A Ticker's Farewell

I can't say I'm finished with trying the new stuff, but with so many good beers out there, the disappointment stings a bit more when you try something that doesn't pan out. It would be a boring beer world indeed, if every brewer just cloned Sculpin or Two Hearted, and slapped their own name on it, but given how much competition and good stock is out there, the average stuff can bum me out on occasion.

There's a lot of beers sitting on shelves, but to each, his own.

Trading is how I circumvent this. Regardless of the quality, I am always excited to try out-of-market beers I get in trades. It keeps it fresh and exciting.

 

You are expressing something that I think several may feel but won't want to admit, at least that's the case with me. I have a difficult time separating my enjoyment for beer from the adventure of beer (and yes, the stat angle which I am ashamed to admit...). The adventure of beer can be rewarding when you keep it to brewery visits but when you are (as I am) consumed with the fascination of the unknown, fatigue over vast mediocrity is certainly not only a hazard but a terminal condition.

My saving grace? What's really wrong with sticking to the 100 or so beers of all styles that I am certain won't let me down? Mix in brewery visits to honor my exploratory desire and just call it good already. Your mea culpa should certainly be an awakening for myself, maybe others.

 

Perhaps changing strategy would be the other solution? Maybe only try bombers and 750mls? Perhaps less banality lies within those bottles. Or only buy $3 and up 120zs. Greatness is still awaiting discovery.
Not giving up yet,
Devil's Advocate Ticker

 

I deleted my spreadsheet after I hit 1000. I still enjoy trying new beers, but no longer dwell on the numbers.

 

I'm glad you posted this and hope you will review beers. I'm a ticker,live in the Chicago area, have Binny's ( and other great beer stores) and many breweries here. It's easy to find beers and tick them. I enjoy reading the reviews here,and enjoy beer. I have difficulty reviewing them.

 

Reminds me of the Hesse story of the man who wanted to be a true poet and asked master what to do. He'd written a large group of poems of which he felt proud, and wanted to ascend to the next level.

Master set him a task to carve a simple flute and learn to play it, and told him to destroy all he ever had written, which the man hesitated to do, but did.

After some years this gave the man the ability to not look at his writing as a collection, as a quantity of things that has value based on the amount it contains. It gave him the ability to see that beauty lies in creating and experiencing the moment, which is the key to every pleasure and wisdom.

The joy in beer is in the drinking and sharing. The search should always be for quality, not quantity.

 

will someone please get that man a tasty beverage?

 

Great thread. I'm getting there as well. I've found what I like and what I don't. The thrill of the chase, needing to check out beers with good ratings, collecting a cellar/aging beers, and seeing my number of ticks rise are still guilty pleasures. But if I wasn't interested in trying new beers, I don't think this hobby would be as exciting.

 

Never been a ticker. Always up for trades for great beers with good reviews and I know what local breweries I enjoy as well as the New England beers I enjoy. I stay within that realm and never felt the need just to hit the numbers. I think my trading alone keeps me busy with new and yearly releases.

 

I was just talking about this last night, I feel burned out lately on beer. For me its usually once I get into a "hobby" I got in 110% and burn out quick. I think for me though I have been drinking so many stouts/BA stouts that its hard to live up to some of the greats that ive had, these days I am enjoying sours a lot more. Hopefully giving my mouth a break with dark beers will let me enjoy them as much again.

 

I would consider myself "semi-retired" from ticking. I have close to 800 uniques on Untappd and once I hit 1,000 that will be it. I want that badge!

I was fortunate to get my hands on 14 Headys a couple of weeks ago..made me realize it's time to narrow my focus to the best, freshest beers in the styles I like.

 

I used to be a ticker through and through. Then I discovered the BIF community on here and I still tick everything I drink to but it's not my main motivation. I'm more likely to send an excellent beer off to someone that wants it than open it for the tick.

 

Well that's just about enough deep thinking for me to handle on a Friday.....

Seriously though, never heard of that story but really puts a lot of things in perspective - not just beer either!

 

That's kind of a special case -- I review those beers because there is a list and I'm an obsessive completist

 

I dunno, I'd argue that only sticking with tried and true favorites has quite an opportunity cost as well - how do you know that the next stout or IPA you try won't end up being a gem that you'd love to add to your regular lineup? For example, I went to Chilly Water Brewing two weeks ago, which is a relatively new place on the near southside of Indianapolis, because a friend wanted to try it and asked me to tag along. I wasn't super stoked, because I'd heard their beers were pretty average, but I decided to back up my friend and had a flight. And I'm super glad I did, because their One Hop Wonder IPA was excellent - juicy, fruity and marvelously balanced. I mean to each his own, of course, I just am of the mindset that I don't want to miss out on potentially awesome new stuff just because I know I like Two Hearted.

Anyway, that's where my ticking habit comes into play - yes, I get a bit of a kick out of seeing the numbers rise, but I feel like I'm always interested to see if there are new and exciting things happening. And besides, I rarely find beers that I actively dislike - while certainly not every beer is my favorite, I feel like my enjoyment of the truly amazing beers out there would have no perspective if I didn't also drink tasty yet more average beers as well.

 

About a year ago I started buying more six packs of beers I know I like. I'll offset that with 4-5 singles to try stuff, usually of styles I like from breweries I like.

Doesn't mean I won't try a new beer while out or once in awhile, but I'm prefering to drink stuff I know I enjoy.

Drink what you like!

 

I suppose I've never really been a full on ticker. I don't drink just anything so that I can add it to the list.
But I do have mostly new things, picked from breweries that have a track record of producing good beer.

 

Fortunately the PA laws about beer sales saved me from falling into that trap, but having been there with a few other things beside beer, I can say you'll probably find yourself both sadder but wiser now. (But hopefully not Budweiser. :-))

 

Parting is such sweet sorrow
barkeep I'll have this beer today instead of tomorrow

I got caught up in ticking too. I have a lot less unique beers than you do but I was ticking one a day. I still enjoy trying new things but I have found that lately it's a six of something I like and a tick for NBS. That's a big change. I think it';s only natural at some point to just want to drink the beer rather than tick it, rate it , review , it and keep up with everyone else. That's a sweet place right there when you find it.