The best beer... statistically

Could you explain what you're seeking a bit better? I'm not grasping what you're getting at. A bunch of chemistry tests done on beers, in a lab?

 

Well, a lot of beer fests, whether or not they have a judging component, have a "Peoples Choice", where fest attendees vote for their favorite. Often, the Peoples Choice is a different beer than the judges choose as best. The judges are being critical, and fest-goers just tend to vote for things they like (even if very flawed, in a technical sense), or for their friends brewery/favorite brewery.

 

How can you try and mathematically quantify what’s not possible? Beer is like foods, individual palates, likes and dislikes, regional preferences, cultural preferences perhaps. You can perhaps come to a consensus that filters out highs and lows and spits out a median score, or opinion. But some love it, some hate it, and then you have lots of room in between. Works for most things, beer, food, wine, bourbon, hell even vacation places have stars attached.

 

In 1893 in Chicago PBR was chosen as the best beer in the world, leading to revolts and chaos in Germany.

 

Is the most consumed beer the best beer? If that was true then it is a beer made in St Louis and around this country Bud Bro. It is clear that the people have spoken with their dollars and that is what matters in business. I mean as a kid Bud was the good stuff and the old Milwaukee and PBR were total shit. Still think PBR is shit but that's taste!!! Fickle. The people have spoken with their wallets just like the voting machine. Maybe one day and it may be soon craft and micro might take more control but the big boys are still around as they diversify(buying up all the little guys). Bud Is King til then

 

I doubt that it's possible. In light of that, the BeerAdvocate ratings are as good as any you're likely to find.

 

GABF probably does it as best as can be done, but they rely on entries -- meaning they don't go out and collect the beers to try. And they certainly don't taste every beer in the world.

 

Could you imagine the chaos of festival attendees voting for a best in show? Its gonna be a BIG beer for certain with a homer emphasis on weldwerks, liquid mechanics, etc based on line size.

 

Maybe Untappd is what OP is looking for? People tend to rate just on how well they like it, not necessarily on how 'Good' the beer is, in a technical, critical sense.

 

Yup. Or, the newest cool, hip brewery that hypes on social media the most.

 

Most don’t submit. Why? If you have people standing in line.

 

As always I have my own unscientific enjoyometer. How much pleasure and enjoyment does any beer give me ? The only thing that counts... to me, I don’t really care about scores, and might vary as well by the beer, by the day, by my mood.

 

Well I think that’s what he getting at, the blind. Which, I agree, would be vitally important if you really want to determine an unbiased “best”.

I am not aware of any such event which is essentially a blind tasting for the masses. But it is certainly doable, and I actually think that’s a VERY interesting and fun idea. Hell it may be one of the few beer fests I would actually be interested in attending.

 

scores are an indicator of what others think of a beer. Our own feelings could agree or not. It' is part of the fun of exploring beers one has not had previously ! Enjoy !

 

I'm with @zac16125 , it could be super fun to have a blind beer fest with a best in show or a couple attendee voted awards. Get the key afterward. Probably hard to convince breweries to join in though

 

To be truly blind, you wouldn't be able to announce the breweries/beers ahead of time; wouldn't be able to have any type of brewery signage; would have to have fest staff pour the beers, without knowing brewery, beer, or even style; have to keep both the number of beers and attendees relatively low, so everyone could try every beer.

Good luck trying to talk enough brotatochips into dropping 50 bucks on that ticket. Good luck getting breweries to sign on, without the chance to promote their beers. Good luck finding someone willing to lay out the upfront cash for expenses, while still making a few bucks at the end.

It's an interesting idea for us nerds, but to the casual, everyday beer drinker, I can't see this being of any interest.

 

Ya I know. Maybe if you had a regularly promoted fest with a blind vote at the beginning.

First hour, everyone can try samples of beers A-G and vote on their favorite. Then regular festy life. Then the winner of the blind test (a beer that's at the fest also) gets announced later in the day.