Beer Snobbery

[jaymack]

So, does anyone else consider themselves a "beer snob"? I never (nor will I ever) wanted to be like the hoity-toity wine drinkers of the world, but I find the more I learn and understand the difference between "good" beer and, well, everything else (i.e. Canadian, Blue, Bud, Coors Lite) the more picky and snotty I become.

You ever snicker at the 19 year olds scooping the 24 of Molson and want to slap them?
You ever shake your head at the person choosing thier beer from the "Top 10" list?

I recently heard a radio add for RedBull Beer and how it's for real beer drinkers. It was quite funny actually as they slammed educated beer-o-philes.

But I digress...

 

[kornkob]

You will find a whole host of beer snobs here, including several who don't think that they are snobs, just that they 'know better'.

Happens in every hobby really. Get groups of hobbiests together who know somethign about the subject of the hobby and you end up with people who will go to extraordianry lengths to deride the mass-market version of their hobby item. Computers, books, whiskey, cars-- you name it and the associatated hobby group has it's snobs.

Me-- I see as much quality in the mass market stuff as I see in my own. It's just a difference of taste,

 

[Ivan Lendl]

there was a good thread about this a while ago...My take is that its like a pendulum, in that alot of homebrewers go through a 'see the light' phase and find themselves drinking only so-called good beer, or deriding mega-swill types. I think your really only a 'snob' if you think less of others (or their assumned less sophisticated palates) and dont respect them for, say, buying a 40 oz. of mickeys.

To each his own, if you think pushpin is better than poetry, then it actually IS better.

 

[Radarbrew]

I don't know anyone who considers themselves a "beer snob", as that term and being finicky goes right out the window when offered an "O.P." beer. (other peoples). However, I do tend to find that drinking the same p***water day after day tends to get you bored, and homebrewing is a good way to relieve that. Plus, you wind up knowing more about (aboot for you Canucks) beer, how it's made, how it carbonates and where different beers are from. It's not just a good drink...it's an education.

 

[Desert_Sky]

It depends. I will now pass up the commercial beers in the convienance store, since I know I have much better quality in my fridge at home now.

However, theres a time and a place for everything. We plan on going to the lake here real soon, and I dont see my self putting 100 home brews into a cooler and heading out. Therefore, Miller Lite will have to work for that situation.

 

[Baron von BeeGee]

I'm a beer snob, which just means I'm in to good beer. It doesn't necessarily have to be pricey or from the other side of the world. I'm also a coffee snob and haven't bought Kraft singles in about 15 years. I get by.

 

[david_42]

Supporter of Native Oregon Beer? You bet!

But, as I explained to my neighbor (who was drinking a Hamms Light at the time), even lawnmower beer has it's place. I use Coors to brine sausage. It is possible to be picky without being snotty. Snotty will never make a convert to craft beers. Telling a Bud drinker to try a golden or a wheat, just might.

 

[2nd Street Brewery]

I agree with Bjorn, your a snob if you deride others for their choices. I, for example like lighter lagers. It's what I drink mostly. I can't drink overly hoppy brews as I have bad acid reflux and it dosen't mix well. (tried a sixer of SmuttyNose awhile back and couldn't sleep the burning was so bad) However, since starting to brew I have discovered to my suprise that I actually like stouts and porters, something I would never have found out until I tried homebrewing. I also enjoy English and Scottish ales. I guess the point is if you like it drink it. I consider myself a beer lover not a beer snob.

 

[Cheesefood]

I had a Miller Lite last night for the first time in months. Non of my beer was cold, but the Lite was. I continue my assessment for Macrobrewed beer:

It serves its purpose. You can drink a lot of it and not get wasted. It doesn't dehydrate you as badly on a hot day. You don't gain as much weight. They're cheap, just like your friends.

Think about it like this: It's a hot day and you just washed the car, mowed the lawn and mulched the landscape. Time to sit back on the porch and have a cold one. What's it going to be? A cellar-temp dark chocolate stout or a crisp, cold, watered down lager?

Sitting at a baseball game, in the sun in August. It's 98º and there's no breeze or clouds. What's it going to be? A high ABV brown ale, or an Old Style?

Playing cards with your cheating, Bush-Light-bringing-over buddies. Is this time for a 9% ABV Imperial Stout? These bastards are trying to claim that a straight beats a full house as it is. Do you really want the extra alcohol in your system letting you believe they have a winning 2-4-5-6-7 hand?

But, on the other hand, after shovelling snow, when watching Football, when sitting on the couch catching a movie, while sitting on the deck in the summertime as the sun sets or when you just want to get into a good argument with your best friend, homebrew makes the moment special. Whether it's strip poker with the wife or strip poker with the girlfriend, there's some times when you just want something a little better than usual.

 

[Radarbrew]

Well then again, commercial brews have their place, like the cooler at the lake, and a good example, drunk chicken on the grill, and brats. Who's gonna cook a brat and NOT put it in a pan of beer? C'mon.
Plus, I applaud the commercial brewers who have found a good reason to make more people try homebrewing..."try OUR beer, whaddya think we have those damn big ass horses FOR anyway"?

 

[brewhead]

I've never met a beer i didn't like. I'm not a beer snob - I'm a beer enthusiast

 

[Radarbrew]

"Whether it's strip poker with the wife AND strip poker with the girlfriend,"

Cheese, that's the BEST commercial I've seen in a long time...+I LOVE that avatar!

 

[jaymack]

--Think about it like this: It's a hot day and you just washed the car, mowed the lawn and mulched the landscape. Time to sit back on the porch and have a cold one. What's it going to be? A cellar-temp dark chocolate stout or a crisp, cold, watered down lager? Sitting at a baseball game, in the sun in August. It's 98º and there's no breeze or clouds. What's it going to be? A high ABV brown ale, or an Old Style?

Personally, I prefer darks and stouts and cellar temp summer or winter

I guess I didn't meant to come off sounding like such a snob, to each his own I truly believe, but I think I've been the one who's usually laughed at and critized for requesting (God Forbid) something made by a Micro-Brew, or European.

 

[MrEcted1]

I'm totally a beer snob... it drives people crazy!

Of coarse I have all my special glasses, some are for stouts/porters, some are for belgian beers, some are for german beers...etc. What really drives my wife crazy is if we go to a friends house and I bring over some belgian dubbels or something, I have to bring my own glasses too because I just can't drink say, a belgian dubbel out of a pint glass. A wine glass is acceptable, but I never risk it. I just bring my own.

My parents are really funny. They drink Aspen Edge (BLECH!) and they say that my beer is crap and they drink REAL beer because it's all American... So I will say "Well, this Hop Rod Rye, Yeti, Dreadnaught...etc is made in America" they respond with "But it's not American beer. It's junk"

Oh well, more for me =) muahahahHAHAHAAH *ahem* AHAHAHAHA!

 

[Monk]

I find that my tastes have changed and fluxuated quite a bit. I tend to like variety and seldom even buy a six pack. I need five different flavors from five different bottles. (Maybe I have beer-ADD?) I guess that's one reason why I like homebrewing--I get to make any kind of exotic style I want, or I can have a coors lite, if I want. As someone said, it's a wonderful world of beer.

 

[sause]

I find that my tastes have changed and fluxuated quite a bit. I tend to like variety and seldom even buy a six pack. I need five different flavors from five different bottles. (Maybe I have beer-ADD?) I guess that's one reason why I like homebrewing--I get to make any kind of exotic style I want, or I can have a coors lite, if I want. As someone said, it's a wonderful world of beer.

It wonderful when you find a spot that lets you mix and match. There are a few of them around me that let me choose which Sprecher Beer I want. So I can have four different styles in one pack(they come in four packs of 16oz bottles).

 

[PT Ray]

Think about it like this: It's a hot day and you just washed the car, mowed the lawn and mulched the landscape. Time to sit back on the porch and have a cold one. What's it going to be? A cellar-temp dark chocolate stout or a crisp, cold, watered down lager?

I feel you on that one. My problem is that I still want that beer flavor that I am used to. I found that my milds have filled that void. Now as part of my inventory I keep some low gravity beer bottled in 2 liter soft drink bottles. I have come to love my 2 liters. Cleaning consists of a hot water rinse and then a quick shake with a little sanitizer. Bottling is quick only requiring 9 bottles and after they are empty they go to the recycling bin for the city to pick up ending their cycle. At only 2.5% alcohol, I can dust off a bottle while working in the yard w/o missing a beat.

 

[TDRacing13]

Im not sure if im a beer snob, but I do find myself driving 25 minutes to a liquor store that carries a huge variaty of micro/ imported brews when I can literally take two steps off my property and be in a liquor store. And like was stated before I dont buy 6 packs, i get a bunch of different singles.

 

[brehm21]

My roomates called me a beer snob back in college because I'd get whatever off-the-wall brews I could pick up at our nearby Stop'n'Rob. Anyone ever hear of Mississippi Mud? Cheap Black&Tan, good buzz. Perfect for the pre-bar drinking warm up. Haven't had that for years. Anyway, it's not that I hated Bud Light or Miller, I just wanted something a little different. It's all about variety for me. I like almost all beers. In my fridge right now is: Leinenkugel's Honey Weiss, one Sam Adams Cherry Wheat, a Silver Bullet or two and a single 16 oz. Budwieser I found hiding in a corner this afternoon (I'm not sure how long it's been there, but it might be old enough to vote in next weeks elections). Tomorrow I think I'll buy some Molson since my best freind is coming over and I know he likes it. I like Molson too, though I seldom buy it for myself.
In my area (rural central Ohio) it's tough to find good tasting micro-brews though. Even the seasonal Sam Adams brews are scarce. I wish we had dedicated liquor stores that carried a much wider selection of imports and micro's......but that's also part of the reason I'm making my own.

So....in conclusion, I don't consider myself a beer snob........I am a beer Lover!

 

[RiversC174]

Gimme a break. I love a good quality brew just as much as the next guy, I have no problem droppin 10 or 12 bones on a good 6 pack. But I still have no problem gettin back to my roots and havin myself a nice natty light or busch light or (insert generic cheap regional beer of choice here). To this day, the best times I had were after rugby games at college going to the local bar where pabst blue ribbon were a buck a piece... as long as you shotgunned them. Well, I guess the point is this: HOORAY BEER! Big, small, cheap, expensive, I owe many a good time to this drink of the gods. Can I get an amen?

Joe

 

[brehm21]

Amen, Brother!

 

[Tony]

I dont know about being a snob, but I know Im picky as hell about what I drink now. I got tired a long time ago of drinking BMC's and when I wanted something different, had to depend on drinking a Heineken. Yeah, they were beers and ya got wasted, but soon my beer drinking evolved into drinking something with body, good taste and originality. Once Sam Adams came out, it changed my drinking habits greatly. No longer did I HAVE to settle on what I drank. And soon after that, microbrews and better tasting beers came to market. And now, with even more great beers to choose from, I dont have to settle ever again when I buy beer. However, I still have to settle for Sam and Sam Seasonal in some of the local restaurants though...LOL...but I can deal with that.

And with being able to brew tasty, original beers with the body and flavor I really want, I just call myself...someone who loves good beer.

 

[MrEcted1]

I'm really not as snobby as I appeared in my first reply... I actually drink a lot of Pabst Blue Ribbon, Icehouse, and plenty of other adjuct lagers. But I am really picky about what glass I use and such for my good beers. My wife goes nuts... if I have a stout, a lager and a belgian all in the same night, then that's 3 different glasses I use. I will never refuse a beer! If I go to a party and they have Bud-Lights, or Coronas then I will enjoy those. I have met people that absolutely refuse to drink Bud or Corona... it's still beer man!

 

[Monk]

But I still have no problem gettin back to my roots and havin myself a nice natty light
Joe

Oh, snizzle! You said Natty Light! I drank a lot of that in college. Like, A LOT. I went to SDSU in san diego and I think the university actually has some sort of deal going with those people. I haven't had one in years, but when I even get a whiff of one it reminds me of exactly the kind of throw-down parties you described.

 

[SteveM]

I still have a nice pair of beer goggles!

 

[beyondthepale]

So, does anyone else consider themselves a "beer snob"? I never (nor will I ever) wanted to be like the hoity-toity wine drinkers of the world, but I find the more I learn and understand the difference between "good" beer and, well, everything else (i.e. Canadian, Blue, Bud, Coors Lite) the more picky and snotty I become.

You ever snicker at the 19 year olds scooping the 24 of Molson and want to slap them?
You ever shake your head at the person choosing thier beer from the "Top 10" list?

I recently heard a radio add for RedBull Beer and how it's for real beer drinkers. It was quite funny actually as they slammed educated beer-o-philes.

But I digress...

I know what you're sayin', man. I mean, hey, people drink what they like, and I'm fine with that. If you actually like the taste of Bud, then go ahead and drink it. But it really does raise my ire when I see commercials on TV marketing disgusting pig-swill as "the beer drinkers beer" and so forth. There are a number of technical specifications that can be used to definitavely prove that American commercial lagers are, in fact, poorly made beer. Drink it if you like, but don't even TRY to tell me that it's a quality product. It isn't.


At the same time though, it really is all in your perspective... A little story, to illustrate. Back during my last high school summer vacation, I had a job during the weeks, and so did all my friends, so we all had money. And every weekend, we'd pool our resources and party. Being so flush with cash, we quickly decided to be "beer snobs". And so, all summer all would deign to drink was Budwieser in bottles. And not just any bottles, no, they had to be LONGNECK bottles. And that was our regular beer. But we would also always buy, as our "special reserve" beer, Molsen Ice. In bottles of course. And this was what we considered beer snobbery at the time. And you know what? As I recall from those days, Bud and Molsen Ice actually tasted good to me. I had not yet developed the beer-drinkers palate.

So, in summation, people can drink whatever they like and I've no problem. But if they try to tell me that it's not pig-swill, oh we're gonna have some problems...

 

[SkewedBrewing]

I'm 100 percent a beer snob now. I know this because I used to be able to go to the bars for the night and spend about 10 dollars to get drunk. Now I spend twice that and I don't stumble all the way home with some random girl...

 

[boo boo]

So, does anyone else consider themselves a "beer snob"? I never (nor will I ever) wanted to be like the hoity-toity wine drinkers of the world, but I find the more I learn and understand the difference between "good" beer and, well, everything else (i.e. Canadian, Blue, Bud, Coors Lite) the more picky and snotty I become.

You ever snicker at the 19 year olds scooping the 24 of Molson and want to slap them?
You ever shake your head at the person choosing thier beer from the "Top 10" list?

I recently heard a radio add for RedBull Beer and how it's for real beer drinkers. It was quite funny actually as they slammed educated beer-o-philes.

But I digress...

I've been drinking local beer for over 35 years and have been brewing on and off for over 25 years and feel no need to slam anyone for drinking what they like. I've just started trying different brews over the past 2 years myself. I still enjoy Molsons and Labatts, and miller et al. I don't need anyone to tell me what I like. I know myself. If anyone would have told me that I'd be drinking a wit beer and pouring the dregs of the yeast into my glass, two years ago, I would have told them they were nuts. Now such beer tastings are par for the course.
Brew on.

 

[Lost]

I think there's a difference between refusing to drink the other stuff and knowing that there's more out there than just bud, miller, and coors.

Would I take homebrew over storebought? You bet.
Do I appreciate some variety in my beer? Absolutely
What about the cheap stuff? I can definitely appreciate Yuengling's lager and black & tan. I may be shunned for admitting this but the other day at the parade it was so boring and miserable (and everyone around me thought to bring beer) that I had to walk over to the quickimart and buy a sixer of bud in cans. I was that guy walking around carrying the warm sixer in one hand and drinking a can with the other. Some on one of the floats was even kind enough to throw me a "terry communications" coolie.

As enthusiasts I think what we should strive to do is expose people to other types of beer... not *make* them like it. If bud is truly what they like then fine, more of that other great stuff for me. But so many people haven't enjoyed a double chocolate stout on a winter's eve or a cherry wheat on a summer afternoon. They're stuck in the monotony of MGD or Busch Lite day in and day out. I know it's a bit snobbish, but I must admit that it really is a bit sad that so many people just don't know what beer really is and can be. Frankly, I think there's a a lot of people out there that think they don't like beer, but they just haven't found the right one.. they think that beer *has* to taste like bud.

 

[Cheesefood]

I'm 100 percent a beer snob now. I know this because I used to be able to go to the bars for the night and spend about 10 dollars to get drunk. Now I spend twice that and I don't stumble all the way home with some random girl...

So being a beer snob is a bad thing. No more random girls. Shame.

 

[MrEcted1]

I must admit that it really is a bit sad that so many people just don't know what beer really is and can be. Frankly, I think there's a a lot of people out there that think they don't like beer, but they just haven't found the right one.. they think that beer *has* to taste like bud.

Isn't that the truth.

Whenever i meet people that think Bud, Coors...etc is what real beer should taste like, then it becomes a project for me. Usually these people drink these sorts of beers because they don't like "bitter beer". So I start working with that, i'll bring em a porter and observe as they realize that dark beer doesn't mean bitter beer (of coarse here we know that usually the darker, the less bitter and more malty). If they aren't into porters then i'll try to get them into a good wheat beer, and i'll just work with different beers that aren't bitter and almost 100% of the time i'll get them into something good.

My wife was the biggest project. When I first met her she hated every beer known to man except Corona. Whenever i would have her taste one of my beers should would look at me in disgust and say "HOW can you drink this crap?" I started working with wheat beers and now Sunshine wheat is one of her favorites. Then I got her into Laughing Lab, which is a dark scottish ale, she LOVES it! I would step up a little bit at a time, working her palate and now she enjoys Titan IPA, Hercules IPA, even Arrogant Bastard. I still can't get her into any Belgium Beers like St Bernardus, Westmalle...etc. But that's okay. 3 years of work paid off, she even likes going to beer festivals now!

 

[gonzoflick]

When I see a guy with a 6er of BMC in front of me in line I just shake my head. I've tried to convine people that there is a whole nother world out there full of wonderful tastes, smells, aromas, and side effects that they really need to delve into. Sadly though most people my age are Bud LIght drinkers and they look at me funny when I tell them I wont play beer pong with that. Yes I'm in college but I respect the art of homebrewing and see myself drinking good beer for the rest of my life.

 

[Porter fan]

Well snap! I just love a good brew!!