Why I Wouldn't Drink Sam Adams

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joshesmusica

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I'm the type that I'll like something until it becomes popular. When the hipster thing first started, you know, when they were closely related to true hippies and not the 80s nerd look, I was totally into any girl who rocked the style. Now I can't stand hipsters.
I arrived onto the craft beer scene rather late. But I've refused to drink Sam Adams Boston Lager because, well, it's a lager. When I saw BL on beer lists next to all the BMC beers, I just assumed it was on par with those, and therefore assumed the brewery was just as trash as those.
Then I saw Jim Koch on Brew Dogs, and thought, ok he seems like a pretty cool guy. I mean he bathed in a huge mash bath with the Scots.
I recently went to a restaurant that had absolutely nothing craft to offer except for BL. So I went for it. I was thoroughly surprised! It actually had flavor to it!
Then I went into a liquor store and there was a spring pack of theirs, so since my interests were piqued after trying the Boston Lager, I had to buy this one. It included their BL, Cold Snap (a witbier), Escape Route (a kolsch style), and Crystal Pale Ale. I really did enjoy them all, the pale ale being my favorite.
Just proves the old adage, "Don't knock til you try it," to be true once again.
 
Or the other old adage, "Don't be so superficial."

Never heard that one before. The refusal wasn't because of my superficiality. I just know from experience that when something becomes so big, it's usually simply out of hype. Or also when something that was small and very good becomes big, it usually loses its high quality. so instead of it being out of superficiality, i suppose another adage also applies "Don't make an ass out of u and me."
 
You totally sound like a hipster to me bro.

"bro" the ultimate hipster nickname.

like i said, i was all about what hipster used to be about. now it's the cool thing, i'm not about the cool thing just because something's the popular thing right now. i like something because of its quality, not because of its hype. but if something becomes hyped before i get a chance to try it, it usually takes me a long time to come around to trying it. and it usually takes a certain circumstance like the one above: i really wanted a beer, and the BL was the least crappy (according to my presuppositions). one thing i failed to mention: it turned out it was 2 for 1 for draft beers that night!

as far as the beer world, i think the hipster thing is to like IPAs. Gotta try the newest coolest craft beer bar and their IPA. I'm not about that. In fact, I've learned that I don't particularly enjoy IPAs. I typically brew my IPAs to be more like Imperial Pale Ales. I like a balance.
 
I understand what you are saying.
The general populous generally like their products basic and easy to consume. Music, food, beer, wine, cars.
But there is always a VERY large market for great products. So it only follows that the best of the best will grow huge and popular. (Beatles, Nirvana, Hendrix...)
I lived through the '80s and I am very happy to have Boston Lager around! What happened to Pete's Wicked! ?
 
I lived through the '80s and I am very happy to have Boston Lager around! What happened to Pete's Wicked! ?

Yeah I suppose if I had been a beer drinker in the 80s my perspective would've been completely different.

luckily it has changed now. unfortunately, i'm not sure how much of their seasonal/not very well known stuff i'm gonna be able to find here in norway.
 
I was drinking High Life and PBR before most hipsters were born.

Sam Adams and Jim Koch have done as much for craft beer as anyone. The main thing with SA, is their main product is American Amber Lager - it's a great example of the style, it's just a boring style. I don't have an issue with drinking SA, I think it goes really well with most food. But if I am at a craft beer bar, I'm not ordering a Boston Lager first. Or at all...
 
Isn't Sam Adam's lager more representative of a vienna style lager? What I mean is, adjunct isn't used. Which is essentially the definition of 'American Lager', no matter which color it is. The SA Website says these grain are used, "Samuel Adams two-row pale malt blend and Caramel 60". It may still be boring for some, but it is less typical of an American Lager than a European Lager. That said, hipsters have been around longer than 5 years? What were they in the 90's? Punk rockers?
 
Isn't Sam Adam's lager more representative of a vienna style lager? What I mean is, adjunct isn't used. Which is essentially the definition of 'American Lager', no matter which color it is. The SA Website says these grain are used, "Samuel Adams two-row pale malt blend and Caramel 60". It may still be boring for some, but it is less typical of an American Lager than a European Lager. That said, hipsters have been around longer than 5 years? What were they in the 90's? Punk rockers?

maybe that's why he decided to call it a boston lager?

oh yeah man, hipsters (the ones i was referring to in the original post) have been around since i was a junior in college, 2006.
 
Isn't Sam Adam's lager more representative of a vienna style lager? What I mean is, adjunct isn't used. Which is essentially the definition of 'American Lager', no matter which color it is. The SA Website says these grain are used, "Samuel Adams two-row pale malt blend and Caramel 60". It may still be boring for some, but it is less typical of an American Lager than a European Lager. That said, hipsters have been around longer than 5 years? What were they in the 90's? Punk rockers?

you wash your floccin' mouth out, son! if anything, they were style biters of the EMO kids. all crying around how no one understands them and how their girlfriends hate them blah blah blah.
 
I fail to identify with the hipster thing. I did the punk rock thing in the 90's, when I was still young enough not to understand it; however, it wasn't mainstream then. Plus, the music is still amazing. The mainstream would have been the Zack Morris Preppy thing (at least in the burbs of Houston). That said, I make fun of hipsters because they think they are unique... Yet they all look the same to me. Just like the rest of us.

Didn't EMO come around in the earlyish 2000's? 'Hey! Let's all dye our hair black and wear our girlfriends jeans and wonder why everyone makes fun of us!?' That had to be the beginning of EMO... Right? So if the hipster thing started in 2005-06-ish, it's still not that old. 10 years maybe a long time for fashion (Is it? I don't know) but it's not really like anyone can say 'That's an old-school hipster'. However a hipster might phrase that.

I digress, and I say this all in jest because I've worn ugly clothes before as well.
 
like i said, i was all about what hipster used to be about. now it's the cool thing, i'm not about the cool thing just because something's the popular thing right now. i like something because of its quality, not because of its hype.

I don't think I could come up with a better definition of being a hipster than that. Looks like you have not "broken the chains" of your past life. lol :mug:
 
I fail to identify with the hipster thing. I did the punk rock thing in the 90's, when I was still young enough not to understand it; however, it wasn't mainstream then. Plus, the music is still amazing. The mainstream would have been the Zack Morris Preppy thing (at least in the burbs of Houston). That said, I make fun of hipsters because they think they are unique... Yet they all look the same to me. Just like the rest of us.

Didn't EMO come around in the earlyish 2000's? 'Hey! Let's all dye our hair black and wear our girlfriends jeans and wonder why everyone makes fun of us!?' That had to be the beginning of EMO... Right? So if the hipster thing started in 2005-06-ish, it's still not that old. 10 years maybe a long time for fashion (Is it? I don't know) but it's not really like anyone can say 'That's an old-school hipster'. However a hipster might phrase that.

I digress, and I say this all in jest because I've worn ugly clothes before as well.

I remember EMO in the early 1990's. at the time is was all about looking like Buddy Holly.
 
I think there are a lot of people who kind of dismiss samuel adams. I think they kind of get lumped in with the larger manufacturers simply because theyve been around for so long in comparison. They were one of the first breweries to take on the big boys. Theyve been at it long enough to have there production and distribution nailed down. Also most people think of the lager first but theyve got a lot of other interesting things going on. With that said im partial to a lot of other brewers but sam makes some good beers too.
 
An important thing for all craft beer lovers to recognize...not all beers from a brewer are going to fit your preferences. More importantly, there are some brewers that make a product that isn't on your radar, but it sells very well with the masses. Boston Lager and Fat Tire come to mind. In both cases, those breweries reap those profits and that gives them the latitude to produce other really great beers. If you haven't had the Sam Adams beers that come in the funky-shaped 22 oz bottles, they are typically excellent. In the case of New Belgium, the La Folie series and some others are truly excellent beers too.

Sam Adams is an under-appreciated brand that does create some nice stuff. Although they are a huge brewer by craft standards, they still are worth your consideration.

Still a lot better than BMC mega-lagers!
 
What the hell is EMO and SKA? Guess I'm getting old.

Back in the 70's we used to say "that's hip" or "I'm hip to that". Of course we were usually smoking a doobie then.
 
Never heard that one before. The refusal wasn't because of my superficiality. I just know from experience that when something becomes so big, it's usually simply out of hype. Or also when something that was small and very good becomes big, it usually loses its high quality. so instead of it being out of superficiality, i suppose another adage also applies "Don't make an ass out of u and me."


That adage is pretty played out. It worked a few years ago but now everyone uses it.
 
Try a brewery tour at SA. Then go see and drink Harpoon at their brewery near downtown! Their IPA is the milder East coast variety. Beer garden with pretzels made from spent mash are out of this world. And as one Bostonian said on a flight-"thea knawt cowpowate"!
 
The thing about Sam Adams that the craft beer snobs hate, is that they are huge, so big that the Craft Brewers Association changed their definition of what is craft, from something like 2million barrels to 6million, to keep SA as a craft brewer. Add to the fact that they have several production facilities (that can't POSSIBLY be good for their beer, right? :confused: ) and they also advertise on TV quite a bit.
Also, they don't brew any* super-rare hop bombs, or mega barrel aged stouts (Utopias notwithstanding) so the delicate flavor of hype is missing from their beer.
*SA is now making the Rebel series IPAs, with a standard, session and Imperial, and they have the barrel room series which have limited distro footprint.

What SA does do is produce a ton of beers - they have the commercial that says they make 60+ different beers. Most of them are very well done to their style, but not necessarily to everyone's tastes. I have a "like" and "don't like" list with them, as do a lot of others.
 
The thing about Sam Adams that the craft beer snobs hate, is that they are huge, so big that the Craft Brewers Association changed their definition of what is craft, from something like 2million barrels to 6million, to keep SA as a craft brewer. Add to the fact that they have several production facilities (that can't POSSIBLY be good for their beer, right? :confused: ) and they also advertise on TV quite a bit.
Also, they don't brew any* super-rare hop bombs, or mega barrel aged stouts (Utopias notwithstanding) so the delicate flavor of hype is missing from their beer.
*SA is now making the Rebel series IPAs, with a standard, session and Imperial, and they have the barrel room series which have limited distro footprint.

What SA does do is produce a ton of beers - they have the commercial that says they make 60+ different beers. Most of them are very well done to their style, but not necessarily to everyone's tastes. I have a "like" and "don't like" list with them, as do a lot of others.

yeah, but my former thinking wasn't even based on beer snobbery. it was simply a misunderstanding that they were cheap ass beer like the bmc stuff. and the other stuff was typically cheaper. thankfully this site and lots of homebrewing books have opened my eyes to the wide world of beer!

i would love to see your like and don't like list for the next time i'm in the states.
 
What the hell is EMO and SKA? Guess I'm getting old.

Back in the 70's we used to say "that's hip" or "I'm hip to that". Of course we were usually smoking a doobie then.

Ska is back from the 60's, bruva. rude boys and the like. a lot like reggae & skinheads: mellow music, violent youth.


as for EMO, I remember them being around long before I heard Weezer. we used to push them around long before I ever heard Weezer. and flocc Weezer right in the eye socket.

as for your beer of choice, drink what tastes good to you. don't rely on how popular/unpopular something is. plenty of folks here still drink BMC/BMC Light because they enjoy it. I don't, but that's personal taste for you. and I mean "Personal Taste", not "Popularity Contest".
 
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Try a brewery tour at SA. Then go see and drink Harpoon at their brewery near downtown! Their IPA is the milder East coast variety. Beer garden with pretzels made from spent mash are out of this world. And as one Bostonian said on a flight-"thea knawt cowpowate"!


Took a minute, but I deciphered it ;)

I guess I take Sam for granted. It's (lager) everywhere here. Right next to Bud, Bud Light, etc.

*Theya nawt coprette.
Okay, that sounds moah Downeast. Whatevah.
 
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Cheers! ;)
 
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