"Ale, Lager, or an IPA?"

I meant "Americans" as in the BJCP and the BA, the "governing bodies" if you will.

I was actually being somewhat sarcastic in that point, but fair enough.

The problem is the person speaking in that context probably doesn't, I'd venture a guess they are referring to rail or lower-level call brand whiskeys, the kind of bottles a bartender would reach for if a "whiskey and soda" were ordered.

 

Over a year ago, I was in Central PA and went into a self-proclaimed beer bar. The tap list was decent but certainly nothing to write home about. The funniest thing about the beer menu was its division into three categories: lagers, ales and IPAs.

At that point, I realized that the concept of IPA has gone beyond identifying a particular style and become a generic term for "hoppy bitter flavor."

 

Probably had no idea what he was talking about, but just wanted to know if it was going to be bitter.

Best to just say IPA there and not get too technical.

 

My dad always called craft beer, "that heavy foreign shit that your drink"

 

If I'm approached at a BBQ and someone asks if I'd like to try their home brew of course I'd ask what it is...an IPA and a Brown Ale while in the same "ALE" family are Worlds apart in flavor and a hoppy brew is something that I have to be craving to enjoy (I do love them) where as other styles would be easier for me to enjoy at a social event on the spot. I think somebody asking that question is far better then people asking why you drink/brew craft beer at all, at least they knew that different styles are out there....Lagers and Ales....and all the delicious offerings under each one.

 

I'll take one of each, please.

 

Just two categories : delicious and the other kind.

 

us perfect men born with intimate knowledge of beer need to brag about how we know more stuff than the average man in the field of beer

 

Excellent point. I work for a distributor and I get a lot people that walk up to me and start conversations about beer. Over the years I've learned that some people just don't know what they are talking about when it comes to beer. So, I smile, nod my head, agree, and move along.

 

Just asking what the person is offering is the point, no need to go down the list of possible brew items....the start of the thread dogged on a guy for asking if it was an Ale, Lager or an IPA...saying An IPA is a Ale...or maybe we can ask why the Butthead brewing the beer didn't come up and say.."want to try this IPA" or " I made this great Brown Ale"

 

It's too bad your homebrew wasn't an IPL, the guy's mind would have been blown.

 

I've heard similar conversations before. People who are new to craft beer often tell me "I like IPA." They don't tell you which one but they assume it is another form of beer rather than an enhanced ale. I usually let it pass because I'm pleased they are expanding their horizons.

 

I don't think it's common. That guy was probably just an idiot. Does he even know what IPA stands for? India Pale Ale! Ale is in there so duh it's an ale!

 

I've worked in bars for a long time, and the one that always got to me was when someone would get to talking about this-or-that beer with another person, and they would get all serious-pretentious and say, "It's not a beer; it's an ale." That's happened more times than you'd expect in my experience.

 

I've seen it with many friends in germany that "Ale" here has become a description of everything that doesn't fit in the Pils/Helles/Dunkles/Weizen etc categories...

 

I started a redneck beer discussion at a local gas station the other day. The cashier rang up some Sparks energy/alcoholic drink and asked the customer, "this has alcohol in it?" And the customer replied "yeah it's like a blackberry beer." I waited for the customer to leave and told the cashier that it was not in fact beer. This started up the woman behind me who said "yeah that's a p#$$¥ drink! It's not like the beer beer that I drink! You know like coors light!" This comment made me cringe and remember my days of ignorance. Just the thought that a seeming majority of Americans feel that the height of beer culture is an AAL saddened me.

 

Sure it is - legally, in the US it's a "Malt Beverage" - the legal term in the US for "Beer", and it is registered as a "MALT BEVERAGES SPECIALITIES - FLAVORED" with the TTB. That is the same class/designation of the many popular "craft beers" which are flavored with pumpkin or root beer spices, herbs, chocolate, vanilla, coffee and all sorts of other non-traditional flavoring additions. Many of this site's Top 250 Beers are "Malt Beverage Specialties - Flavored".

--- TTB - What You Should Know About Malt Beverage Labels​

 

Is it flavored with hops?