People that won't drink your beer...

[PantherCity]

OP's sig says it all "Good people like good beer"

The live-in GF & I do alot of entertaining at our house and most of my friends really like my beer. They also enjoy good food, stinky cheese, wine, and good beer. Some will have 2-3 HBs then switch to Coors so they can hang all night. I don't mind that at all. Drink the good stuff when you have a palate and can enjoy it, then switch to swill after you catch a buzz. I guess I hang with a hip crowd who are open minded and like quality stuff (not just food). Most of my family, on the other hand, are kind of wine snobs so they are able to get into beer, They just need to educate their palates. My dad and BIL even enjoy some sours with me.

I do live in Texas so I sometimes get some random friend's friends over who are scared and I just don't give a ****. I do not suffer fools easily, so they can do whatever, but if a person is not willing to try something new then I'm not really interested in getting to know that person.(we won't have much in common) I generally don't give those kind of people a second thought.

Edit: Not trying to be rude. Like a said in regards to my family, they just need some education. If it is someones first HB and they are not a craft beer person, I will probably give them something malty, everyone can appreciate those kinds of flavors.

 

[Zamial]

My Uncle is very much like what you discribe. He will tell me everytime I ask him to try one that," I don't like ales, I like lagers." Ok, fair enough but he wants to drink my pumpkin ale as fast as he can get it down his throat and he asks for it often. Last time he asked about it I told him,"You do know that is an ale right?" and he just grumbled a little and goes on. I think that what he means to say is,"I like most lagers and a few non-hoppy/non-bitter ales." But is not beer lingo savvy so it just comes out all wrong.

The truth of the matter is most of us who home brew make some pretty wild and off the wall concotions. Mix this with the misinformation (legalities and the "go blind" thing) and the average BMC drinker has no interest in trying it. Remember these folks are used to crystal clear, ice cold, flavorless beer any variation away from this may not be well recieved.

I have found that some of my friends have been pretty close minded when it comes to trying new brews. When they say no to me/my brew I reply,"As long as you are enjoying what you have there, I am happy." smile and go on.

 

[TheMan]

I have found a lot of people I talk to that aren't into the craft beer scene consider heineken a dark beer . They just haven't been exposed, nor tried anything beyond their comfort zone.

Sounds like you are simliar to me, and many others here, that you enjoy trying new things and seeing what else there is. And unfortunately these people (family, friends, etc) are fine with the mainstay.

Luckily most, if not all of my friends are all about seeing what I have on tap. I can understand your frustration though. If my family wouldn't even try something that I was so amped about I would be peeved as well. Even if they don't like it it's nice to know they tried it and know for sure.

 

[audger]

ive never known anyone who would refuse to even try a homebrew simply because it was brewed at home. however i wouldnt necessarily feel bad, like i would if they actually tried it and said it tasted like butthole. i would simply think they were incredibly closed minded, which is their own loss and more beer for me.

as terrible as it may sound to many of us on HBT, some people actually do enjoy natty ice or bush light. diffrnt strokes.

 

[bmeyer46]

my family is willing to try my homebrew, which is all I ask...if they like it fine, if they don't, I don't take offense to that.
That just leaves more for me to drink!!!
I can understand the OP frustration...it's like refusing to eat homemade chili, cause you're used to Hormel from a can.

 

[nilo]

Perhaps brewing a clone of something commercial is the way to introduce your homebrew and have people at least trying it.
Is like showing then that you have control and can brew anything you want.
Example, if you know that some of your friends drink blue moon, brew a clone and make a blind test. I did this once and people couldn't tell which was the homebrew, and sundenly all their fears with homebrew was gone.

 

[BilltownBandit]

I have run into this problem as well, but being in college it's hard to give an IPA to someone who drinks the cheapest piss they can. Some of my buddies love my beer, and one of my hosemates even is a big torpedo IPA fan so I made a citra/cascade APA we can both enjoy. However, there are lots of guys that I have tried to give beer that just don't like it, but I don't think they would like the commercial version either. I have a bunch of guys that love my hefe, but only a select few that have liked my more bitter stuff.

Heres the way I think about it. If you bought a commercial beer, say Torepedo, and you might love it. But you wouldn't ask your friends to love it too. To each their own, they might like some of your stuff they might not, but I have recently come to realize that it's not about the masses it's about the select few that love your brew!

 

[Thehopguy]

I've been pretty lucky so far I guess. My friends, family, and coworkers are all very eager for homebrew.

 

[MaxOut]

This is an interesting thread and I had a similar experience with a friend of mine. He stopped by and I offered him a beer. He knew I was home brewing and asked if it was some home brew. He quickly stated that he never had a home brew he could stomach. So I poured him a glass of MGD (His favorite beer) and a glass of home brew. He started on the MGD and I asked him to give the home brew a try. He reluctantly took a sip, then a gulp and before I knew it the Miller had gotten warm and the home brew was re-filled several times. Before he left he apologized for his assumption and was surprised how good the beer was. He went as far as saying it was the best beer he ever tasted and he would like some to share with his friends.

My theory is the majority of people who drink main stream mass produced beers are not really conisuers of beer or even paying allot of attention to what they are drinking. They just want a beer that goes down easy with little to remember it by. They choose their beer based more on marketing and price. When they are offered a "Home Brew" they tend to pay much more attention and are more judgmental. Many people have this stigma about “Home Brewed Beer” that comes from people making it with poor ingredients and uncontrolled processes back in the day. I’ve found a good way to get someone to try your beer with an open mind is to have some of their favorite beer available for comparison. Let them start with one of their beers and in the middle offer them one of yours. If they don’t like it then oh well more for you..

 

[passedpawn]

You can't please everyone, so ya got to please yourself.

 

[Pilotpip]

My family and friends have taken a pretty big interest in this experiment. We all like to cook, we all like beer. I'm cooking beer. I'm almost afraid to share the first batch because I'm worried about what will come out of the bottle.

That being said, I've found that explaining to them the reasons it's cloudy (unfiltered, unpasturized) adds to the flavor of the beer and why BMC do this (preservatie, uniformity) do it. People tend to go for what's familiar. If it's not, they shy away. Don't force it on them.

My girlfriend HATES hoppy beers. She has tried a few of the IPAs and APAs I like to drink, and confirmed it. However she likes wheats and has been open to trying different stuff and I now have her really liking an oatmeal stout from a local microbrew. My second batch was a wheat kit for her. If you want to open them to some new ideas, maybe brew to their tastes. Or better yet don't let it get to you, enjoy your brew and share it with those who want to try.

 

[Homercidal]

I am with the OP on this. I've had friends who resisted even trying my homebrew simply because it's either "homemade" or "Too Dark".

Even before a sip I know they'd made up their minds. Then they tell their kids to "at least try" whatever new food they have on their plate.

On the other hand, I know people who have gone into craft beer, slowly, just by trying. Some of the people who "don't like beer" actually enjoy a stout! It's not as bitter as they think it's going to be and it might taste a bit like coffee or chocolate.

I'm lucky that I pretty much like anything that's not sour or has fruit in it, so even if I make something light and my friends don't like it, I can still drink it.

 

[DosGatosBrewing]

Most of my friends and family like Bud Light or even Mich Ultra. I don't even bother offering anybody home brew anymore. It's normally crystal clear with good head retention, but it's not that pale yellow, so they won't go near it.

I go to a party, take several bottles of home brew and drink every damned one of them. I know what good beer is, and BMC ain't it. Screw the rest of them if the can't figure that out. All they want to do is get hammered, not enjoy the ride.

 

[bruin_ale]

He quickly stated that he never had a home brew he could stomach.

I think this is part of the problem. We all know someone who brewed a Mr.Beer kit once and called it homebrew and shared it with their friends. Those friends are the people we run into that "don't like homebrew". I guess my friends are generally polite, if they haven't tried my beer they'll give it a try even if they have that homebrew stigma from a previous experience. Then they say, "wow, this actually tastes good". There's also those that brewed a batch once in college or whatever and just assumed that because they made it themselves and followed some crappy instructions, that must be as good as homemade beer can be.

 

[Thehopguy]

I do remember the first time I offered my brother my homebrew. He was very reluctant to drink it. He said " oh well I'll have a sip, I'll be driving soon I can't have a beer"

I explained to him its just one beer, only about 5%, you'll be fine.

But he still said he would just have a sip of mine. So I poured myself one and gave him the first drink. He tried it, and with a look of surprise on his face he said wow this is actually pretty good, and his body language was clear..he was holding on to that glass and I wuold have to pour myself another one.

He drank that beer quickly and then explained that this beer was WAY better than the homebrew he tried that his other friend made. He is happy to drink my homebrews nowadays.

 

[vfinch]

My wife wasn't a beer drinker until I got into brewing. I would shove a glass of whatever I was drinking in front of her and ask her what she thought. Her honestly allowed me to design some great recipes for those who don't like Gonzo brews.
Try getting those who have misconceptions about homebrew or craft beer to try a small sample and tell them, "You don't have to like it but try a little and tell me truthfully what you think." It's amazing the feedback you'll get, which you can use to design some crowd pleasing recipes. I used this technique to design an Abby Ale and Hefe that went over awesome with my BMC drinking cousins and Uncle at my Brother's Wedding and my moving day.

 

[Lucky_Chicken]

my wife dosent drink beer... i have a batch get ready and i am trying it, she will come in and say "let me try that" i do and she procedes to spit it out and tell me how bad it is. We have come up with a scale based on how long it takes her to spit it out... the shorter the time the better the beer. Most of my friends are more than happy to drink all the beer in my keggs though! the problem is not getting them to try it, its getting them to stop!

 

[thughes]

I don't want people to like my beer, more for me that way. (I'm selfish like that)

 

[malweth]

I can't even get my wife to try a sip of my beer. I'm hoping my Apple Pie Ale I'm making will be sweet and fruity enough for at least a tasting. She won't give up the "I don't like beer" thing.

 

[Hernando]

I can understand your frustration. You shouldn't take stuff liek that personally and you definitely shouldn't change your style of brewing by filtering more or anything else to appease other people. Stick to your guns and realize that a lot of people out there are very narrow-minded and can be VERY particular. It happens in all aspects of brewing/cullinary. I can't tell you how many times I had to cook for people in a restaurant and they complained about the smallest of things. You just gotta keep on.

Just remember it's not personal and I would rather them say no and I keep my beer than to have them dump it out and waste it when I am not looking.

 

[BeerChef17]

I wish I had that problem...My friends and neighbors find out I have a new brew and before I know it I've given or promised half of it away. On the upside I get a lot of feedback. On the downside 99% of them tell me how delicious it is. Take my American Light for example (I think it tastes terrible b/c of high ferment temps) - my neighbor cant stop guzzling it down and its her favorite. Needless to say I allow her to have all she wants and drink my better home brews myself lol.

 

[ABrewingApe]

It sucks not to be given a chance, it really does. Especially when you've put money and plenty of good, honest labor into making something and all you want is for other people to enjoy themselves--it stings like hell to be told that it's not good enough.

It IS rude. It is. But it's rudeness based in a lack of knowledge about what beer is, how it works, what you have to do to make it, and so on...not in malice.

(unless it is. in which case you've got a garden-variety jerk who can be told off or ignored as you prefer.)

 

[BulldogBrewer]

If you really want people to try your beer, you should think about finding a club (if you haven't already)... That's the whole reason they are there ;-)

 

[Zixxer10R]

I wish I had that problem...My friends and neighbors find out I have a new brew and before I know it I've given or promised half of it away. On the upside I get a lot of feedback. On the downside 99% of them tell me how delicious it is. Take my American Light for example (I think it tastes terrible b/c of high ferment temps) - my neighbor cant stop guzzling it down and its her favorite. Needless to say I allow her to have all she wants and drink my better home brews myself lol.

Are you sure you don't have an ulterior motive for letting her drink your "bad" beer? :rockin:

 

[motobrewer]

I know, but being isolated in an introspective solitude state while your sociological level is conflicted by propagated origins and ideals...

maybe it's cause you talk like this when you're giving them a beer?

 

[bmeyer46]

Kind of a rant.. I've been brewing beer for awhile now (not nearly as long as some people) and put a lot of time and effort into each of my batches. But immediately without even trying a sip most people are turned off like some drunken ugly chick on prom night hitting on them, some people might try it.. but they already have that preconceived notion that it's sub par to mainstream beer. I hate that feeling when people look at my beer as though it is a foreign substance of unknown origin because it's not commercial and having a flashy label covering most of the product.

It really seems this day in age most people respond to cosmetics over aesthetics and craftsmanship.

I brewed "Cream O' 3 grains" for my dad and my girlfriends mom that are bmc drinkers. They didn't want nothing' of it..

I brewed a great pumpkin ale using 4 different types of squash and because of a little sediment in it even though it is translucent and nearly transparent (which is tough for a pumpkin ale I used a whirfloc tablet irish moss and cold crashed for awhile).... still because of a little sediment my friends wife wont touch it.

All of this makes me want to focus most my attention of presentation than overall quality; filtration, filtration, whirlfloc, irish moss, gelatin, filtration, and screw the ingredients. I'll just make an IPA with 42 ibu's like Harpoon instead of my 88 IBU IPA with cascade and citra dryhopped.

Just to note I do like Harpoon IPA's but highly conservative on the IBU end of an IPA.

send it to me...I'll drink it.

 

[GilaMinumBeer]

Kind of a rant.. I've been brewing beer for awhile now (not nearly as long as some people) and put a lot of time and effort into each of my batches. But immediately without even trying a sip most people are turned off like some drunken ugly chick on prom night hitting on them, some people might try it.. but they already have that preconceived notion that it's sub par to mainstream beer. I hate that feeling when people look at my beer as though it is a foreign substance of unknown origin because it's not commercial and having a flashy label covering most of the product.

It really seems this day in age most people respond to cosmetics over aesthetics and craftsmanship.

I brewed "Cream O' 3 grains" for my dad and my girlfriends mom that are bmc drinkers. They didn't want nothing' of it..

I brewed a great pumpkin ale using 4 different types of squash and because of a little sediment in it even though it is translucent and nearly transparent (which is tough for a pumpkin ale I used a whirfloc tablet irish moss and cold crashed for awhile).... still because of a little sediment my friends wife wont touch it.

All of this makes me want to focus most my attention of presentation than overall quality; filtration, filtration, whirlfloc, irish moss, gelatin, filtration, and screw the ingredients. I'll just make an IPA with 42 ibu's like Harpoon instead of my 88 IBU IPA with cascade and citra dryhopped.

Just to note I do like Harpoon IPA's but highly conservative on the IBU end of an IPA.

People, friends and family, that won't drink my beer are invited to bring their own.

 

[JeffS]

Hey, we don't like BMC. Do you think they care? I have gotten enough compliments on my beer that if someone doesn't like it I chalk it up to them not liking the style. Nothing wrong with that.

 

[msa8967]

I brewed "Cream O' 3 grains" for my dad and my girlfriends mom that are bmc drinkers. They didn't want nothing' of it..

.

Would you mind sharing your recipe for your "Cream O' 3 grains"? I am always interested in trying to brew this style to see how it compares to a BMC beer and what my friends might think.

I agree it is a pain to go through so much effort to make a good craft hoembrew and then people won't even give it a chance but I will continue to brew for myself and what others might like in the hopes of finding some people that want to try homebrewing as a hobby.

 

[subliminalurge]

Look, here's the deal.

Bud Light exists because so many people think that Budweiser is too strong tasting.

You can't hand these people a 100+ IBU DIPA and expect them to even recognize that it's a beer, much less kneel down before you and tell you that you're a brewing god.

The average American palette is soft and weak. I remember a few years back Wendy's was advertising some new super-duper spicy chicken sandwich. The commercials had flames shooting out of people's mouths and the whole bit. I like spicy food. I bought one. It was a regular chicken sandwich with a tiny bit of extra black pepper. (The same stuff you have on your kitchen table next to the salt.) It was a decent chicken sandwich, as chicken sandwiches go, but "extra spicy"? Nope, it wasn't even a "little bit" spicy, much less something that would make you dash for the water fountain... But Wendy's is a big company that spends a lot of money on market research. You can bet your last dollar that I'm the exception and that 9 out of 10 people who bought that said "Holy ****! That's one spicy chicken sandwich!" and then bought two extra sodas... Americans are conditioned from birth to appreciate food and beverages that are very bland. The less flavor the better. Anything that has a strong flavor is either considered "bad", or something that can only be appreciated by a "connoisseur"...

Get over it. Brew what you like. Share some with those who enjoy it, and let everyone else chug their Natty Light in blissful ignorance. But feel free to laugh at them once a year when they show up with a case of Coors Light and tell you that it's their birthday so they went ahead and dropped the extra cash for "the good stuff"....

(Look on the bright side. You're now officially a beer connoisseur....)