I'll take "Things that annoy" for $200

I visit a lot of taprooms, and, at least in Minnesota, racial minorities without a doubt are underrepresented among taproom clientele relative to their proportion of the population. If you told me there were 50 people at a taproom in Minneapolis (a city with about 20% African-American population), asked me if any of them are black, and told me you'd give me a large sum of money if I got the answer right, I'd have to go with "no." There are many explanations for that phenomenon that don't involve overt discrimination or even general non-inclusiveness, but "#BreweriesSoWhite" definitely is a thing, at least around here. That said, I'm sure most breweries would be happy to have more minority customers, and bars are a different story from breweries in this regard.

Also, I definitely don't get the impression that breweries' clientele lean "rich." Disproportionately upper-middle-income and aspirationally upper-middle-income (young people who don't make much money yet but are on a solid career path), quite possibly. But wine or Scotch or Cognac craft beer is not.

 

You're correct. But on the other side of the coin are those breweries that stick to their guns with their standard offerings, with occasional additions, tweaks and surprises. Two breweries near here have done just that and both specialize in German style beers: Red Oak Brewery- a genuine craft beer veteran- and Olde Mecklenburg. Both continually produce tasty and reliable beers that draw great support from their communities. Natty Greene's is different, but is a long-standing veteran that the public trusts at the cash register.

 

Undated cans that sit on a bottle shop's shelves for a year before I buy them. Have done this a few times and the result is that I buy a 6-pack of spoiled IPAs. I used to believe the beers themselves sucked (in particular, I had this experience for MBC Lunch, and CBC Flower Child), but I realized the bottle shops should have retired these particular bottles. Almost ruined my experience with Maine Beer.

 

You crushed this debate, 100% agree with you. I've said it before and I'll say it again, new styles on the market keep the game interesting. And the idea that innovators are "looking down on regular IPAs" like they are insulting some sort of old guard just makes me want to cry laughing.

 

... Also, get off my dang lawn!!!

 

People who make it their vocation to complain about current beer culture, and whether it's the trends they don't personally care for or their expectations which can't always be met.

The sooner everyone realizes we've never had it this good—that this is the Golden Age for all of us regardless of our tastes—the better off we'll all be.

Or we could just keep nitpicking in the shallows and waste the moment.

 

Found a @cavedave alt account!

(I am joking, and I agree with your post)

 

Here's a universal: accidentally breaking a glass! Whether it's a rare labeled one from an extinct brand, or just your ordinary kitchen Shaker, it really does suck.

 

That's what ya get for drinking anything other than water, milk or juice from a Shaker!

Shakers are meant to shake martinis for James Bond, not for us sophisticated beer drinkers and hell raisers!

 

Amen, hence why I supposed it to be on the "very disposable" side of the spectrum versus the precious glass of unobtainium!

 

Purchasing beer that you are familiar with from a bottle shop and finding that it is way old after the first sip. Super annoying.

 

The increasing difficulty in finding non barrel-aged barley wines.

 

Fully agree, if I even as much see that something is labeled "cannoli stout" or "peanut butter and jelly porter" and the like I completely avoid it. I've been coaxed by family, friends to try these beers when they've had them and it usually leaves me unimpressed. Just give me a classic Pale ale, pilsner, IPA, Oktoberfest, etc..

 

100% agree.

For the brewers, it can't be that hard, inefficient, or cost prohibitive. Just do it.

 

I'll add custom bottle openers to that. How many could a person possibly need?

 

The thing that annoys me the most about craft beer consumers is the backwards hat guy

 

This is what annoys me. The only people who complain about the secondary market are people who can't trade for or afford what they want. It's an unpopular opinion, but selling beer is no different than selling literally anything else. I don't know why people need to tell someone what they should or shouldn't do with their property.

 

Your post could be a line from some beat poet like Allen Ginsburg, William Burroughs, Gary Snyder, Jack Kerouac among others. Thanks for reminder...

 

Hmm need? A need is for only one, but some like to collect stuff. I’ve got a few , but I’m not fanatical about acquiring them. Beer glass or glass in general, I’m hooked.

 

Oh c'mon! There's a segment of the beer-drinking market that is under 35 years old. If they're over 35, okay, you can be annoyed.