Stop being snobs

Hear Hear.

 

Would be happy to help the guy next to me, if he wants.

 

Couldn't agree more. The last thing you want to do is chase someone away from craft. Unfortunately this happens all the time. Snobs at certain bars/stores even chase me away and I love craft beer.

 

I guess I must be lucky. People in Philly seem like the most non-snobbish beer advocates I've ever been around. Come out to Beer Week this summer and I'll buy you a round!

 

I'm no shop or bar owner, but I've got adventurous friends and read them well enough to start them on Bruery Smoking Wood, Grey Monday, and Sucre along with Westvleteren 12, Tilquin Quetsche, Cantillon Iris, and Le Terroir.

Of course, you need to make sure you know them well enough that they can handle that. They were in the accelerated program!

 

As long as you continue on the path you're on, the beer world will continue to grow in the right direction.
As far as the snobs go, fuck 'em.

 

All at once or sequentially?

 

I don't think 'snob' is the right word to use here. I think there are many new craft beer enthusiasts who want to share their new-found knowledge and experience with others to the point that it becomes a one-sided conversation that is not necessarily all that helpful to the listener. Call it self-centered bore-speak, immature ebullient chatter, etc. but not snobbery.

 

Yup, snobs only slow the growth of the industry. This is what happens when people try to make beer about themselves rather than the beer itself.

 

I agree that the snobs need to chill, but at the same time people new to craft beer need to stop being intimidated. it's just a beverage; go try stuff and see what you like.

 

@WeizenGuy If only more beer store folks had your attitude. Both myself and friends have been on the receiving end of serious snark and attitude from employees when asking about limited release beers when visiting markets we aren't familiar with. Case in point, my cousin and his wife are from Philly. My cousin's wife is in Chicago on business and she stopped by a bottle shop to ask about Pipeworks. Instead of a helpful "sorry, those beers are really limited and they sell out quickly" she had the guy laugh at her. Douche

 

In any niche market you get that mentality. When I was younger I was big into surfing and skating. You can imagine what people would say when some shoobie walked in asking lame questions.

While I agree with you and now that I am older and more mature I never talk down to someone for their "lack" of knowledge or experience. There are a lot of lame people and nothing makes them feel better than bustin on someone.

This problem isn't unique to craft beer.

 

Douche, probably so. The guy in the store probably figured that anyone asking about "XYZ" beer knows about it and it's limited availability.

Probably would have been better to point her to something else that might be enjoyed, ask a question or two etc.

 

A lot of the time for sure I agree with you. That said I have been viciously neck-bearded a number of times by epic beer snobs... A few years ago was the best one - I had scored a case of Backwoods Bastard (which was a good find a few years ago) and brought a 4 pack as a gift to a party for someone I knew liked barrel aged beers. The recipient then proceeded to wax lyrical about Wulver for 20 minutes and tell me why Wulver was better in every single way...

About half way through his rant I picked up a bottle opener, opened one of the gifted backwoods and poured it for myself - I got a funny look and responded 'well it sounds like you prefer Wulver, so I figured I would just drink this crap for you'... there was a brief pause and then the Wulver proselytizing continued.

Needless to say about 6 months later at a different party at this guys house I brought him a 6 pack of bud lite lime and told him I looked everywhere for Wulver and couldn't find it, so got this instead. I ended up enjoying the interaction immensely, but was still epically snobbed at every occasion...

 

New favorite use of word. ever.

 

I've never been a beer snob and don't know any.