Getting over the "tasting everything" hump?

It is very easy to get caught up in that . Beer is very exciting and the variety is what makes it so wonderful, I think. I am lately thinking of slowing down. I did 365 beers in about as many days just to see if I could and now the novelty of it is wearing off. I know the beer will always be there and so I can afford to ease up. You will too.

 

My advice is to not pigeon-hole yourself with the highly rated beers. A quick scan of that top 250 list and you'll notice there isn't a wide variety of styles, and it virtually ignores lower abv styles. Try getting into German styles, some of the lower abv English ones (if you can find them), and Belgians. This will require a bit more research, learning, and time than going after the next Heady Topper or Kentucky Breakfast Stout, but it's much more rewarding in the long run.

 

Keep trying everything. That way you'll eventually develop a massive beer gut that inhibits your movement and makes you easily winded so you won't be able to chase the next big thing anymore, at which point you'll begin enjoying/resigning yourself to whatever's at hand. Beer's self-correcting that way.

 

You must be new.

 

It took me a couple years of gradually tapering off. When I started homebrewing was really the final nail in the coffin though. That and living near Mystic Brewing in Chelsea, MA. I used to go there pretty much every Friday and get a few growlers for the weekend. My buying habits have never been the same.

 

I've been in the craft beer scene for over 4 years, and I am self admittedly somewhat of a ticker. If there is something new on-tap, or something new on the shelf I generally will try it if it's a style or brewery I really enjoy. I've certainly found a few "old faithfuls" in my drinking but unfortunately rarely ever stock my fridge with them. I thought I'd get over it, and perhaps will eventually, it just hasn't come yet. I have a good bit of disposable income for this "hobby" so that probably isn't helping either.

 

every time i have a version of this discussion with someone i reference back to this silly little ting i can't help but loving: http://firstwefeast.com/laugh/the-25-stages-of-being-a-beer-nerd-in-gifs/

 

trying new things is the point of being a BA, imo. people who just hunt down some one else's top 250 is kind of missing the point.

 

Not to sound like a dick, but there's your problem.....

You can look at beer for what it is - a wonderful beverage that is delicious and relaxing and that brings people together in celebration - or you can look at it like it's a way to demonstrate a bogus sense of superiority over others.

Take option one and beer (and probably life, just sayin') will be more enjoyable.




And cue the...."but what's relaxing and enjoyable for me is to chase trucks and call liquor stores 15 times per day, that's how I choose to spend my hard earned money and I can do what I want because this a free country, Ronald Reagan told me so" reaction....

 

Never seen this before . . . thanks for the laugh

 

Buy a house and personally move all 32 boxes while your wife roughly calculates how much $$$ is actually tied up in this hobby. Shit will change real fast...

 

yeah it will pass. a lot of times after work i dont want to drink a pinot noir barrel aged triple ipa hopped w pixie dust and brewed w angel tears. after 12+ years of craft drinking i find myself more attracted to well brewed simple styles. i appreciate the nuances of them more now than before when chasing that next huge flavor beer. dont get me wrong...a lot of them are delish and i love em. in fact i had a Deschutes Mirror Mirror for the first time on Sunday and it knocked my socks off. but i find the ratings unfair sometimes bc there is nothing to compare them too. unfair might be the wrong word, but overstated i guess. oh, and that pesky bank account thing that people mentioned!

 

Epic. Made me chuckle, and agree.

 

If you have to ask, you can't afford it

 

You know, I'd prefer not knowing the answer.

 

It totally passes and it feels great when it does. You will probably have to build your cellar up a little so that you can talk yourself out of a big purchase by honestly saying to yourself "wait, i have more than enough beer for a very long time."

 

I find that any excuse to drink beer is usually good enough, and my internal dialog when making beer choices is usually pretty short. Don't overthink it. Just let your mood make the choice.

 

Unless talking about drinking games (which I think everyone here has grown out of except for the rare occasion of doing it just for shits and giggles), drinking beer is not a competition. Drink good beer for the sake of enjoying good beer. Use it as a way to supplement an already good situation. Very expensive and hard-to-get beer is rarely better than or even as good as less expensive and easy-to-get beer.

Remember that trying new beers is fun and there is nothing wrong with it. But we've seen too many people (on this site even) who let it get to a "not fun" level, where it became a chore, even ended up being a huge waste of money and effort (cellars full of beer past its prime that they spent extra money in shipping costs to trade for, for example).

Chasing the next "great" beer will eventually only lead to being let down and coming back to old favorites usually leads to being pleasantly surprised, I've found.

 

You may be less inclined. Or more inclined. My ticking just to tick days are behind me, but there are a few releases I look forward to each year because I love the beers. Bourbon County Stout is one, Mayflower Spring Hop, Sucaba, Sebago BA Barleywine, Celebration etc.,. Some beers, like Parabola, I didn't much care for and it's not worth it for me to try to get one. It depends on what you like if you are less inclined. Going to great lengths to get beer just because other people think it is good is something I can't identify with so I don't know when or if that will fade.