A couple years ago I felt like I had a good handle on the craft brew scene. Today, I am lost in a sea of new breweries; Minnesota and the Twin Cites have exploded, and I'm pretty sure this is going on elsewhere as well (went to 3 brew-pubs in South Dakota in May). When I look at a top 100 beers list now, I know very few of the names out there. I felt an initial urge to try and keep up, but I got off that treadmill. Not complaining, I think it is awesome to be able to roll into some little town in the middle of nowhere and find a brew pub or local brewery. Beer is on the cutting edge of dismantling the McDonalds on every corner sameness that sprang up in the last 20-30 years or so.
Definitely has good and bad points, but for those of us in places where all beer sales are government run (several Canadian provinces), it's nice for locals to finally have some input on what makes it to market here.
You can walk at any pace with the local offerings. I agree, there is an urge to "keep up." I have squashed that urge with enjoying buying 4/6 packs of lots of different things, sharing a lot so I get to have a big variety but still have one go to-super fresh Sculpin. It is a great time to enjoy beer.
I'm really happy to see more local brewers in my state. As well as more stores doing growler fills. It's a good time to drink good beer. As to chasing the top 250, I could care less anymore. It's really subjective and way too hype driven. The top 10 are mostly Imp/double Stouts and DIPAs right not. There are so many great styles out there! Too many to be caught up in that narrow view.
It took me just a couple months to figure the Top 250 wasn't worth 100% of my energy, and about that same time I learned that the "treadmill" (great analogy!) to trying everything out there was getting me nowhere in the end. And neither of those are complaints. I love looking at the 250 from time to time, and I love trying the new stuff. Lost? Yes. Loving it? Double yes.
I can get maybe 100 of the top 250 and live in sepa home of Philadelphia. So for me the top 250 list is a bunch of crap.
I don't pay that much attention to the trends or the Top 250, because if I have to keep track of what I'm drinking, then that is work, and the reason I'm enjoying my beer is because I'm not (or should not be) drinking while working.
For every beer I try, 10 new beers come out. There is no keeping up. I just pick and choose the beer I think will be really good and it is hard to miss. Good times.
I don't worry about when I will (if ever) try (any or all) the beers on the Top 100 or 250, just enjoying the journey with one's I am trying, no matter where they rate. Sure I look for top rated beers to see if they live up to the hype, but I sure as hell ain't going out of my way to track them down, either. When the opportunity arises to get my hands on them I jump though. "Lost", maybe...Caring that I am, not at all! Let's just enjoy the journey, it's not a contest' It's about enjoying the hobby. Cheers!
I don't review beers for the same reason, when I'm having a beer I'm trying not to work. Taking a picture of it is about all I can muster. That and I don't think anyone else cares what I have to say about a beer.
