting columns each month. Almost always a recipe article on cooking with beer. At least you can take a tax deduction for it if you order it through your pub!