Losing interest in craft beer?

Isn't it great to live in a time in which we can be exposed to so many different beers that we can be pretty sure about the ones we find we like, or pretty certain to have a chance to try ones we might like even more?

And re: OP, no, I don't know anyone who has lost interest in craft beer for other than health reasons. I was told, and have since told others, there is no going back.

 

To be fair, I didn't care at all about Bud making fun of craft beer or those damn sissy craft drinkers, but I was a bit pissed that they specifically made fun of a beer put out by the company they had just absorbed.

But I agree - I'll gladly grab a good local IPA or whatever, but I'll step back from any conversation involving dick-waving about "whales", and go through phases where I lose interest in any bomber over $7 or so.

 

I work as a brewer. The only thing I really lose interest in is the spectacle based consumer culture which tends to take precedence.
Especially around sites such as this one. Greed based consumption, and the opinions that greed based spectacle consumers bandy about. It's tiring. It's mostly the same kind of quasi bigoted narrow minded fact free sort of yelling that clogs up our news outlets. These types with their yawp really don't serve to benefit the bigger picture that good beer is trying to put forth out into the world. These sorts are selfish. Ridiculous. And miss the point completely. They can also be quite damaging to breweries and their bigger scope because that narrow range of knowledge they possess is wielded like a battle axe in a room where delicate reconstructive surgery is being performed.
I still spend what seems like a long time looking for a single six pack, and trying the new with kid in a candy store glee. I still get off on reading about 'craft' beer. Its history. Its new discoveries. Its new recoveries. How its raising consciousness, and ideals that societally it seemed we lost track of, and got distracted away from over the course of the 19th and 20th century brand by way of advertising, and marketing towards our freudian delusions at the behest of #1 at all costs capitalism. I'm also always intrigued at hearing how breweries that are successful have an unerring tendency to raise up the entire community they are in. That kind of evangelism towards the bigger picture is thrilling and gives me hope.

 

No, but sometimes I wonder if I should. I don't always feel like running out across town on my lunch break to grab a $20 bomber of a beer.

Actually . . . I do usually feel like it.

 

I haven't lost interest, but I am trying to be more frugal. Which sucks. Luckily there are a lot of good craft variety packs and i can ration them for two weeks.

 

I've burnt out on styles, but it'll be a long time before I burn out on beer in general with all the options there are. If anything will make me quit beer it's the nonsense I have to go through to get some beers.

 

I've never drunk anything else over the last 50 odd years though it wasn't called "craft" beer then.So of course I haven't lost interest in it.
But I'm seeing brewers doing all sorts of things to be different and practically all of them simply spoil perfectly good beer.If it's done well it doesn't need all the additions finding their way into beer.Thankfully there are brewers striving for excellence rather than novelty.

 

Not losing interest in craft beer, but becoming more interested in spirits, especially bourbon.

 

Getting sick of craft beer? No
Getting sick of chasing new hot beers? Yes, very. Especially in Chicago where it has sprialed out of control into a major Shit Show.

 

Not at all losing interest in craft beer, but certainly been through the "OMG must chase this" phase and settled into the get what I can get without spending too much money or time on it.

I've talked to people who've entered lotteries from breweries far away, had people pick them up, repackage and ship them, then they go pick them. After $150+ spent on three bottles, we all agree it wasn't really worth the time and effort.

 

This. Been in the brewing industry for a while now and its been sad to see mainstream consumer culture/greed worm its way into craft beer. Quality will suffer, but we get more choices.

 

I agree with you on this point. I'll admit I'm guilty of chasing the hyped beers, but I do certainly enjoy most of the ones I obtain. It is somewhat addictive. I can't see losing interest in craft beer unless and medical condition decides to ruin the fun. Craft beer is my vice, so I try to get plenty of exercise and eat healthy.

 

It's very easy to get burned out on beer, so the occasional break always helps. I also recently decided to pare down to just a handful of breweries I've grown to love over the years plus any local stuff. Makes it much easier to make a selection when I hit the shop. There are way too many breweries out there brewing similar stuff.

 

Here in Canada there is a hop craze going on with microbrewers. You look at the store shelves and it's triple hop this and hop bomb that...IPAs out the ying-yang. Maybe because super hoppy beers are not my thing but I really get tired of emphasis by craft breweries on hop bitterness. Maybe it's a reaction to all the easy drinking macro brewery crap that gets pushed on us, I dunno. So my interest in craft beers has narrowed but my love of many imports from Europe continues strong. Mind you there are so many North American craft beers out there of every conceivable style. I keep exploring.

 

As long as I have a constant supply of new beers, I can't see myself losing any interest in craft beer. Even then, I would never go back to drinking BMC by choice.

 

Its funny what taking a month or two off will do for your palate. Sometimes I just completely avoid a certain style and sometimes I completely avoid beer... sip on some whiskey instead. But I always come back!

 

I definitely haven't lost interest, but for a couple years now I've been finding I get just as much satisfaction from (insert random shelf beer) as I do any uber limited flavor of the week hype brew.

 

I likewise have not lost interest. Still spend boatloads of time on here. I have found myself making less beer store runs for new beers though. Now I keep a healthy supply of favorites around the house--Abita, DuClaw, etc.

 

At some point you realize there is no reason to endlessly tick beers and its ok to just drink socially (i.e. to excess) on the weekend. You can be into craft beer without boozing every single day. Just replace with another habit like video games or pornography.

 

Nice thread. I ask myself this question constantly. The year was 2008 when things really started to pick up for my city. I went "all in" with wanting to taste and try everything. Where ever I traveled, I wanted to try other places beers. Life was looking GREAT. Some 6 years later, I feel content that I don't need to visit every brewery (my city has a new place opening every month it seems). I don't need to try every beer. I can travel and not go crazy with beer finds.

I've tasted a nice spectrum of beers over the years and feel content that I know what the 'best beers' ever taste like and how they compare with local variety (hint the chase and $$$ is rarely worth it. Get back to enjoying beer for what it is). My consumption hasn't changed. Craft is going no where with me. Distribution from out of state breweries has increased variety immensely. I guess you could call me more selective these days, or content on the true "classic" beers that I've discovered over the years.

I can name about 5 breweries in my city that I have yet to visit. If this were 2010, I'd have been there 5 times by now. I'm okay letting releases pass me. Beer is just beer again. I think I've come full circle on that.

I'm seeing far too many second rate breweries opening 2nd and third tap rooms in my state though. The Beer Boom is real. I guess as long as my mainstays remain available with ease, I'll let the new kids have their fun.