Why do you use BeerAdvocate?

Because most of my other preferred websites can't be browsed at work... Darn **** filters...

 

I like Ba the best too. I was holding out on untappd for along time but I quit that finally. Excellent company over here and the reason there is so much good participation is because the site is well moderated. =)

 

Beer news, reviews, and trades. The fact I'm posting in this thread, however, may prove that I like the discussion forums too haha.

 

After drinking a beer that wasn't a macro, I found BA searching the web for other better beers. Lurked awhile, then became a member. Found many great beers since. Love every aspect of BA.

 

Ratings, forums, general beer info.

 

I don't trust untappd for the reviews so much, maybe with a grain of salt. I enjoy it more so for easily seeing what my friends have been up to. checking some local bars to see what's in the area (found a random founders takeover with KBS etc this way) and some other things.

The BA app is horrible (in my opinion) and I just don't use it because of that. From a mobile standpoint untppd wins hands down, but they also don't have a forum etc, which is what drives me more crazy on the BA app. I use untappd as an inventory of what i have in the basement as well. Which again because it works so well.

I use BA to just see what is going on with beer, talk about beer, see what will be in my area, if something is limited so i need to put effort forth, meet new people, trade a little, etc. I use the reviews, especially when i am beer shopping. i just google each of the beers and go to the regular BA page instead of the app.

 

1) To research beers before buying.
2) Forums.

 

Many reasons, in no particular order...
user-friendly, informative, able to keep track of what beers I have had, meet people who share the same passion as I, read all of the great posts, make fun of the stupid posts, give everyone my 2 cents, learn about different beers and styles, have fun, show people how many different beers I have had, the very soon possibility of being called a Poobah, and lots of other reasons.....Cheers !!

 

Reviews and ratings (both my own and from others) especially come in handy at beer stores when I come upon an unfamiliar beer, and I'm on the fence about getting it.

The sense of community in the forms are a blast and I really enjoy reading the posts in the threads that interest me. BA is a great site, and a great companion to the magazine!

 

I use BA to cure my boredom at work.

 

Its a great source of news. Its one of the better places to find out about new release and general happenings in the craft beer community.

Also, meet some really great people in the local threads.

 

Nice to be around like minded people because I have no friends to enjoy good beer with I'm all along on my journey lol.
Plus always something to learn searching through the forums.

 

Points. It's all about the points for me.

 

more educational than facebook when i'm at work.

 

I guess just as an information source and I don't mind being a source of information as well. I am starting to think that the people on here only respond to beers that are really high ABV's; are really expensive and come in large bottles. Then again, maybe I haven't explored it enough.

 

To keep my finger on the pulse of what's going on in beer. It's buried beneath a significant amount of misinformation if you are willing to sort through it.

 

Beer Advocate has better friendlier forums compared to rate beer's sterile 'Its all about the numbers, its ticktastic'' attempts at human interactions. However ratebeer easily has the far better database.

 

In no particular order ..................

1. Research - I buy what I want, but I almost always vet beverages here first.

2. Data storage - convenient way to remember the beverages I've sampled and if I enjoyed them or not. Mrs. O and/or various friends/business associates are always asking me if I've tried something, and there are times when it is hard to remember with 100% accuracy. Because my phone is always with me, and the BA app is on my phone, my beverage database is always with me. And the reaction when I say I haven't tried a beer is similar to when I meet someone who know I went to Indiana University (student population = 36,000) and that person asks, "Did you know Pledilbinder Labinowistzki," and then said person expresses shock and dismay when I say, "Um, no." Wild, wacky stuff.

3. New product announcements - I've yet to find a resource that pulls in new beer announcements from all corners of the world in one convenient place like BA does.

4. General kabitzing and hob knobbery - unlike sports board, where polarizing viewpoints seem to drive most of the posting habits, the esprit de corps here seems to drive most of the posting behavior here, IMHO. We all like beer (We're on beer's team, and we're WINNING!!!), and we want others to like beer with us. That's pretty cool.

 

1. Tracking what I've had (and my rating of it)
2. Checking out beers I haven't yet had (so as to, for example, pick between a couple that I haven't had yet)
3. Interaction with other members (forum comments, trades, etc.)

 

Because whalez, bro.

Trading is why I signed up, I wanted to finally start trying all the stuff I don't get access to very easily.

I've lurked for years to get release information and other news as this place aggregates all the stuff that's happening pretty well.

The ratings here fall the most in line with my own opinions. Right or wrong they may be, they're more in tune with me. Some other sites can rate some things way to highly. The one downside is this place can rate certain beers unnecessarily low due to malice directed at a style or a particular manufacturer.