Beware of Homerism

Currently, the industry seems to be booming. The number of craft breweries is nearly 2,000 in the US alone, with an estimated 725 in planning as of June 2011. Nano-breweries are popping up everywhere. Gypsy brewers and contract labels are storming the shelves. Growth is in the double to triple digits for some brewers. It’s truly an amazing time for craft beer—however, there’s a looming problem that few are willing to address: quality.

One fact that many consumers tend to ignore is that a “craft” beer isn’t good by default, nor is a beer good simply because it’s “local.” Unfortunately, as the number of breweries increases, inevitably so will the number of beers that are simply not good.

The issue only gets compounded when the concepts of “craft” and “local” combine and result in “homerism”—that is, an extreme bias toward a local craft brewery that leads to the consumer becoming a blind cheerleader. The result: high-fiving brewers who make mediocre beer, who now think they make awesome beer. While the encouragement is positive, and their passion is not being questioned, the lack of constructive criticism doesn’t help the brewery, the consumer or the industry.

Solution? Simple: Don’t be a homer. Be honest. If a beer is not up to par, please tell the brewer why; your thoughtful opinion matters. Creating an honest dialogue between consumers and brewers will only encourage growth for an industry we all love.

Do you have any thoughts on homerism? Share them with us: [email protected].

Respect Beer. ■