Esquire: Why the "Session" Beer Trend Makes Zero Sense

I think that all "session" beers would sell better if they didn't refer to themselves as such seeing as how they are typically still quality beers. Honestly, I rarely look at the ABV unless I am going to be driving, or drinking all day, and don't base my buying decisions on it typically. That being said, if someone can make a quality beer that falls in the 4-5% range, there are going to be days that it fits the bill.

I would guess that this has become more popular of an idea with brewers because of new consumers. More and more people are straying away from Camp Coors and dipping their toes in the craft water. These types of beer may serve as a better "transition" style.

Also, it is in our nature at gatherings to consume large amounts of beer over long periods of time. I am sure I am not the only one who has shared 30 packs with a fiend or my brother while drinking from dawn to dusk, or the other way around back in the day. Sure, we got drunk in the end, but if that was the ultimate goal we would just break out a bottle of Captain or Wild Turkey. Having a beer in your hand while fishing, playing Euchre, hanging out on the lake, tailgating, etc. is an activity/habit/social bond. I have had enough Busch Light, High Life, and PBR to last a couple of lifetimes.

 

I 100% agree that there are beers that will destroy most palates after more than one or two, but I've yet to experience the reverse effect you speak of - that after my fourth or fifth of a beer it gets better. I have tried session beers in a row before but I will run the experiment again (for science, of course) and see if my horizons broaden. Also, not trying to be difficult, but if someone pointing this idea out to you brought it to light rather than you reaching the conclusion on your own, that alone could be a subtle indoctrination into the concept that resulted in placebo.

 

I actually just had my first session beer today. It was a Stone Go To IPA and I was thoroughly impressed. I do believe there is a time and place for session beers. I have drank too many double IPAs before and regretted it. I was just turned over to this beer by a friend and I think it will be my go to when drinking for most of the day. I do believe the price is fair for sessions considering the application and will be buying more when appropriate.

 

To be fair, I don't think you're going to achieve it if you're drinking U.S.-style "session IPAs" (AKA, IPA Lite). It takes immense skill (I have found through my own homebrewing) to capture that moreish character. Also, to be clear, I do not at all disagree that people truly prefer more sugar/sweetness in their drinks/foods. I just posit that this is not in the least demonstrative of being tuned in to complexity of flavor.

 

I agree with your points on sweetness, my session beers have been a mix of "American IPA lights", British pub ales (I lived there for a bit), and German Pilsners and Kristalweizens.

 

Can does not mean you have to. I am going to reiterate basically what another said in this thread. I am a parent of a 7 month old and I do not get the opportunity to go out very often. When I do I can choose a 12% ABV stout or 3 4% "session" beers. I'd personally rather spend some time drinking a couple beers with my friends than drink 1 and spend the rest of the time drinking water. But as others have also mentioned it is a social thing and it sounds like either you don't agree with that part or just don't understand it.

 

That is kind of what I am getting at, I see the social piece of it, but for me I will take whatever I think will taste best even if it means I have to drink less of it.

 

It just comes down to taste then. Cause true cask session pub Bitters, Pilsners, and any kind of German wheat beers are some of my favorites anywhere. If those are not your favorite that is fine. Nobody is saying not to enjoy bigger styles. I just never understood why it is hard for some to believe that others actual like lesser ABV beers better (not necessarily pointed at you)? Everyone has different opinions and likes.

 

I agree with the article, but I never paid any attention to that session thing. I drink beer for the flavor. I rarely have more than 3 or 4 beers at a bar. I just drink slower or alternate with water if I'm at an "all day" event.

 

The label "session" has nothing to do with a beer being a session beer. Although there is not universal agreement on what the ABV threshold is, all beers below this arbitrary threshold are considered session beers.

 

I would bet that the ones who aren't really feeling the moreishness of 'Session IPAs', and probably haven't since they came about, are those who are familiar with that quality in other styles.

As to myself, I haven't even gotten it with every beer that is supposed to have it, so to me there's more than a placebo effect going on.

 

There are good and bad low ABV beers just like there are good and bad high ABV beers. I'm just tired of the word "session"

 

Many higher ABV beers bludgeon the palate due to significant sweetness and/or bitterness. Think about them like hot wings or a spicy curry. You get a lot of the flavors early, but after a few bites the heat of the dish limits the flavors. Think of a session beer as something like sushi. Because it is a less intense dish, more of the flavors can be found later in the dish.

 

A session beer is a beer below an arbitrary ABV threshold, Unfortunately, there is not a universal agreement on what the threshold is. I believe BA still defines is at 5%. This is the only definition.

There was a former member of BA (rhymes with RING), who was from across the pond. He tirelessly argued the limit should be the traditional British 4% definition. One of his arguments was that as more and more people used the term to mean different thing, it was becoming a useless term. I think this thread indicates a validity to his argument.

 

And this is where the disconnect is between the author of the article/the defenders of it, and those of us who enjoy "session" beers. I don't see very many members from the UK/Germany or those who love the styles that are prevalent there agreeing with the article.

Today's US craft drinker is so obsessed with the beers in the "Top 20" that are 8% double IPAs, that they simply can't fathom a 4% English mild drawn from a cask can be just as good.

To those across the pond, beer is meant to be drank in an imperial pint glass pulled from a firkin or tapped from a wooden barrel into a 1 liter Maßkrug. Not from a fucking 16 oz. can.

 

I would agree with him and I've seen those threads before too. Session is an interesting concept but one that seems to be so tied up in arguing over semantics that it has become tiring.

 

Session beers are here to stay hopefully. I can ride a good 10-15 miles and have two 3-4% abv pints with food and have a satisfying ride home without falling off.

 

You said exactly what I wanted to say, just better.

 

Never understood the session beer idea. I'd rather sip one beer over the time it would take to drink two session ones. Maybe this appeals to non - craft drinkers but I've found they are loyal to their crap brands they like, well, because you know. That's what they like.

 

As someone who has gotten into craft beer later in life, the concept of drinking multiple beers does not have the same meaning for me as it did when I was younger. Simply put, when I was young and single in particular, the whole purpose of drinking beer was to get drunk. Thus, I would drink heinekens, coronas and Budweisers not because I enjoyed the finer points and nuances of the tastes, but because I wanted to get hammered with my buddies. Now that I am older and a lover of craft beer, drinking beer is almost exclusively about the taste. Granted I still enjoy the buzz(who doesn't?). However, given that I now tend to enjoy higher alcohol content beers, my days of guzzling 6 packs or more a night are pretty much done. Frankly, in my older age I've lost my tolerance for getting "smashed" and it simply makes me sick. For me the concept of a session beer is if its one of the few occasions, such as guys night out or whatever, where I have the time to relax and enjoy a good old fashion drinking session. Of course during these occasions I will not drink say multiple strong Belgian beers simply because I'll probably get sick. However, unlike my younger days, I won't drink watery beer. Instead, I'll find a good balance, something like Brooklyn lager that you can drink more of but that is quality.