In an earlier age, we had beer - not complex, all tasted similar and did not require an encyclopedic knowledge to drink. We drank, we got drunk, we fell down and at some later time we got up. Today, I have to go to beer tastings, need a special refrigerator to store many different beers and have a line item on my budget for beer and wine. WTF Recently, I drank Founder's Backwoods Bastard (I have known a few in my life, but I did not try to drink them). It is the most complex flavor I have ever tasted in a beer. Maybe too complex. I thought flavoring like that was reserved for fine Bordeaux, Burgundies, and the Italians like Brunellos, Barbera, Barolo and Barbaresco (don't they anything but "B"s in the wine reason). I still maintain some easily drinkable beers, like Negra Modelo, Michelob, Sam Adams, and others, as I don't usually like to drink more than one or two complex beers at a time. And pizza does not require complex. FYI, I am grateful that Perrin Black is now available in cans. It is my favorite among the "new" beers. What does everyone else thing - it this a good thing for all or is it just for aficionados?
It depends what you are into and what your palate wants, my friend... I started out working at a young age in high-end restaurants and developed a passion/love for wine and whisky, an expensive habit in my twenties...I was literally throwing away my paychecks for a bottle or two of Evanstad Reserve or Silver Oak in those days. In my early 30's, I fell in love with craft beer and that love has surpassed all others. There are a couple of reasons why I love craft beer in the US and how it continues to evolve. The ingredients are cheaper than those required to make wine and anyone can become a home brewer with practice, although not everyone becomes an excellent one. A great bomber costs me a quarter of a great bottle of wine. More bang for my buck In the US, we have the freedom to be creative and express our beers in so many ways, unlike countries in Europe that live by regulation (if you are a purist, please don't be offended, I appreciate your styles as well). That makes our beers creative, bigger and interesting. I love it that I can find nuances of a funky pinot in my beer today. I love the passion behind the art of brewing and the creative process. I love the final product, even when it's not so great. You have to appreciate the creativity and passion. I love complexity in a beer, when the individual layers speak to you as it warms up and change. It's a religious experience for me. There will always be a market out there for each individual palate; you just have to choose what YOU like. Cheers, Liza
I've always enjoyed trying new styles and experimental styles of beer. It's impressive what some of these brewers out there come up with - pairing complementary flavors with the base malt or hop profile. I think you have to have a little bit of crazy in you to become an exceptional brewer. You need to have that willingness to step outside the box to differentiate your creations from the rest of the community. Anyone can brew a stout of IPA, but can you create something that makes yours really stand out? I know some breweries, Off Color comes to mind, that try to stay away from the mainstream brewing trends (IPA's) because it's such a flooded market. They have made styles like Sahti, some delicious sours, rauchbeers, altbiers. It's refreshing to see brewers tap into their creative side and challenge the beer drinking community into trying styles that aren't as glorified as adjunct lagers or (on the craft side) stouts and IPA's.
There are plenty of downsides to the current craft beer trends, but I will never complain about having too many options. This obviously depends on where you live (you're in Michigan, so you've probably got it pretty good in terms of selection), but the fact that every beer purchase I make can and generally is a beer that I've never had (not counting releases like BCBS, of course) is awesome. I don't usually wax poetic, because it's not my style, but this is definitely one of the examples where "it's about the journey, not the destination." Sure, there are a few stand-bys I always look to if I can't find something new that sounds interesting at a bar, but the sheer variety of beer in every style that breweries are putting out means that there's almost no reason for me to drink the same thing that often. Do I like every beer I try? Hell no. But it's a lot of fun experimenting. Finally, in terms of complexity, it really depends on what you're into/what you're trying to do. If you're having a burger and just want a beer to go with it, sure, something simple is probably best. But if I'm sitting at home watching a movie, or talking to friends, or whatever, nothing beats a beer that I can slowly sip and savor, and note all the changes in flavor as it warms. If you're drinking to get drunk or just because you want liquid, I get not wanting a complex beer, but I treat most beer more like a dessert than a Coke with dinner. Neither is wrong, but they're definitely very different.
I think you answered your own post with this short paragraph. If you're looking to drink craft beer to get drunk, you've come to the wrong party my friend. Craft beer is to be enjoyed slowly and savored, not guzzled in order to get "fall-down drunk". Use that approach and you'll see your horizons open up even that much more (please don't try getting drunk off sours...lol) Cheers!
@dadlivonia I'm trying hard to get your complaint, which I'm guessing is that either there are too many beer choices out there today or beer choices are getting too complex. If your complaint is choices, I can't say that I inherently agree, the more choices the better, though I do have a complaint that the modern craft beer movement is flooding shelves and draft lines with more local mediocre beers these days while forsaking older more established craft breweries and imports. If your complaint is that some beers are too complex, I kind of agree that too many beers fail when they try to do too much, though in particular I disagree with saying Backwoods Bastard is too complex. I wholeheartedly agree with your position to the extent that I drink far more "simple" beers than "complex" beers. I might drink one Backwoods Bastard for every twenty Pilsner Urquells, Sierra Nevadas, Bells Two Hearted, Weihenstephaner anything, etc. etc.
Disappointing. I thought this thread was going to be about Dwayne Wayne and the merits of flip-up sunglasses.
