Do You Even Beer?

JustinAnimal

I just posted this on Yelp to get people's opinions. I was curious for some of my MFP home-skillets to sound off.

Please, let me say right now, I know I'm being an opinionated jerk. I am fairly certain the first 72 reactions will be, "why do you care about what other people like," or, "none of your darn business," or, "I am so tired of people judging others based on their opinions," and many other gems. I know (as I state in the yelp post) that I'm being knit-picky and kind of a jerk. But don't hate me because I want to hear your opinion on the topic. I just want to hear other folks' reactions because I'm curious... and a judgmental a-hole.

"I constantly feel like an a-hole when I post and this post is no different, in that respect. So, here I go again with my pretentious opinions. I'll say in-advance, it's okay for people to have different opinions than myself and I know I'm being ridiculous and a-holey, knit-picky, downright curmudgeonly, etc.

I DO NOT understand most people's taste in beer. I love me some craft beer. Like, to an unhealthy degree. When people ask what I like, I have a hard time and reply "good beer," because I'm not after anything specific (e.g. I'm not just an IPA drinker or something). I typically like IPAs, reds, pales, lagers and pilsners; however, they are amazing stouts, porters, sours / lambics, saisons, Belgians (although, I typically hate their fruitiness), doubles, imperials, oaked, aged, etc.

What I DO NOT understand, is how many people drink (what I consider to be) gimmicky crap. There are a slew of people out there who LOVE: vanilla, chocolate or caramel beers (way beyond minor notes of chocolate, but I mean CHOCOLATE), bacon maple donut stouts, oyster liquor porters, pumpkin ales, jalapeno lagers, etc. To me, it begs the question: do you actually like beer? In the coffee world, it'd be like someone saying: "I just love coffee, especially mocha frappuccinos, pumpkin spice lattes, and salted caramel drinks." You don't like coffee, you like flavored syrups and whipped cream with subtle notes of coffee.

In terms of beer, I'm all for innovation (ryePAs, black IPAs, LPAs, maybe even beer with a hint of fruit, such as shock top or pyramid's apricot hefe), as long as it's still recognizable as beer.

Anyway, you already know what a jerk I am. Sound off! Are gimmicky beer drinkers real beer drinkers? Or are they to be guilted by a-holes like me on Yelp?"

suremeansyes

I've been known to drink some gimmick beers along with my usual porters and stouts.

I beer bro.

It's just like how I can be a Mexican food snob but still eat the crap out of a Taco Bell chalupa.

5stringjeff

I could have written exactly what you did. Hints of different flavors are great. Flavors that overpower the hops and malt are bad, IMO.

tincanonastring

What could possibly go wrong?

rsclause

I like craft beers but am stuck on IPA's right now. I don't do flavored beers or flavored cigars

suremeansyes

Welcome to Itchy and Scratchyland, where nothing can possib-lie go wrong.

Uh, possibLY go wrong.

That's the first thing that's ever gone wrong...

TravelinChiGal

I'm a equal opportunistic beer drinker, as long as it isn't crap. I love my IPAs, stouts, porters, but have been known to drink some of the gimicky "crap" (recent obsession is the draft rootbeer beer at the place down the block from my office). That being said, I will enjoy myself on Saturday at the Chicago Beer Fest - Unlimited tasting of craft brews and IPAs! Woot woot!

JustinAnimal

I'm a equal opportunistic beer drinker, as long as it isn't crap. I love my IPAs, stouts, porters, but have been known to drink some of the gimicky "crap" (recent obsession is the draft rootbeer beer at the place down the block from my office). That being said, I will enjoy myself on Saturday at the Chicago Beer Fest - Unlimited tasting of craft brews and IPAs! Woot woot!

Dear.... god... jealousy... taking over... eyes green with rage...

HOW MUCH ARE TICKETS TO CHICAGO?!!??!!?!?

TravelinChiGal

Dear.... god... jealousy... taking over... eyes green with rage...

HOW MUCH ARE TICKETS TO CHICAGO?!!??!!?!?

Hahaha I'm very much looking forward to it!

Ump78

I have yet to acquire a taste for craft beers. I usually just stick to silver bullets. But I've found myself more inclined to drink hard ciders lately.

JustinAnimal

Welcome to Itchy and Scratchyland, where nothing can possib-lie go wrong.

Uh, possibLY go wrong.

That's the first thing that's ever gone wrong...

I am a Simpsons-o-phile and love the quote.

Also, we're all out of Bort license plates!

JustinAnimal

You know what I should have mentioned (but didn't, because I think it sounds contradictory)? I actually drink what people call crap beer (heineken, coors, bud, fosters, etc.) pretty frequently. I don't judge people for that. To me, it still tastes reminiscent of beer.

liftingbro

I like gimmick beers from time to time as a novelty sort of experience. However, now that I found out I have Celiac disease my options in beer are pretty limited.

headofphat

The best beer in the world and this is not debatable is..........FREE BEER.

liftingbro

The best beer in the world and this is not debatable is..........FREE BEER.

Hard to argue against that.

Though, I can only tolerate hillbilly piss when it is really hot and the beer is cold.

TravelinChiGal

The best beer in the world and this is not debatable is..........FREE BEER.

Hard to argue against that.

Though, I can only tolerate hillbilly piss when it is really hot and the beer is cold.

Cheers to that :drinker:

dcaiani

First it was coffee, then vodka, then beer, and now whisky.

So are you not a whisky drinker if you drink JD Honey? Or Fireball? Or Jim Beem Fire?

As for beer. I prefer british style beers and ales. Lately I've taken the seasonal approach of drinking some of the lighter fruity beers in the summer (although they are not good in large quantities, just as a refreshing beverage) and leaving the heavier beers and ales for colder weather seasons. Of course anything cold and Canadian is in season 12 months a year.

I will admit that I had to try the Banana Bread beer that some British brewer makes .... needless to say .... never again!!!

headofphat

The best beer in the world and this is not debatable is..........FREE BEER.

Hard to argue against that.

Though, I can only tolerate hillbilly piss when it is really hot and the beer is cold.

Cheers to that :drinker:

I don't drink hillbilly piss i drink redneck piss...come on man.

carrieliz81

Um, I am a REAL beer drinker, because the gimmicky beers taste gross to me! I hate this time of year, because pumpkin beer = yuck!

trogalicious

So I visit Asheville NC often. Home of a number of fantastic breweries. Wicked Weed is one.

While I love the fact that they're successful, I hate how gimmicky and "LOOK WHAT WE THREW IN THIS SOUR!!!!" approach they take.

If a brewery can make a solid pale.. or a good solid stout... or IPA.... and then branch out to what you're referencing as "weird" then I can get behind that.

...but I can't support a brewery where I can't take a regular joe off of the street that drinks coors every day... and try to introduce them to good craft beer when the most "normal" offering is, say, a dry hopped pale on brett... randalled through apricots or something.

That said, to each their own.

Is WW successful? Absolutely. Can they just make a straight forward good pale? Who knows. Why would they try when they can get away with the gimmicks.

Same goes for plenty of other spots around too... Rogue for example.

All of that voodoo donut beer? Nah, that's okay. Not for me... but if it brings someone over from the An/INBEV/SABMiller train, more power to them. Maybe they'll pick up a bomber of Imperial Donut Break or something.. then realize how good some stouts can be without the cake and unicorn dust tossed in.

mandez19

Beer me 12 Labatt 50's.

carrieliz81

You know what I should have mentioned (but didn't, because I think it sounds contradictory)? I actually drink what people call crap beer (heineken, coors, bud, fosters, etc.) pretty frequently. I don't judge people for that. To me, it still tastes reminiscent of beer.

I like crap beer too! I will drink pretty much anything, but I do fill up too quickly on some of the dark beers (when I want to have more than one, or eat something with it!) and I have trouble with many IPAs.

I enjoy your opinions because I think they are similar-ish to mine.

CHEERS let's drink some beer this weekend :-)

enterdanger

I BEER. That being said, I will try something that sounds gimmicky but only if I can get a free sample cause I usually hate whatever it is.

We have a great bar here called Two Stones that only serves craft beer and has like 60 taps at all times. I usually get a saison or a double IPA (i like double IPAs and hate most single IPA's, doesn't make sense to me either) but a couple of weeks ago the waitress convinced me to sample some watermelon beer. She really talked it up and the sample was free. I almost spit it across the table. It was like jolly ranchers in beer. not cool.

I do like some of the pumpkin beers but only the nonsweet ones. Pumking by Southern Tier is ok and I like Dog Fish Head's Punkin Ale. Other's have been too spicy or sweet for me.

I also don't really care for flavored coffee...

odusgolp

mmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmm

spade117

The goal of most business oriented companies is to make money. *Gimmicky* products are part of that.

carrieliz81

What could possibly go wrong?

I have had this. It is truly, truly disgusting.

liftingbro

mmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmm

Not bad for beer flavored water.

Cranquistador

mmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmm

NO.

JustinAnimal

First it was coffee, then vodka, then beer, and now whisky.

So are you not a whisky drinker if you drink JD Honey? Or Fireball? Or Jim Beem Fire?

Well, not to be a jerk, yet again, but yes, I feel the same way about whiskey. I don't count honey, fireball, anything flavored / gimmicky. I don't consider jim beam a whiskey (most folks you ask at liquor stores will tell you it barely counts, my peeps call it "brown vodka," because it doesn't use enough of the true ingredients like corn / grain... I do count JD, for some reason).

Unfortunately, I don't know enough (see ingredients comment above) about whiskey to be that judgmental of people. Again, you like what you like and if you drink the cinnamon stuff, good for you. I just don't count it as whiskey.


I also second the free beer sentiments!

odusgolp

mmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmm

NO.

Just stop loving me so hard already Jules....

wheird

Everyone has their preference and if they find beer that they enjoy, even "gimmicky" beer, I'm happy for them.

I myself prefer bourbon barrel porters, stouts, lagers, and some ales.

IPAs are rather played out in my mind and pilsners may as well not even be beer.