Must fight the urge to be a beer snob....

[mot]

I drink a fair amount of my homebrew and a good amount of craft beer, but I can tell you one thing. When I'm sitting on the lake in the 90 degree TN summer sun the last thing I want is some big craft beer or high abv beer. I'll take a cheap bmc lite/light beer without thinking twice about it and enjoy it.

The more reason for homebrewers and craft brewers to get off the dipa ris high alch wagon. There are a few breweries doing well made session beers but defiantly not a huge selection.

 

[Yankeepride15]

This type of thread seems to pop up every once in a while, and each of these situations can be resolved by using Guy Rule #1: Dude, don't be a d*@k.

 

[mot]

Or the annoying homebrewers at bars snd breweries, that think it's a miracle that they brew beer and must let the world know. Not sure if I am alone with that or not.

 

[Rhumbline]

I used to travel a lot on business, overnight trips mostly. I love good food as well as good beer.

Despite this I settled on eating in chain resataurants. Not McD's, but chains none the less. A friend called me out on this and I had to explain that places like the Outback were predictably mediocre. there's a lot to be said for that. I've eaten a lot of crappy food in my quest for the holy grail.

Maybe the guy wasn't into slamming several beers in the quest for something decent. Maybe he just needed the predictable mediocrity , maybe he was blessed with unsophisticated expectations of what a beer should be.

I whole heartedly agree that if he's being a d#ck about your choice, then all's fair game.

 

[LBussy]

Interestingly enough, when I was over in Germany a German friend of mine pointed out how much MGD tasted like the festbier (in this town it was "Cluss") we had so often. I was going on about how crappy a friend's choice in beer was when he pointed this out. Side by side they were distinct, but a couple days apart it was easy to see how he could say that. Just goes to show that Import or Craft is not necessarily that different.

 

[rexbanner]

I'm going to offer a different opinion, keep in mind that it is just my opinion. BMC are all well made beers, just because you don't like them or think the beer tastes good doesn't change that fact. They are businesses and they cater to what most people look for when they want a beer, that's why they have 90+% market share. With the equipment they have they could make any style of beer more consistent and stylistically correct than any microbrewery. Ask Mitch Steele of Stone who worked for Anheuser Busch for years. I personally think it is snobbery to think less of someone because you tried to share something that you are interested in and they are not (I'm guilty of this myself, but I try to change my own thinking when I make myself aware of it). With that being said, with the exception of day drinking on a hot summer day, I don't really touch BMC either. Too much good craft beer and homebrew to drink. Just wanted to offer a differing opinion.

I don't think that's entirely true. BMC's attempts at craft-esque beers have been pretty bad. American Ale anyone? Shock Top IPA? They only succeed when they buy existing craft breweries like Widmer or Goose Island. They are great at making light lagers but that's it.

They will probably figure it out eventually but now that Torpedo is 7.50 a six-pack I don't see BMC stealing away craft beer market share any time soon. Hell, Bud Light is only a dollar less than Torpedo in my area.

 

[rexbanner]

Or the annoying homebrewers at bars snd breweries, that think it's a miracle that they brew beer and must let the world know. Not sure if I am alone with that or not.

Haha yes I own a nanobrewery and while I appreciate peoples' enthusiasm, I nod my head and smile politely a lot.

 

[vineyardbmw]

Or the annoying homebrewers at bars snd breweries, that think it's a miracle that they brew beer and must let the world know. Not sure if I am alone with that or not.

Holy crap that was me in the past and I never even considered if I was being a d!€k. On the being a snob point. There are a good many people who simply buy into the marketing BS and truly believe frost brewed and triple hopped. And many are receptive to the truth, especially if you buy the next pint and explain why it is what it is. Careful though, they often turn into a "friend" who just wants to come over to help drain the keg "so you can get to the next batch"

 

[Ridire]

Can be a beer nerd without being a beer snob. It's hard for me to classify myself a "snob" considering the amount of High Life I consume while stalking bass each summer.

 

[Ostomo517]

Interestingly enough, when I was over in Germany a German friend of mine pointed out how much MGD tasted like the festbier (in this town it was "Cluss") we had so often. I was going on about how crappy a friend's choice in beer was when he pointed this out. Side by side they were distinct, but a couple days apart it was easy to see how he could say that. Just goes to show that Import or Craft is not necessarily that different.

Are you saying craft and bmc are pretty close??

 

[LBussy]

Are you saying craft and bmc are pretty close??

I am saying that beer is beer, and more often than not people pay too much attention to what is on the label and not enough on what is in the glass. In this case "Import" (actually domestic since I was in Germany) was pretty close to "Domestic" (which was import since I was in Germany.) *I* was willing to dismiss MGD as being inferior when I had just spend a night in the beer tent pounding down Cluss - and they were very close in taste.

Clear as mud?

This whole forum proves that pretty much anyone can make a decent ale if they can follow directions. Not everyone can make BMC. I think maybe it would be fair that people *could* be beer snobs only after they have mastered the skill and science necessary to make a Bud Light clone.

 

[Ostomo517]

I am saying that beer is beer, and more often than not people pay too much attention to what is on the label and not enough on what is in the glass. In this case "Import" (actually domestic since I was in Germany) was pretty close to "Domestic" (which was import since I was in Germany.) *I* was willing to dismiss MGD as being inferior when I had just spend a night in the beer tent pounding down Cluss - and they were very close in taste.

Clear as mud?

This whole forum proves that pretty much anyone can make a decent ale if they can follow directions. Not everyone can make BMC. I think maybe it would be fair that people *could* be beer snobs only after they have mastered the skill and science necessary to make a Bud Light clone.

Trust me theres plenty of em that cant make any beer period. I dont hate BMC by any means its just worlds apart from most craft beer no matter how "hard" it is to make

 

[mot]

Trust me theres plenty of em that cant make any beer period. I dont hate BMC by any means its just worlds apart from most craft beer no matter how "hard" it is to make

It's very difficult to make and Make it good. It's not really worlds apart it is a style of Beer a lot of people consider it inferior but it is a style. There are good commercial versions and bad.

 

[Ostomo517]

It's very difficult to make and Make it good. It's not really worlds apart it is a style of Beer a lot of people consider it inferior but it is a style. There are good commercial versions and bad.

Ive had craft pale lagers that are really good, and not loaded with rice and corn so yeah there is a huge difference

 

[mot]

Ive had craft pale lagers that are really good, and not loaded with rice and corn so yeah there is a huge difference

? Yeah A different style....

 

[mot]

Haha yes I own a nanobrewery and while I appreciate peoples' enthusiasm, I nod my head and smile politely a lot.

Good glad I'm not the only one..so annoying

 

[Ostomo517]

? Yeah A different style....

If they are both American lagers I dont understand where you get different style from??

 

[mot]

If they are both American lagers I dont understand where you get different style from??

Not sure what you mean there are different styles of beer.
American pilsner. American light lager. American standard lager. American premium lager etc...
Then you got all the ale yeast lighter styles cream, blonde, kolsch etc...

 

[Ostomo517]

Not sure what you mean there are different styles of beer.
American pilsner. American light lager. American standard lager. American premium lager etc...
Then you got all the ale yeast lighter styles cream, blonde, kolsch etc...

Wow, thanks captain obvious, nevermind obviously you will never grasp what Im saying

 

[mot]

Wow, thanks captain obvious, nevermind obviously you will never grasp what Im saying

That goes both ways.. your talking about beers that are supposed to have adjuncts like corn and rice.

 

[CGVT]

Speaking of adjuncts...

I had an accidental beer snob moment yesterday.

A new brewery with a tap room opened in a town near me and I've been wanting to give their beers a taste. My wife and kids were getting their hair cut so I decided that to take a walk from the downtown area that we were in to the brewery to kill an hour or so. It was about a 2 mile walk and it was about 90* out so when I got there I was pretty hot. So I asked for a glass of water and ordered a pint of their 3.2% blonde ale. As soon as I got it I took a sniff and smelled corn. I took a taste and it tasted of corn. I asked the guy behind the bar if they brewed it with adjuncts. He said no just malt. I said, Oh? "I smelled and tasted corn..." and then I realized it was DMS. I felt kind of bad because I didn't want to be "that guy" that came to new brewery and criticized their beer. I drank the pint and made some comments about it being tasty etc etc. I ordered a pint of their Pale Ale next and even though I didn't think it was very good (the hops were way over the top and there was no balance). I kept my mouth shut. Ha! BTW, I probably won't by their beers at other places, but I would have a pint or two in their tap room if I was in the area...

 

[winenewb172]

Luckily I didn't say anything to him because in all honesty it's not my place to argue about taste. I'd had several very tasty beers and just thought it was a funny story. To me it's like going to a Mexican restaurant by yourself and ordering chicken nuggets when you could've just as easily when to mcdonalds. I can understand being dragged someplace by all your friends and not liking the menu so you order something you like but who walks up to the only brew pub in the city and goes yeah I'll go there to have a miller light instead of one of these other ten bars within sight?

 

[betarhoalphadelta]

It's just silly to go to a specialty place alone and tell them you can't drink that crap when they offer you one of their beers. It's kind of the point of going to a place like that. I can see if he was at a get together and thats where everybody else wanted to go. But to walk in there alone and tell them you can't drink their "crap" come on man just go to another bar to watch the cardinals game

Did he seriously tell the staff he couldn't drink their "crap" and go on about how Miller Lite was awesome b/c it's "triple hopped"?

If so, he was being a total ****** and you would have been alright saying something (b/c the staff is probably not allowed to say anything).

If he was just ordering Miller like a normal customer, you leave him alone. If he's getting s****y with the staff, though, he's clearly in the wrong.

 

[pabloj13]

Did he seriously tell the staff he couldn't drink their "crap" and go on about how Miller Lite was awesome b/c it's "triple hopped"?

If so, he was being a total ****** and you would have been alright saying something (b/c the staff is probably not allowed to say anything).

If he was just ordering Miller like a normal customer, you leave him alone. If he's getting s****y with the staff, though, he's clearly in the wrong.

Yeah this is a new revelation that was entirely left out of the original story.

 

[phenry]

Beer snobs are pretty high on the list of people I don't like. Not nearly as bad as people who text and drive, more along the lines of people who can't clean up after themselves or chew with their mouth closed.

Yes, I may be 23 and look like a Coors Light chugging frat boy. Yes, I may ask the bartender sometimes what they recommend when I'm at a new brewpub. No, I'm not looking for input about the finer points of beer from you and your buddy sitting at the bar. I wish I could say that's only happened once, but for some reason people who know just a little bit about beer feel the need to try to inject all that knowledge into my brain.

If someone only enjoys American lagers, let them. If they're bragging about that, they're probably just a jerk in all aspects of life and it's best just to let those types go on their merry way.

 

[PackerfaninSanDiego]

snobs suck,,,,what else bothers you that is none of your business?

 

[DPBISME]

I'm. At the local brew pub and the guy next to me orders a miller light, wtf? But I don't try to educate him cuz he is intent on it's the only beer with triple hops in it. Lol. I'm also finding myself wanting to ask my server about malto dextrin and stuff I'm sure she has no idea

So far this year I have brewed 60 gallons this year and I have another 55 (5 batches) measured out.

I have visited over 300 breweries in the US and I still drink BUD in the Summer time after a hot day in the Summer Virginia Sun. It is thirst quenching and easy drinking... It also is good mixing beer for Red Beers and Shanties...

I mean,,,, drinking an American Pilsner is certanly not as offensive as having someone sit next to you and order White Zinfandel…

Could I go to the trouble an “bottle” my Kolsch, my English Summer or my American Summer ales? Ya I could but it is entirely too much work…

On TAP

1. American Summer Ale
2. English Summer Ale
3. Amber Ale
4. English Mild
5. Kitchen Sink IPA (AKA: Use up various hops - IPA)

Brewing Soon

1. English Summer Ale 2.0
2. Hefewiesen
3. Belgian Triple
4. Centennial Blonde
5. Centennial Cascade IPA

 

[Malty_Dog]

Holy crap that was me in the past and I never even considered if I was being a d!€k.

I think all of us homebrewers need to be a little wary of this one. On the one hand you're excited about the hobby and want to share it with people. OTOH you don't want to sound like a know-it-all d.ouche. I've found if you're just genuinely excited about the hobby but also considerate in listening to others' views, it seems to work out OK.

 

[cheezydemon3]

I was at a fantastic beer bar on a friday night, and found myself surrounded by people drinking miller ultra.

They had Schlafly extra stout on TAP.(just 1 example of something FANTASTIC that I seldom see) and 13 or 14 other fantastic beers on tap, including 2 true cask ales.

I did not chastise anyone, but it did make me feel slightly nauseated.


Do I need to de snob a bit?

 

[Malty_Dog]

Do I need to de snob a bit?

I think we'd all feel pain in that situation