Insert foot into mouth...

There was no way you could have known those things. I would have been embarrassed too, but if the brewer wasn't a jerk he would understand that you were just being nice and trying to give feedback!

 

I would not even think twice about it. be yourself. The brewer should be thrilled that you wanted to talk to him because you liked his beer that much . You can't do it wrong.

 

Before offering your opinion, it may be wise to ask questions?

Most brewers are happy to talk about their stuff and appreciate feedback.

As a homebrewer, I have offered beer to friends that I thought wasn't great, but they loved it. At meetings we ask a lot of questions of home brewers about specific beers. If something is good, I want to know what they did. If something isn't very good, I also want to know what they did.

Brewers and drinkers are both in pursuit of great beer.

 

I personally follow the tact that @TriggerFingers mentioned above of: "ask questions".

I typically preface the conversation with the fact that I am a homebrewer and I am curious about the brewing process. I once had a 15-20 minute conversation with Shaun Hill of Hill Farmstead. It was a wide ranging conversation but a fair portion of it was technical details of brewing. I learned quite a bit about Shaun and brewing during that discussion.

Cheers!

 

There ain't enough server space for me to detail all of it, but I'll add two of my favorites:

- Imported Beer tasting event, twenty four years ago, Johnny's Bar in St. Paul.

I'm at a table with a friend, two Summit brewers, and Bob McKenzie -- who brewed here.
We were sampling "Skopsko." One of the Summit guys goofed on the name ("ShopKo beer? Eh... ") while Mr. McKenzie pronounced it: "Crap."

Five minutes after I spoke my opinion to the contrary ("I don't know that I'd call it crap... "), my friend -- and the guy who essentially kick started my beer journey-- took me aside to correct me: "Dude, you don't second guess a professional brewer!" I'm like: "Well , it's a style I like and it really isn't that bad, man."

- It's six years later, and I'm working beverage retail.

The president of the biggest, baddest beer importer in the area is in the shop talking up a new line of beer he's bringing into town. I'm new at the shop, but I follow him along with the beer buyer (who was thirty years in his position at that point.) When the importer points out a beer that he had just brought in, I open my big yap and say: "That beer sucks!"

Needless to say I've been a pain-in-the-ass to importers and brewers for a long while, but it's fifteen years late and the importer still remembers that moment, and he still talks to me.

I must be doing something right.

 

I agree with others that have said to ask questions, but at the same time, if a beer is a collaboration beer, they should be up front about it. If not, it isn't your fault that you assumed they brewed it and you happen to be wowed by it.

I did this at Iron Goat, one of my favorite local breweries, when they first put their Red Ale on in their early days. I complemented Heather, one of the owners who happened to be pouring beers that day, on how I liked that the beer had a bit of a hop bite to it, explaining that I don't much care for the style when it's a malt bomb.

She thanked me, but pointed out that while they considered themselves hopheads, the beer was an attempt to make a beer to have something for people who didn't like hoppy beers (they run the gamut these days, but up til then, their only non-agressively hoppy tasting beer was an oatmeal stout). I don't think she was actually offended, but I still felt a little bad about it, though on reflection that may have been exactly the kind of feedback they needed, as later batches were less hoppy.

 

Proof that awkward silence can kill (or at least seriously maim one's couth....).....I still feel like an asshat for this one...

I was introduced to Chris Ray, the owner of Center of the Universe Brewing not too long before they officially opened up. After about 10 seconds of nobody saying anything, the only jibberish I could manage to rattle out was "So, you liked that baseball thing, huh?" To which he replied flatly...."Ya." Chris played for the Orioles and Mariners. I'm a huge baseball nostalgia guy that loves good "stories" and meant to get him rolling on his experiences, but clearly I swung and missed. I could have shared Seattle stories since I spent a little time there, but no...I cover awkward silence with dumb assery. Still hoping to get back up there sometime (he's bound to have forgotten what I look like by now...) and share actual baseball stories and Seattle talk...

 

LOL I like this it was fun to read. But to be honest how can anyone fault a customer for commenting on a beer. We have no clue about the backside of it. All we can do is give a feed on what we taste and how we like it. So really if the owner/brewer gets bent over a comment then they need an attitude adjustment or new line of work. I think for a customer to give feedback is more than kind. Last time I checked we are in to drink, not to provide feedback for them to use in future process, so in effect they should appreciate your time and consideration.
I honestly think most guys are so cool they really don't care, most of the guys in town appreciate honest feedback regardless because they love to know what they make is enjoyed.
Cheers and cool topic, was fun to read.

 

Yeah don't even feel bad. If I was the brewer and someone heavily enjoyed an ale I brewed that I personally didn't feel was quite up to snuff, I would still crap my pants with pride!

In my opinion, if a head brewer or brewer in general feels offended or even gets pissed off at that kind of feedback is someone I would not want to associate myself with.

 

If a brewer is too thin-skinned to take criticism that's not meant as intentional ass-hattery (or misinformed but well-intentioned praise), they need to go back to homebrewing in their garage and find another line of work. Once you put a commercial product into the marketplace, you've signed yourself up to be judged just like every other product out there.

 

"Well, I don't see any of that superhyped special release on your shelves, and you say you don't have any in back, and you deny having a waiting list I can sign or a lottery I can participate in, and of course you won't admit to saving the bottles for your 'best customers' ('best ass-kissers,' more likely), so for all I know you're just going to hoard this shop's entire allotment of the super special rarity and then drink it yourself or [gasp] sell it on eBay. Listen, I spend a lot of money on beer every single week, so tell me, why shouldn't I just start going to your competitors instead?"

"Sir, this is a hardware store."

 

me to NEBCO about 1 year ago: you guys definitely need to start canning either Locust Reign, Supernaut, or Coriolis....
NEBCO: that will most likely never happen, it doesnt make sense logistically for us and our set-up.
NEBCO about 1 year later: WE WILL BE SELLING CORIOLIS CANS EVERY 4-5 WEEKS THIS SUMMER AT THE BREWERY.

..... definitely not complaining though, just funny.

 

you win.

 

I have been there many a time LOL.

 

I have found that brewers want your honest opinion about what they brew.

 

Here's two...

Trying to compliment a house beer at La St Bock in Montreal in French having momentarily forgotten that I don't speak French. I knew what I THOUGHT I was saying but I also knew that I had just come back from les toilettes des femmes looking for a urinal. At any rate, the bartender, who spoke perfectly fine English, ignored me for the rest of the evening.

Asking Shaun Hill to help me carry my shit out to the car because he looked like a hobo who wasn't doing anything.