Are Beer Nerds Ruining Craft Beer?

The ones that are buying cases and cases and cases of a limited beer are ruining craft beer.

 

"The author obviously has an inferior palate and is jealous of we, the truly elite beer masters. I pity him and his taste buds as I sip on my Westvleteren XII which is the greatest beer in the world...what's that? Heady who? Well how easy is it to get? Damnit, I'm not driving to Vermont and I sure as hell won't trade away all my '09 Abyss! What do you mean it's infected?!" Said the beer snob who's out of the loop.

 

I am always trying to get new people into craft, but I think "nerds" serve an important purpose-- they propel the market to the next level and create hype that encourages more brewers to put out better beers. If someone makes a beer that's going to sell out in an hour, that will ultimately make other brewers step up their game and make better beers. It's annoying to have all the really good stuff gone the day it arrives if you live in a hyped up area (raleigh) but at the same time all of the good stuff you find is fresh. And usually there's some pretty exclusive stuff as well.

 

Couldn't agree more.

 

Disclaimer: I'm a little buzzed right now, however, I consider myself a Beer Geek (Nerd, whatever). I like what I like, and you like what you like. I won't give you shit because you drink something I don't like. I do like educating people on beer (not in a dickish way though).

 

I've dragged most of my family as well as several friends into the craft
Beer and brewing world.

Not ruining it. Helping it. I haven't been in the craft beer world very long but I am delighted to help people ease their way into it. Especially seeing my friend move from bud light to learning what their palate likes. It's an inspiring journey. No one is ruining anything. It's all how you perceive it. If someone is being a jackass and undermining people that are fresh into the craft beer world then they have a personal problem that should be ignored.

Find what you like. Drink it. Enjoy it. Love it. And keep drinking. Every author eventually needs to dig up bull shit like this because they don't have anything to write about. I would just ignore it all and keep doing what you like personally.

 

People who read a thread title and decide to click on it

 

As a long-time coffee nerd I can say the same things were said about coffee lovers...trust me, every magazine needs material to stimulate readership. Lighten up and enjoy your

There are "pot nerds"?.....yeah, maybe in CO, WA, CA

 

Beer nerd? He spits it out in a derogatorily way IMO. What the hell is a beer nerd anyway, he uses it like it's a guy with glasses, suspenders, and is a dork. I see all type of people walking in and out of stores and nerd would never be a word I'd use. Most conversation is very general, I don't see guys over analogizing anything, conversations rarely hit the level of a discussion on quantum physics, or the cosmos and where life began.

 

Red Sox fans have often ruined my commute, if that counts for anything. It doesn't? Rats.

Though I certainly support the notion that it's nice to be nice, the article seems pitched to a particularly youthful demographic that's particularly susceptible to feeling the pull of peer pressure and the fear of being condescended to. Someone should let the author know that It Gets Better.

As to the author's regret over online review sites such as this one, sure, where there's internets there's trolls, but the mass of opinion on a particular beer or brewery is no more or less than word of mouth. He doesn't seem to make any effort to differentiate one from the other, and instead just presents it all as hating.

 

Attention please. I would like to take this opportunity to thank each and every one of you bow tie wearing, suspenders clad, bespectacled, and girly fingered beer nerds. I KNOW you're out there.

 

Since when do any of us have clever user names? I didn't reach for a thesaurus in choosing my handle; did anyone else?

Wait, is my use of a semicolon helping to ruin craft beer?

 

The answer is no. Next question.

 

You are still newer, you will figure it out soon :-)

 

Finally read the article. I didn't realize a finger was pointed at Beer Advocate. BA is like Yelp?

From the article:
...Manzo feels that these “snobs” exist, “mostly on the internet, primarily on Beer Advocate. It’s kind of like Yelp and these people can really affect someone’s business anonymously.”

Welcome to the World Wide Web. It's also an amazing way for craft breweries to promote.

(I'm also not sure how to use quotes when I'm quoting an article that has quotes within quotes. Need a Quote Nerds direction.)

 

Right on, the nerds can talk the talk...hipsters are just posers w/a new name, riding the band wagon of what they HEARD was IN, cool, hip, or what have ya. Drink what ya like, do what thou wilt & stand by it...damn the torpedos, down w/the ship...don't give up a sip. Besides it's more fine to enlighten people w/beer then to damn them for their own tastes & opinions, I'll take the unique to another sheep any day.

 

Unfortunately, as beer snobs are blanketed under the term beer nerds, there are some that believe taste is not subjective and that there is a right or wrong. Manzo feels that these “snobs” exist, “mostly on the internet, primarily on Beer Advocate. It’s kind of like Yelp and these people can really affect someone’s business anonymously.” Here, hidden behind clever usernames, many beer nerds criticize certain beers because they don’t appreciate them. These reviews may deter people from trying them in the first place, as well as bars from carrying the product.

This is where the author lost me. I've been researching from BA a number of years before I joined. I believe BA has always been, and still is fair and balanced. That is why I chose to join this great entity of BA. Those members on this site who may be trying to sway scores (in saying this, I have yet to see an example), would be washed out with honest interpretation of the entire. Every category of beer has its love affair on this site and it's where I learn about and find enjoyment to try other styles.

A wordy article that took slight towards BA and careless disdain towards its membership because BA is largely cited and does have real power in swaying public opinion, honestly.

 

Everyone just be friendly and welcoming to others. No snide comments, no eye rolling. Non BAs or less experienced will say and do plenty of stupid things but we need to continue to educate and welcome everyone.

If you are a craft beer pub or bottle show owner, employee, patron, make sure you don't drift into an exclusionary, "club/clique" beer enthusiast only environment. Always try to make your establishment warm and welcoming to all people whome enter the door regardless of social backround, race, appearance etc. If we do that, then craft beer will continue to boom. If we make it a closed group of nerds/snobs, then a bubble will burst.

 

The people the author discusses are certainly out there in bars, breweries, etc. But you find people who will roll their eyes at you or scoff at your choices (beer, food, what car you drive) in just about every aspect of life. It is a personality type and is not limited to one community or another.

There are far more inviting and encouraging people in the beer community than ones that will make you feel like an idiot. This extends into the online community as a whole as well, where people on any forum (not just BA) feel more comfortable being critical in a relatively anonymous atmosphere. However, as I stated this group in in the minority in my experience.

Other replies in this thread have talked about getting their friends and family into the beer community, which I am sure we all do. I started doing this and now whenever I meet up with my folks, my in-laws, or whoever is around; we find and go to a brewery to hang out. This is a great way to introduce people to new beers in a relaxed, friendly environment.

In short, everyone has different tastes and preferences, but I've found that drinking beer is in reality more about the people you meet and talk to and who you are sharing your newest favorite brew with. Beer is great but it is the people who make it special.