The Art of Pretension in Beer Talk: Confessions from the Bottle Share

Attending a bottle share can often lead to intriguing discussions about craft beer, but it can also expose the pretentious side of our palates. Just recently, I found myself in a situation that had me reflecting on the jargon we sometimes toss around in the beer community, particularly when we attempt to sound more knowledgeable than we actually are.

During last weekend’s tasting event, a fellow enthusiast popped open a barrel-aged sour, and in a moment of overzealous enthusiasm, I declared my admiration for the “characteristic brett interacting with the oak tannins to create beautiful phenolic compounds.” The only problem? I had no genuine grasp of what phenolic compounds truly are. It felt like I was combining some wine jargon I had overheard with vague brewing concepts from a podcast, hoping to sound smarter.

To my surprise, everyone around me nodded in agreement, as if I had unveiled the mysteries of the universe. Emboldened by their encouragement, I went further, adding that the beer “expressed local terroir through indigenous microflora.” In reality, I was likely just caught up in a verbal construction that made little sense.

Reflecting on this, I recall momentarily labeling a different beer’s “mouthfeel complexity,” when what I genuinely meant was that it tasted thick and robust. The irony is not lost on me; I was essentially creating a craft beer version of Mad Libs, stringing together phrases that seemed to fit the context, regardless of their accuracy.

It begs the question: are we all guilty of regurgitating phrases we’ve heard, hoping to impress instead of express genuine understanding? I can’t help but wonder if many in the craft beer community share this feeling. Perhaps it’s time to strip away the pretension and speak about beer in a way that emphasizes our authentic experiences rather than our attempts at sophistication. After all, beer is meant to be enjoyed, not dissected into unnecessarily complex terminology. Have you ever found yourself in a similar situation? Let’s embrace honesty and simplicity as we celebrate the wonderful world of craft brewing!