Beer: The drink that launches great conversations

Andy Crouch offers a excellent warts-included report from SAVOR: An American Craft Beer and Food Experience, expressing concern about “the growing snobbery of beer” and using the occasion to post his “Does Beer Really Want To Become Like Wine?” column from Beer Advocate magazine.

I’m already on record with New Beer Rule #7 — “beer is not the new wine” or “beer is still beer,” take your choice — so obviously I agree we must remain cautious, and I won’t rehash why.

But call me a cockeyed optimist. I’m of the opinion that beer can show up some places that are expensive, that some beers can cost more, and beer can still be an every man’s drink.

Just look at the diversity of posts on the beer blogosphere.

You’ll even see that “Papa Stonch” (David Bell, father of Jeff Bell, known for Stonch’s Beer Blog is blogging. “His perspective – as a 60-something as opposed to a 20-something – is very different to mine, as is his stomping ground: he’ll be writing about the North East of England, where he lives,” son Jeff writes.

Finally, reading Andy’s SAVOR recap had me searching through the archives at Shut up about Barclay Perkins to find this paragraph:

“Honest beer is what I want. Beer that can look me straight in the eye and not flinch. Beer with heart. Beer that’s like an old friend. Beer you can sit and drink by the pint in a pub with your mates.”

Beer can go a lot of places and still remain honest.

4 thoughts on “Beer: The drink that launches great conversations”

  1. I think there a difference between beer showing up in places which are expensive (something I entirely support) and beer itself becoming expensive for expensiveness’s sake (something to which I say “boo!”).

    For example, I’ve seen Sierra Nevada PA at $7.99 a bottle, less than a six pack located less than an hour’s drive away in that other country to the south. That was arguably unreasonably poor value in any venue – even though at its proper price I think it a very honest and worthy beer and even though it may have honestly reflected costs.

    And I am not a cheap-skate as I will pay a proper price in a restaurant that reflects the entire costs of the operation. Supporting craft beer includes supporting those that serve it (as well as appropriate taxation.) But the market must have its way. If a price is inflated – and some are – others will fill in the gap with comparable products for lower costs. That competative tension makes for a dynamic craft beer reality but can appear to be at odds with those who, apparently without the track record, boosting prices or investing in processes to tap into the high endo of the market. We consumers have to vigilent in seeking value so as to encourage the best of our brewers.

  2. “For example, I’ve seen Sierra Nevada PA at $7.99 a bottle…”

    Holy COW! Guess I can’t complain when I see it at $8.50 a six pack some places.

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