Beer Geeks vs. Beer Snobs?

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Love the reverse beer snob discussion

I have a friend who is a miller light drinker, and that is all he will drink, just refuses anything else.
I do not call him a snob, just has a idiosyncrasy I can not for the life of me to understand

bottom line is some peole like steaks well done, some like rare and some medium rare, do we judge guys on that?
Maybe anyone in this discussion trying to define a beer snob is the snob?

I love beer, drink what is put in front of me. It may not be my favorite but it is not buttermilk also.

Hell yeah, anything past med rare is burnt!
 
I’m going to introduce a new term: “beer redneck”. It is the opposite of ‘beer snob’. I suppose the opposite of “beer geek” is ‘beer dum-ass’.

A few years ago I went to a party with co-workers. There was a keg of Miller Lite. I brought Guinness Stout and made it available to all. I contributed to the keg, even though I didn’t drink it. I didn’t touch their mixed drinks or food. Yet I got blowback for not drinking their stupid Miller Lite.

It makes me proud to be a beer snob.

BTW, the worst criticism I had of their beer choice, when asked, was “I don’t care for it”.

Beer rednecks will be the death of me. I see a scenario where I’m sitting in a bar, drinking something not yellow and fizzy. A big burly fake cowboy saunters up. He has an ornamental Stetson. His boots have never been off of pavement, just like his shiny pickup truck. He drawls “Gimme a Currs Laht”. I giggle, I’m dead.

Worth it.
 
I’m going to introduce a new term: “beer redneck”. It is the opposite of ‘beer snob’. I suppose the opposite of “beer geek” is ‘beer dum-ass’.

A few years ago I went to a party with co-workers. There was a keg of Miller Lite. I brought Guinness Stout and made it available to all. I contributed to the keg, even though I didn’t drink it. I didn’t touch their mixed drinks or food. Yet I got blowback for not drinking their stupid Miller Lite.

It makes me proud to be a beer snob.

BTW, the worst criticism I had of their beer choice, when asked, was “I don’t care for it”.

Beer rednecks will be the death of me. I see a scenario where I’m sitting in a bar, drinking something not yellow and fizzy. A big burly fake cowboy saunters up. He has an ornamental Stetson. His boots have never been off of pavement, just like his shiny pickup truck. He drawls “Gimme a Currs Laht”. I giggle, I’m dead.

Worth it.

We used to call those types drug store cowbys. Fakers shouldn't judge what you drink if they can't even get real with who they're not.
 
In this, I side with Robert B. Parker's Spenser:

"The worst beer I had was wonderful."
(Assuming it's not skunked or otherwise "damaged">)

-Dan
 
Personally, I think a beer snob is someone who would say something derogatory towards a beer they don't like (like most people on this forum they target numerous BMC beers) and a beer geek is someone who understands the full spectrum of quality in beers and uses more critical language when analyzing a beer. That's not to say a beer snob doesn't understand and appreciate the full spectrum, but they are snobbish and use unnecessary comparisons with some beers when they shouldn't.

Of course this question is subjective so we all could argue till our heart's content. If I may push some buttons, a lot of people in this very post are beer snobs to me.
 
I tend to agree with jglazer. In short, a "beer snob" seems to derive pleasure from speaking negatively about "lesser" brews, while a "beer geek" enjoys discussing and appreciating the positives of all beer, not that I would classify myself or anyone else as either, largely because I feel the whole concept of requiring a title to prove you enjoy beer is a bit ridiculous. I may be new to brewing, but I assure you I am not new to beer, and although cracking a 6 pack of some new microbrew that hit all the right notes is a deeply satisfying experience, an ice cold Old Style on a 90 degree July afternoon at the company picnic is just as satisfying in its own way. I don't want anyone to take this the wrong way as I think this a great forum filled with knowledgeable people with quality advice, but there definitely seems to be a lot of arrogance here as well, especially towards those who admit they don't mind the occasional "piss water."
 
BMC's have their place to me. I get a hankerin' for the old days,when me,pop & my brothers went hunting or fishing together. Building parts of the house, yard work,workin' on cars...whatever. I grew up on commercial lagers that aren't around anymore,or the recipies have changed. I guess it would be accurate to say that's what drives me to them sometimes.
Not to mention,my original reason for starting home brewing. On the 28th,I'm going to break in my new fermenter with version 4 of my Hopped & Confused hybrid lager. I've always wanted to get that "real beer flavor" that those old brands had when I was growing up. I really want to try & duplicate those flavors locked in my head. That's why I always go back to them,or try new craft lagers to see what's up nowadays. To my surprise,the Kona Longboard Island Lager comes pretty close to my Hybrid Lager,version 3. Now if I could just get a recipe from the big guys from the old days!...:rockin:
 
The Professor is a geek. Thurston Howell III is a snob.

Beer geek professor might manage to ferment a bitchin coconut brew. Beer snob Thurston Howell would turn his nose up at it for lack of hops and/or because everyone else on the island likes it.
 
Personally, I think a beer snob is someone who would say something derogatory towards a beer they don't like (like most people on this forum they target numerous BMC beers) and a beer geek is someone who understands the full spectrum of quality in beers and uses more critical language when analyzing a beer. That's not to say a beer snob doesn't understand and appreciate the full spectrum, but they are snobbish and use unnecessary comparisons with some beers when they shouldn't.

Of course this question is subjective so we all could argue till our heart's content. If I may push some buttons, a lot of people in this very post are beer snobs to me.
please, please, please, PLEASE tell me I'm one of them!

Beer snobs post in the thread below about how they think they are better than their friends that like BMC.

https://www.homebrewtalk.com/f14/funny-things-youve-overheard-about-beer-346883/
you must have been reading my posts. stalker.



for many of you, BMC & their super mega ultra golden 6394 lights have a time & place. well, happy birthday. some of us are quite opposite. I don't care how difficult it is to brew ("no where to hide your flaws"), it still lacks flavor & tastes horrible to me and many others. if we're snobs because we don't want to drink it, then that's what we are. I've said it a million times & I'll probably say a million times more: personal taste is a hell of a thing.
 
haha its not about not wanting to drink BMC beers, its just the way one acts and expresses themselves about their preferences. also, no one said being a snob is a bad thing, its really just a label and a poor one at that. snobs can be described as someone who is passionate about their beer preferences and is willing to express them however they so choose
 
I'll echo jglazer above. It's not about whether you think BMC beers taste good or not, it's how you treat those who do. Do you go to a party where BMC is being served and tell everyone drinking it that they're sheeple who are sucking at the teat of big business or do you graciously accept the beer that you're given and thank the host? There is a time and place for educating people about good beer.
 
A beer geek is someone who knows and practices the correct process of brewing. A snob is someone that has no idea what it takes to make beer but wants to put themselves on a beer pedestal. Commonly the common American beers are not good, but rather cheap beer pong tools.

Just my opinion.


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haha its not about not wanting to drink BMC beers, its just the way one acts and expresses themselves about their preferences. also, no one said being a snob is a bad thing, its really just a label and a poor one at that. snobs can be described as someone who is passionate about their beer preferences and is willing to express them however they so choose

I'll echo jglazer above. It's not about whether you think BMC beers taste good or not, it's how you treat those who do. Do you go to a party where BMC is being served and tell everyone drinking it that they're sheeple who are sucking at the teat of big business or do you graciously accept the beer that you're given and thank the host? There is a time and place for educating people about good beer.

as I have stated before, I will not waste my time drinking beer I don't like and I won't make comment until some a-hole makes comment on what I'm drinking. the whole idea is not a black & white issue.

say I'm having a party & only serving a RIS I made to a bunch of BMC drinkers. none of them wants to drink it. what a bunch of floccin' beer snobs!
 
IMHO beer snobs negatively and verbally judges others beer geeks offer opinions when asked. Beer dorks like me just want to learn and drink and have fun.


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Embrace your inner snobbery. You know you want to. You don’t have to be a butthead to be a snob. I know my beer is better than yours, but I’m not rude enough to point it out.

Similarly, there’s a big difference between being knowledgeable and being a know-it-all. Keep an open mind and don’t be one of those people that won’t shut up.
 
A beer snob thinks beer quality is determined by price, a beer geek actually knows what makes a quality brew.
 
A snob wants to be seen by you drinking a rare beer from a crystal glass for the prestige / envy incurred.

A geek will drive an hour out of his way so he can buy a beer he'll drink by himself just to taste this year's version.
 
A snob thinks he has arrived and knows it all. A beer geek is always searching, learning. He (or she!) cannot help but show enthusiasm while the snob remains blasé.
 
every body is hitting the nail on the head. IMO beer geeks love beer, beer snobs look down on people for not drinking what they do. BMC drinkers don't even phase me because you see so much of it and at least they're drinking beer. i give the commercial breweries credit for controlling 95% of the market. unfortunately that's the way it is, to compare beer to music people listen to the crap that is played on the radio (excluding classic rock stations) vs the good stuff
 
If you have responded to the "whats the most you ever paid for beer" thread, you might be a beer snob. If you say BMC tastes anything like piss, you are definitely a snob.
 
If you have responded to the "whats the most you ever paid for beer" thread, you might be a beer snob.

What about people who bought Utopias because they were genuinely curious what a 29% ABV beer would taste like, or even how something could reach that strength and still be considered a beer? Yeah, it's a huge expense for a beer, but there's still a lot of reasons for a beer geek to go after something like that, at least once.
 
Snobbery is about exclusion, and exclusivity. Geekdom appreciation for all aspects of what you love. Personally I don't feel there is any place in the craft beer movement for snobbery. What we do is about trying new flavors and pushing the boundaries of "Normal". Brewing beer is just cool, and maligning any commercial beer, or homebrew with anything other than constructive criticism, is just self serving at best.

Personally, I can be perfectly happy with just about anything....yes even Rolling Rock or Bud....if that's whats being served. :D
 
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