I try to stay upbeat about the world of beer, I really do. I prefer to look on the positive side of things and herald the merits of breweries rather than nitpick at their faults. There are many brewers and brewery owners who no doubt will not believe this, but it really is true.
Still, the fact remains that the sun doesn't shine bright every day and even the most optimistic of us have times when we've got to get a few things off of our chests. For me and World of Beer, that time is now. So without further ado, here in no particular order are the top five things that piss me off about the world of beer and brewing.
1. Brand Loyalists -- Fortunately, the whole idea of beer brand loyalty seems to be slowly receding into the abyss these days (and not a minute too soon!), but there remains a huge segment of the beer-drinking public who believe that humankind was meant to pick a single brand of beer and stick with it forever. Which makes about as much sense as eating broccoli and only broccoli for the rest of your life.
2. The Commodification of Beer -- Beer is not soap. Nor is it toilet paper, scouring pads or bug spray. Great beer is a work of art and should be presented to the consumer as such. If said consumer doesn't understand or appreciate its attributes, the brewer and brewery rep need to either make the effort to change that through education or accept that this particular individual is not part of their target market. They should not answer by "dumbing down" the beer in a way that they think may make it appeal to a wider audience. Besides being false and ingenuous, nine out of ten times it doesn't work.
3. The Misrepresentation of Style -- A number of years back, a Canadian brewery came out with a wheat beer that they touted as being in the Bavarian tradition of wheat beers. Except that it was not. At all. It was a decently brewed North American wheat ale, without a trace of German character beyond the word "Reinheitsgebot" plastered proudly on the label. I understand that regional differences in beer style do exist -- a pale ale in England is hardly the same as a pale ale in the Pacific Northwest of the United States -- but if a brewery is going to evoke a specific brewing region or tradition, then it should stick to style.
4. Me, too-ism -- One of the easiest things to do in any field is copy. Some brewery has success with a particular take on a pale ale, and soon every brewery in the region seems to feel that they need a similar brew. Cream ale becomes a buzz word and everyone shifts to that. Then comes blonde ale, hemp beer, continental pilsner, and on and on. Is original thought really so difficult?
5. Beer Snobs -- You know the people. Not the ones who like good beer and turn their backs on boring brews -- I count myself among that set of savvy beer drinkers -- but those who think that a beer cannot be any good unless it meets a certain set of criteria. For some, that means only ales, while for others it means only lagers. Still others believe that it has to be Reinheitsgebot pure, or non-contract brewed, or from a certain region. These people are drinking with their prejudices, not their palates.
We're very interested in your news, notes, comments and questions, so please feel free to contact SBWoB by clicking on the link below. Or you can add your comments when you sign up for the World of Beer Update, a mid-month e-mail newsletter that brings even more of the world of beer to your computer.
