Craft Beer Misnomers

Soooo..what's the difference between saying I'm a connoisseur and saying I'm a pain in the ass exactly...? haha

Yes, there are ways to avoid such conversations as there are with any conversation or scenario, but sometimes it's inevitable when you are a guest somewhere and they insist you don't get up and are going to go get you a beer and are caught off guard. I'm not going to randomly get up and go through someone's fridge to see what they have, they may want an explanation for that as well. haha

 

Here's a solution:

When confronted by BMC drinkers who make accusations of snobbery and sissy beer, simply stand up - on a cooler or bar stool if there's one available, wave your pointed finger across the congregated fools and shout 'You're all a bunch of unwashed, savage plebes! You taint your gullet with the swill of your fathers for want of nothing more than a self-satisfied sense of continuum! You fear change! That's why you're all stuck in this town of broken dreams! That's why you're all married to the high-school sweetheart you stopped loving the third time you cheated on her in college where you majored in sports management! That's why you never got a job in sports management, and came back to this hole of a city to seek employment at your father's grocery store! I'm too good for you people! I'm leaving!'

 

Simply put, a connoisseur is one who knows a hell of a lot about a specific type of thing - it's like saying, 'well, what do they have? I'm an expert and am too good for the swill everyone else is drinking'.

 

I typically run into people just calling it fancy beer which is fine with me. I don't care what they call it as long as I can drink it instead of a BMC

 

My grandfather refers to them as my "designer beers" and I crack up every time he says it. He's 84 and beer was never his drink of choice, so I'm never an ass about explaining the difference. I usually just say I love the many flavors out there and then he'll wrinkle his nose. He's the kind of guy who's quite content with buying one 6-pack of Bud Light to last the summer, usually to have as an post-grass-cutting refreshment.

 

Lol, so you are getting your jimmies rustled over one definition of the word 'connoisseur?' I know what it means and I think most people know when an average Joe proclaims himself as a connoisseur of anything, they aren't making a claim that they are an expert and or judge of anything and everything, as much as just saying they prefer more of a variety of 'quality' items. Would you prefer I use a different phrase at the next art bar I'm at?

 

Or you could, you know, be a little nicer and just play along, since the person is offering to buy you a beer and trying to make conversation about it.

 

Yesterday at the shop I work at someone called it "hipster beer"

 

My jimmies remain unrustled. I'm just saying that instead of digging into ANY type of explanation, you could simply inquire as to what's available. They'll get the picture when you say that you'll just have water. But honestly man, calling yourself a connoisseur is pretty likely to come off as snobbish.

 

Considering yourself a connoisseur publicly and verbally is faux pas. It's like telling a waitress at Chili's that you're rich.

 

Yeah, fair enough - but usually people aren't all that interested in hearing all about it. If they genuinely are interested, I dig in and have the talk.

 

haha, when they came to the counter with their bud did you refer to it as 'frat boy beer' or 'douchebag beer'?

 

Agreed, and I was actually more thinking of the guy you quoted saying well, I'm a connoisseur... (I can't believe people actually say that, out loud, to someone else, especially someone buying them a beer). I just say something like "Blue Moon isn't my favorite, I'm kind of in the mood for an IPA, is there one on tap? Let me see what they have." If they follow up, great, if not, I figure out what to order and go from there. They don't need a dissertation on why you like IPAs, just tell them that's what you want.

 

Jesus, a simple example and you guys are hung up on one word. I don't have a monocle and my pinky up, with snifter in hand asking them what they have. I don't always use the word connoisseur nor go out of my way to fit it in to conversation, but most people outside those that over analyze things, would get what I mean when I say that. Luckily I don't find myself around people who are judgmental and misinterpret things so easily in social settings. And yes, sometimes it is easy to just turn something down politely, this specific example was in regards to when I felt I needed to give an explanation to someone when the conversation at hand is "What do you want to drink...?"

 

And ignoring the actual examples , the concept of a dark pale ale is pretty funny.

 

Jesus Creeping Shit, man! All I ever said was that I would cut that part out, it was a simple suggestion and a very minor part of the conversation - I had no idea it would become the focal point - I at no point in this conversation until right now got worked up in the slightest over it, but I can't believe how incredibly defensive you got so quickly! Take the God damn criticism and move on!

 

Saying with a smile or joking "I'm a bit of a connoisseur..." and giving someone a death stare and a frown and turning something down and saying "No,I'm an connoisseur" are a bit different. If you can't say the phrase without someone thinking your an ass, maybe it's your delivery. haha

 

Lol, I'm just trying to figure out why that word bothers you guys so much. I'm at work with nothing better to do, so let's talk this out.

 

I like "designer beers". May have to start using that.

 

My favorite comment is that I drink girly beer. I don't correct them, I just find something to bust their balls about.