"It's just beer"

Yeah, sometimes people don't understand that others can have different passions or different priorities than their own. Instead of accepting differences in others, they criticize.

 

I thought beer was just beer... until I had really good beer. Whoops.

 

I hear your point, but it just manifests itself in different ways in the beer world. Since sports are predicated on an outcome, there are emotional responses for fans of the teams or individuals involved. Where someone's mood could sour for a few days due to a loss, the beer world equivalent could be that someone's life is pre-occupied for a few days leading up to an exciting tasting event or release date. Not to mention those whose lives are really upended by this hobby leading to or enabling an unhealthy lifestyle (alcoholism).

I think that downplaying the role the beer hobby has in many of our lives is a bit naïve. It is our choice and our hobby and we take it seriously. It brings many benefits, but to those outside of the hobby everything about it can seem out of proportion. Really no different than the countless other hobbyist pursuits that could occupy our time, $, and energy.

 

It's all relative, eh?

 

I laugh at other people's antics such as paying huge sums for beer which only costs a few cents to brew but then I largely only drink cask beer. This involves getting out to the pub and paying about twice as much as the same beer bottled or canned.That I enjoy it much, much more is my effort of justification.

 

as a beer fan and football fan everything has to be put into perspective for the bigger picture. Things do mean a lot and are important.

Getting into fight over a bad call, or throwing punches because someones tells you your beer sucks isn't the way to go about it.

Those things aren't worth it in the grand scheme of things...

And I keep hearing everyone say hobby all the time... what hobby?!?

 

Oh, there are beer folk that are just as insane as sports folk. There are dudes (it's almost always males because there's something about us where we're just more likely to get way too into hobbies than women - not that women don't it's just we all know several guys who are apeshit about something where as I think you would have trouble coming up with the same number of girls who are the same way...I'm really rambling here) who you will never see out in anything other than a beer shirt and are at releases every weekend and take off work and trade 100 bottles a month. That's just as intense as having season tickets and a few fantasy teams or whatever. As far as having stock in a sports, well...I don't think that's really something I can explain, but you're going to have to take my word that the emotional connection that people form with their favorite teams or athletes is very very real. Sports are the last real drama in the world that doesn't involve death (normally) and they're often something you can and enjoy for a few hours a week when you don't have to worry about tax time or if you're happy at your job or with your SO or whatever. If the Cubs ever win another World Series (wouldn't bet on it), I will cry like a baby. When they ripped my heart out in 2003, I wasn't upset for multiple days, but it was not something I wanted to think about either.

As far as people who are upset for several days about a loss, yeah those are not rational people. I'm sure there are beer geeks who get upset for days after being low-balled in a trade offer of because someone brought a KBS to a whale tasting or some other such nonsense. People like that in both the sport and beer worlds are the exception and not the rule.

 

My basement got flooded early yesterday morning (city storm/sewage drain backed up), and all my cellared beer down there got ruined. Since then, I've been telling myself "it was only beer". "It's only beer", I said to myself every time I tossed a soggy case in the dumpster at work. Obviously a bit of a different scenario than what you're referring to, but maybe sometimes people have to say that in order to justify to themselves the fact that they can't get that beer. Or, in my case, to make themselves feel a little better about missing out on good beer. I would have loved to have had the chance to go to Dark Lord Day, but due to work/kids/finances/etc. I couldn't drive up this time. So, until I get to, "it's just beer".

 

In some sense I agree, except for the last part if I understand you correctly. It's no small number of people who are much happier waiting in hour or more lines for a limited release rather than paying a few bucks more and have it more readily available. Whether they don't understand the notion of opportunity costs, or don't make much per hour (or both), we may never know. Or, perhaps they have eccentric enjoyments and actually like standing in the cold on Black Friday before the sunrise to get that Goose Island beer. Anyway, one's income can still be quite modest and clearly prefer paying a little more rather than dealing with these lines. Same applies for driving all over town for limited releases with bottle limits.

 

When I read "it's just beer" I interpret it as, "There's a lot of different elements to beer, from brewing it to drinking it. I take certain elements very seriously, however the one you're talking about is not one I take that seriously. And because I feel kind of silly for taking certain aspects so seriously I'm going to make fun of you taking other elements seriously to distract myself from my own feelings of inferiority."

 

Interesting post. I comment here a lot but don't consider beer to be a hobby just a drink I enjoy.

 

White people problems...

 

I tend to tell myself "it's just beer" after having something I may never have again. Maybe its a defensive mechanism. But all beer does give you a buzz. And when sampling, I never seem to go back to that "best beer moment ever" and dwell on what I probably won't have again. That's the thing about beer this day in age, you can easily move onto the next "it's just beer" moment and make it what you want it to be.

I've had some beers that were a hassle to obtain. It's hard for me not to look at all those factors when I drink it. The reality for me is it's all "just beer" when its in your belly.. I won't go to drinking Bud Ice but I believe there is a standard one can set. I guess it's up to each of us to find that. I had some HT and pTe last year, and while very very good, world class even, once it was consumed, I asked myself "now what?". And now it's sorta easy to forget exactly what it tasted like.

Don't get me wrong. I trade and do enjoy the moment with "world class beer" But I am okay if something sells out, or I can't try something. My high alert switch has been deactivated. It makes for pretty mellow drinking sessions

 

I use the term "it's just beer" on a semi regular basis. For example I would like to share these extra 2 KBS as I got a 4 pack after all its just beer why do I need 4 of them. Or if someone asks why I would give away Pliny...why not "its just beer". Beer should be a social thing and I enjoy sharing after all it's just beer! I chase hard to find beers as much as the next guy but if I score 2 of something I almost always keep/drink one and trade or share the wealth on the second one no reason to horde.

 

Man I get all points but at the end of the day it is only beer, and just for the time being as it'll eventually be flushed. I get that some beer is better (subjectively) than others, some are harder to get and cost more, etc. but it is just beer. Nothing worth fighting over, going broke trying to obtain or losing a friend over.

Enjoy it while you can, it's only beer after all

 

Well Said Sir--Cheers

 

Hats of to you!!!!!!Cheers

 

I am going to throw a little different perspective on this thread. First off if were reading any of this were here because we all care about our beer. I don't begrudge anyone standing in line to get a certain beer. Have I done it , yes, last weekend in fact at the Maine dinner release. I've stood in quite a few other lines also. I'm at a point in life that my standing in line is my choice and really affects no one but me. If I had to chose between a beer release and another commitment there would be no choice. My life doesn't revolve around beer. Is beer a hobby? I guess you could say that but there are a lot of hobbies out there that are worse then beer. I think in the end all of us here really care about beer. We all just show it in different ways. To each his own.

 

I use the phrase all the time, and mainly to put things in perspective for myself. My wife doesn't drink so trying to convince her that I should spend a weekend, or day for that matter, searching a beer out needs to be done with caution so I tell myself "it's just beer." It is just beer and straining my relationship with my wife or not taking part in my kids activities over beer is just not part of my life plan because "it's just beer."

When I come on this site and people are ripping breweries for not handling limited releases correctly I think to myself "it's just beer." To me I don't think breweries try and create $hit$hows during releases, but it does happen and people shouldn't take it so personally.

I do realize everyone's family situation is different. If I was a single guy then yes I could put more of a priority on trying to purchase limited beer, but I'm not.

Like any hobby, there is a small minority that takes it too seriously, and that is their choice. To them it is so much more than beer.