Turning into beer snob?

[jonmohno]

There is a reason why you find a beer in a bottle or can-because people like it.

 

[mrgstiffler]

I feel like I know beer fairly well but the other day I bought some Guinness to cook my corned beef in so of course I drank one then I went to my local HBS and had a taste of oatmeal stout that was brewed by the manager. I told him that I just had a Guinness and his beer was much better. Did I offend him?

No one will be offended by hearing their beer is good.

 

[BPhad]

Thanks

 

[BrewKnurd]

No one will be offended by hearing their beer is good.

and if they are, they can go suck an egg.

 

[GySgtLynn]

I hope all you beer snobs buy your beef from a butcher, your vegetables fresh from a farmer and that your milk comes straight from the cow's tap... Really get over yourselves already..

 

[BrewKnurd]

I hope all you beer snobs buy your beef from a butcher, your vegetables fresh from a farmer and that your milk comes straight from the cow's tap... Really get over yourselves already..

why?

 

[GySgtLynn]

Because you make yourself out to be better than everyone... and your not!!

 

[BrewKnurd]

Because you make yourself out to be better than everyone... and your not!!

I guess that depends on how you define beer snob. My desire to not drink shyte beer doesn't mean i think i'm better than anyone else, it just means i don't want to drink shyte beer.

and it's you're, not your.

 

[GySgtLynn]

BrewKnurd, I agree However, when you decide to voice that desire, that makes you a snob!! Thanks for correcting my grammer... I know that's important on here..

 

[mrgstiffler]

Because you make yourself out to be better than everyone... and your not!!

That's kind of like going into an auto forum and saying "Car enthusiasts are full of ****". There's nothing wrong with enjoying a hobby.

 

[BrewKnurd]

BrewKnurd, I agree However, when you decide to voice that desire, that makes you a snob!! Thanks for correcting my grammer... I know that's important on here..

Oh come on, i gave you a winky face, all in good fun. and it's grammar.

So your claim is that if i voice my preference for non-shyte beer, i'm a snob? How so? I'm not denying anyone else their right to drink whatever they want.

 

[GySgtLynn]

Please don't hit me on using three (3) periods or two (2) exlamation points during the post..

 

[GySgtLynn]

No not if u voice it. I feel if you sart a thread about it or validate that thread, then yes

 

[GySgtLynn]

start... grammer again

 

[mrgstiffler]

No not if u voice it. I feel if you sart a thread about it or validate that thread, then yes

That's what this forum is about. People who like beer...

 

[GySgtLynn]

Sorry I didn't see the winky face... I'm just frustraded with people who think compaines like Guniness are crap.

 

[CthulhuDreaming]

I hope not, but my neighbor stoppped over yesterday evening and he mentioned that he hit up a brewpub over the weekend(+1!). He told me that his favorite was an oatmeal stout because it reminded him of Guinness(-150).

This hasn't been the first time someone has compared a beer to Guinness just because it's dark. So just like other times, this time I just bit my tongue and deflected the conversation to another topic.

How does one handle this situation without coming off all pompous? It seems like a good educational oppurtunity, but I just don't know how to do it without being an ass.

I prefer "beer aficionado" to "beer snob".

Well, if he's comparing it to Guinness Draught, I'd say he just has an undeveloped beer palate. If he's thinking of Extra, well, he's still probably got an undeveloped palate, but the confusion is perhaps a bit more understandable.

If I'm drinking with people who aren't beer aficionados (which is most of them), I try to not be critical of their observations at all. Taste is a fairly subjective experience, and just like with wine, it's not really that easy for the average joe to really describe what it is he's tasting beyond "I (don't) like this" or "It reminds me of (something)" for some subjective reason (e.g. color, texture, etc). Color also seems to be a big influence on many non-aficionados. If it's light, they expect it to taste like a pilsner, and it's been my experience that a lot of people expect a dark beer to be heavy and ominous. One guy won't touch dark beer because he "hates molasses". To many, every "dark" beer "reminds me of Guinness".

So rather than be critical, or otherwise come off as a jerk, I take a different approach. I won't say "no, dude, Guinness (Draft) is a dry stout, and not at all like oatmeal stout, duh." I have a friend who is not a beer drinker, but is perfectly willing to taste whatever it is that I'm drinking. So far she hasn't really been able to accurately describe the flavor profile, or really even identify the qualities she does / does not like. So what I do is ask questions.

Does it taste malty? Sweet? Bitter? Can you taste anything other than the malt or bitterness from the hops? Roasty? Coffee? (and so on) Does it seem dry to you, light body, full, or somewhere in between? Ask about the aroma, the carbonation, etc. Steering them in the direction of making observations about the experience I think is more helpful than talking about the characteristics of various styles, or comparisons with other beers they may have had.

In other words, talk about the taste characteristics of a beer, rather than what it might remind someone of. I think most casual beer drinkers just aren't really aware that beer can have a very complex flavor profile, and never really consider the flavor of what they're drinking beyond "I (don't) like this".

Some don't care, and I'm you're drinking with someone who doesn't seem interested in the above style of inquiry, I drop it, and enjoy my beer while they do the same. It's just not that important to a lot of people, and if they don't want to learn more, it'll just annoy the hell out of 'em and make you sound like a know-it-all beer snob jerk.


P.S. Fairly unrelated, but regarding the friend above I mentioned. It's my belief that many people who "don't like beer" really mean "I've never had a beer I liked", and there's likely one that they will. So if they're game to taste a few, I'm more than happy to help out. I've found with a lot of beer drinkers, what turns them off is bitterness, strong flavors, etc. So I often try things like a good balanced pale or pilsner, or a hefeweizen to start with, and avoid anything strong, hoppy, overly malty or otherwise unbalanced or "weird". So after a lot of "I (don't) like this one" across the board, I finally found one she said she actually really liked: a 9% ABV Belgian Tripel. Go figure, would have never guessed.

 

[BrewKnurd]

Sorry I didn't see the winky face... I'm just frustraded with people who think compaines like Guniness are crap.

for the record, i never said that guinness was crap. i like a guinness now and again. and i personally believe that even the BMCs of the world are impressive for their ability to brew a consistent, if not creative, product.

 

[GySgtLynn]

Right on mrgstiffler...any kinda of beer.

 

[BrewKnurd]

So what I do is ask questions.

Exactly! This is the number one way not to come across as a snobby d-bag. at least if you ask me, it is.

 

[iv_hokie12]

for the record, i never said that guinness was crap. i like a guinness now and again. and i personally believe that even the BMCs of the world are impressive for their ability to brew a consistent, if not creative, product.

I'll give AB credit where credit is due. Shock Top isn't half bad. It isn't a great beer, but for a macro brewery it is solid. A lot of macros really are starting to offer products that would appeal to beer geeks. (Beeradvocates alternative to beer snob)

 

[BrewKnurd]

I'll give AB credit where credit is due. Shock Top isn't half bad. It isn't a great beer, but for a macro brewery it is solid. A lot of macros really are starting to offer products that would appeal to beer geeks. (Beeradvocates alternative to beer snob)

But my question is why should we cut a macro slack just because they're big? If it's only solid "for a macro", then it's not solid.

I am completely against people that say a beer from a macro can't be good just because its from a macro, but at the same time, there's no reason to give a macro credit because "well, at least this is better than their other crap!"

 

[GySgtLynn]

Maybe I am just not the right kinda homebrewer for HBT... I will be honest.. My friend is having a pig roast this Saturday... There will be ass loads of Bud Light and other BMC... I am gonna drink it, I am gonna enjoy it and god damn I'm gonna have a good time.. All said and done I have 20 bottles of Pliney in the fridge, I have on tap an oatmeal stout, irish red, ipa, pale ale, and a cream ale. I have 10 gallons of ocktoberfest lagering and numeroues fermentors in action.. bottom line come Saturday I'm gonna enjoy me some pig and BMC... Take my grammer and shove it up your ass!!!

 

[iv_hokie12]

Maybe I am just not the right kinda homebrewer for HBT... I will be honest.. My friend is having a pig roast this Saturday... There will be ass loads of Bud Light and other BMC... I am gonna drink it, I am gonna enjoy it and god damn I'm gonna have a good time.. All said and done I have 20 bottles of Pliney in the fridge, I have on tap an oatmeal stout, irish red, ipa, pale ale, and a cream ale. I have 10 gallons of ocktoberfest lagering and numeroues fermentors in action.. bottom line come Saturday I'm gonna enjoy me some pig and BMC... Take my grammer and shove it up your ass!!!

Depends on the BMC for me. If its ice cold, and doesn't have the foul aftertaste of some of the cheap crap then Ill drink it. As long as it goes down like water and isn't actively offensive. I can handle no taste, but some unfortunately have flavor and its awful.

 

[iv_hokie12]

But my question is why should we cut a macro slack just because they're big? If it's only solid "for a macro", then it's not solid.

I am completely against people that say a beer from a macro can't be good just because its from a macro, but at the same time, there's no reason to give a macro credit because "well, at least this is better than their other crap!"

Its true, but at least they offer something. Especially if I am at a restaurant and all they have are BMC products, its nice to have something that I can drink and appreciate.

 

[BrewKnurd]

Maybe I am just not the right kinda homebrewer for HBT

I don't know why you would think that.

I will be honest.. My friend is having a pig roast this Saturday... There will be ass loads of Bud Light and other BMC... I am gonna drink it, I am gonna enjoy it and god damn I'm gonna have a good time..

Awesome.

All said and done I have 20 bottles of Pliney in the fridge, I have on tap an oatmeal stout, irish red, ipa, pale ale, and a cream ale. I have 10 gallons of ocktoberfest lagering and numeroues fermentors in action..

Awesome.

bottom line come Saturday I'm gonna enjoy me some pig and BMC... Take my grammer and shove it up your ass!!!

i have absolutely zero idea why anyone needs to have anything shoved up their ass, but if that's what you want, so be it.

 

[CthulhuDreaming]

Exactly! This is the number one way not to come across as a snobby d-bag. at least if you ask me, it is.

Yep. Taste is such a subjective thing - and while there are factual components to beer "snobbery" (style criteria, etc), most people just aren't going to give a rip beyond taste.

If I were in the less-knowledgeable guy's shoes, I'd certainly appreciate it more if someone took a genuine interest in my subjective experience rather than taking an opportunity to impress me with his knowledge - most of which, I would probably not really care about.

Another thing I think would be more helpful would be to open up/order a couple of beers in same/similar styles, but qualitatively different (Moose Drool vs. Newcastle, Mirror Pond vs. SNPA, etc). Do a taste comparison (along with the Q&A approach) - steer the conversation with questions, but do more listening than talking.

 

[GySgtLynn]

Brewknurd, thanks for the vote of confidence... I've had one too many... thanks for entertaning my rant!!!

 

[BrewKnurd]

Brewknurd, thanks for the vote of confidence... I've had one too many... thanks for entertaning my rant!!!

I love rants. i will entertain a rant of any variety, any time.

After all, what would the world be without a rant of some sort every now and again??

 

[BrewKnurd]

Yep. Taste is such a subjective thing - and while there are factual components to beer "snobbery" (style criteria, etc), most people just aren't going to give a rip beyond taste.

i would argue that style criteria are relevant only if you're entering a competition. outside of that, the overall experience of the beer is all that matters.

If I were in the less-knowledgeable guy's shoes, I'd certainly appreciate it more if someone took a genuine interest in my subjective experience rather than taking an opportunity to impress me with his knowledge - most of which, I would probably not really care about.

I think this is where many people get in trouble... when they think their knowledge trumps another person's perceptions. It never does.

Another thing I think would be more helpful would be to open up/order a couple of beers in same/similar styles, but qualitatively different (Moose Drool vs. Newcastle, Mirror Pond vs. SNPA, etc). Do a taste comparison (along with the Q&A approach) - steer the conversation with questions, but do more listening than talking.

HEY, don't you knock my SNPA. full disclosure (i'm looking at you, ABG), i've never had mirror pond, but i've heard its excellent.