Why is it bad to be a ticker?

Exactly. Nothing wrong with trying every beer under the sun. However, when people bust out tick numbers like it's a arm wrestling contest it's sad. It makes me think they're all about the numbers and not the beer.

Also, jacksback, you say that "no one tells me what/how to drink." I would disagree with that. I have seen a lot of people tell both you and I what to drink on more than one occassion.

 

Judging someone for being a ticker is like judging them for their sexual orientation. Really, who gives a shit what someone else chooses to do?

Also, cheers!

 

Echoing what others are saying... it's the idea that hardcore tickers just want to try everything new and review beers based on the 2 oz samples they had at some fest where they drank a ton and likely experienced palate fatigue without realizing it .....rather than just sitting back with a full glass of something and giving it its due, or returning to beers they know and love.

I think some people also believe that the ticking mindset is what helps cause the hype around certain new releases to reach ludicrous levels.

It's not a purely bad thing. It's just a loaded question/topic because I think most of us on here inherently have at least a little ticker mindset in us, or else we probably wouldn't have persued this beer hobby we all enjoy so much.

 

You keep ones you like as "the bar". My buddy and I have been doing tastings of specific styles. For example, last weekend was porters. We had some new porters to try but we started with Founders porter because its good and we discussed what we liked about it. We followed it up with 5 new ones to us and discussed likes/dislikes. Tickers as you call us still find a way to sneak in our favorites.

 

I like ticking as a means of enjoying my beer hobby. I don't shove #'s in peoples faces (I generally don't bother ticking on here even, my Untappd is my main counter). I'm also perfectly happy drinking things I've had before that I've liked. And I won't tick for the sake of ticking. If it's the choice between something I know I like or something in a style I don't enjoy or a brewery I'm not a fan of, I'll go with the known commodity.

But show me a new brew from a brewery I love or a style I enjoy and I'll probably try it at least once.

 

No, make your choices based on what looks interesting to you to try at the time, not based on checkmarks on a list.

 

You have to actually taste the beer to know if it's interesting.

EDIT: Fair enough though, I suppose packaging sometimes draws me. Or maybe i'm just in the mood for a particular style.

 

Once upon a time it was obligatory to taste many a recipe due to the fact that the industry had more unknown than known. A good beer bar would always have an informative list of their available bottle and tap selection instead of leaving it up to the attendee to find out for themselves. Having a never ending list of available brews tends to lead more in the direction of less knowledgeable bar tenders. Personally, I found that exchange of thoughts and experiences to be the best part of going to a local pub; gaining a friend and somebody that would welcome you personally instead of with a general one liner. I loved trying all beers if they sounded good, regardless of style, because I love flavor as a whole. I feel that tickers are too prepared and that ownership has started to get lazy expecting a more knowledgeable customer rather than offering a more personal experience in a welcome setting. My bar tenders know my name, where I work, and what I drink. My pubs offer descriptions for every single beer available on an ever circulation list that changes each day and makes customers huddle around each other. The modern ticker is causing this practice to become extinct. That's what is wrong with being a modern ticker in my opinion.

 

False dichotomy?

I'm pretty sure his point is that it's great to try new beers, but it's also great to revisit old ones that you have found you enjoy. You don't have to only revisit a few beers all the time; you can revisit dozens of beers only once in a while.

 

so in the past I'll think to my self, "wow all the salient points have been made, I expect this thread to wind down now"

Two weeks later I'll find that same thread now has 12 pages mostly based on someone in x part of the country calling a beer on the other side of the country fat ensuing a massive back and forth.

We shall see.

Personally I like to "tick" new canned beers. It's a fun format for me in that it's the only ones I'll go out of my way to try even if said brewery has continually let me down - I'm looking at you Golden Roads.

 

Trying beer styles you know you dont like for the ticks. Buying brews from breweries you dont like for the ticks. Buying old beers for the ticks. Spending $10 on a bomber of IPA when you know, with 99% certainty, that you won't like it as much as your favorite 6 pack for $8... for the tick.
All lame IMO.

I would consider myself a price, style, freshness, and brewery conscientious ticker.

 

Every beer is worth trying, every new beer you haven't had before... is an experience

 

Hey, thanks for sending me that Hoppin Frog. It was great ticking something new in its #properglassware.

Cheers!

 

As some have mentioned, everyone on here is a ticker at least a little bit, how else would we have moved away from BMC crap.... Trying new stuff is what makes this a fun hobby.

That being said, I try new stuff every now and then but doing it every day just takes the fun out of it. At a certain point you just have to realize beers (for me any way) like NG Moon Man, Bells Two Hearted, Lakefront IPA, Founders Imperial and Central Waters Barrel beers are not going to be topped because I love them so much. After trying so many beers most people just realize that in certain styles there are just beers that are that persons perfect beer for the style. Do you try a new one that looks interesting? Sure!

But at a certain point I think you are missing the point of craft beer if you only care about trying a different beer every time a sip hits your mouth, if you find something you love stick with it and you will not be sorry. Beers that I have had hundereds of times or even thousands in Moon Mans case I love more and more as time goes on!

 

I'd argue the opposite, that tickers should lead to a necessarily more educated bar staff. If you have consumers coming into your bar armed with plenty of experiences, you're gonna haveta step up and tell them what they're about to order. As an unabashed ticker myself, I'll always gravitate toward things I haven't had, but my funds aren't infinite: I need to get some idea of what I'm about to get into, how it might connect to all of my past experiences, before I throw down dollar one. This requires more knowledge on the part of the staff.

Lazy ownership is the real culprit, not tickers. This is why the good bars attract the tickers and the lazier ones get bros (how's that for overgeneralization, eh?)...

 

And actually LIVE a little?

Oh, the horror!!!

 

If I don't try new beers how do I know what to buy a case or sixtel of?

 

People should do what makes them happy, including ticking if they like it. But I think it's a bad idea because it takes the focus away from drinking what you like and places it on drinking what you haven't had before. And it has the capacity to take away from enjoying the current experience because you're more concerned about finding the next experience. I love trying new beers, but it's mainly because I know that I could discover something that will become a favorite that I can revisit in the future.

 

Because in the end you'd be more interested in reaching the magic 25 000 ticks than you would be in taking your time actually tasting the beer. I drink beer for the opportunity to taste and be social not for the luxury of tracking numbers.

 

I think "ticker" gets a negative connotation because tickers that happen to also be self righteous pricks really really stand out in a bad way.

i.e. me and a friend of mine were drinking at a local bar and some dude was flamboasting about how many beers he had and proceeded to falsely explain to some people what a biere de garde was. my friend under his breath (while opening up untappd) said "damn tickers". I replied "sure he might be ticker but what you're witnessing is an asshole being an asshole"

flamboasting = flamboyantly boasting