Craft beer drinkers: the natural progression

have you been standing outside my window for the past 4 years?

 

I think I am at 3.5 but I do already have a cellar... 3.5 should be you contemplate cicerone or bjcp. sensory kits are seached for... you look for ways to expand and develop your palate.

 

I would say that I agree with most of it. Obviously, the order of the stages won't necessarily be the same for everyone and people will approach it differently. Personally, I haven't really hit the trading stage due to monetary constraints and the fact that I haven't needed to thanks to some great friends in a local bottleshare group.

Generally, I think the cellar generally comes before the trading or is at least concurrent with it (albeit the cellar doesn't have to be that big for it to count). I would say that I'm at stage 4 (or at least I would say that title applies to me). I've only done 1 shipped trade and a few IP trades though. My cellar is at about 50+ bottles, but some of those are for long-term storage. I am lucky that I know some generous people and live near one of the best bars in the United States (Max's Taphouse).

I agree with @kansascobleigh, there is some interest in Cicerone and BJCP (whether or not you go through with it). My big thing is that I really want to start reading up on beer and what not. I'm a fast learner though and quite interested in blind tastings though. I've only done a Sam Adams one during ACBW at Max's and I did the best amongst some much more experienced craft drinkers. They had messed up the pours but the questions were crazy specific.

 

I've been heavily in to craft beer for only 6 or 7 months now, and I'm probably somewhere in the 3+ area on your scale. I do quite a lot of ticking still, but I definitely know what I like and I also have plenty of go-to's.

Thing is, at this point I just don't see myself bothering with trades or cellars. Maybe I won't ascend to that level of BA nirvana, but I'm ok with that. I don't give a damn about whales and hype. I just want a fridge stocked with a few sixers of something tasty, and that's perfect to me.

 

If extensive cellaring/ticking/hoarding/trading are prerequisites to becoming a fully fledged "craft" drinker, then I'd say the list is accurate.

I've done only one trade, and my "cellar" rarely grows beyond about 5-6 beers with a max aging of around a month. But I wouldn't describe myself as overwhelmed, and I'd say the second half of the last sentence in part 6 definitely applies (though someone please kick me in the nuts if I ever describe myself as distinguished).

I'm more of a good beer drinker, and the natural progression is a little different on that path.

 

You're right in that all these roads lead to cellaring or trading but not sure they can be numbered as such
Just relax and take comfort that it's all good, we have your bAck and life will go on

 

OP, I'm on board. A very similar path is followed amongst wine lovers. For me, on the beer path, I was on board in the beginning of the previous cycle, led by Boulder Beer in the 90's. Back then, Boulder was ahead of New Belgium, and the selection was much more limited so the rate of seeking new craft beer was slower, but still.........

 

Just two steps for me:

1. Drink cask Mild.
2. Drink St. Berndus Abt.

 

I don't really have any desire to trade or cellar. I'd like to travel to some more great beer producing regions and drink lots of the local stuff, maybe visit a few breweries and generally enjoy the area, so I guess that would be the progression I have in mind.

 

1. Drink beer
2. Drink the good ones again
3. Don't drink the shit ones again
4. Go to step 1

 

In my case, began by drinking what was available (which was pretty good anyway), when greater choice became available tried everything I could and then went back to the beers I began with.

 

7. "As you can tell from my cellar, I really love beer. But even though I limit myself to one or two a night with two nights off each week, I've still gained thirty pounds this year. Halp!"

 

I don't know if this is progression or not but what about homebrewing? If you really want to know more about beer you have to experience it first hand. Whether it's from buying a Mr. Beer kit, going all in and all-graining or just gong over to a buddies house while he brews and you guys share a couple pints while he talks about the process and ingredients. The OP talks about reading books and learning everything you can about beer. Well, try the practical side and get your hands dirty while at the same time truly understanding beer.
Before I started homebrewing I liked craft beer but not the heavy hitters or odd styles. However, after brewing for a while I got board with the same old styles - stouts, IPA's, fruit beers, so I began to venture out and try new styles to see if I'd like them. Now instead of drinking craft beers like Sam Adams and Magic Hat I started drinking DFH and Stone. Now over 4 years later I drink beers from The Alchemist, Hill Farmstead and Lawson's. I would have never dreamed of drinking any of these beers 4 years ago. If I was offered one I would have drank it but wouldn't have been able to appreciate it fully. I think homebrewing has a lot to do with my venturing out and trying new beers and new styles. If it weren't for homebrewing I think Sam Adams winter variety pack would be my most anticipated beers for the year. Now how sad would that be when there's so many other great beer out there? Cheers gang!

 

Agree with most except perhaps the "cellar." If two racks of big beers in the door of a beer fridge is a cellar--ok. As I completed the cycle, I found it completely possible to let the sours go by-by and the "cellar" becomes perhaps 20-30 big beers like an 8 year Bigfoot vertical, a few BA stouts, some Avery Beast/Samuels etc. I have great connections so east and west coast rarities show up but never trade in any formal sense. I love to try new stuff when out but go back to a few standbys at home.

I joined late but wish many years ago, I had reviewed more.

 

I've been drinking craft beer since the early/mid 1980's. Still at step 3.

 

You forgot 3A:
No longer content with just lurking on BeerAdvocate, you now post on it every day all day.

 

The problem is not all of us are as young as you are. Many of predate "craft". Not that I mind your experiences and journey but your experiences are not typical of us all.

drank swill or tried to, gave up
drank anything BUT beer for years
joined Navy road the waves, hit a few ports in the UK, discovered real ale.
came back home and still not many places had good beer and certainly none where I was stationed until about 1980 or so. So drank imports.
Good beer in America starts spreading. naturally if I could get it I drank it.
Still many places in 1980-96 were beer desserts.
in between all that I got to revisit ports in UK, France, and so traveled to Belgium and Germany.
modern days of craft, well its everywhere. Not saying its all worth it but its out here.

cheers and Prost.

 

At almost 50, I have found after the ride with bigger and bigger that I now get equally if not greater satisfaction with well made lower alcohol offerings. Cask ale is just not to be found much in NC.

Still enjoy a big one here and there but not the staple it once was. An exceptional pilsner, anyone?