The Art of Craft Beer: Have You Ever Pretended to Know More Than You Do?

Last weekend, I attended a local bottle share event, and like an eager participant, I was ready to impress my fellow beer enthusiasts. When someone popped open a barrel-aged sour, I felt the urge to showcase my knowledge. I eagerly chimed in about how I “truly appreciated the characteristic brett interacting with the oak tannins to create some beautiful phenolic compounds.” The catch? I wasn’t entirely sure what “phenolic compounds” even were. It seems I had mixed wine jargon with vague memories from a brewing podcast.

To my surprise, everyone nodded in agreement, as if I’d unearthed a profound truth about the beer. Feeling emboldened, I took it a step further and mentioned how the beer “expresses local terroir through indigenous microflora,” though I couldn’t tell you what that truly meant.

Just last month, I caught myself discussing a beer’s “mouthfeel complexity,” which was my way of saying it had a thick texture. In retrospect, I realize I was spewing craft beer jargon without fully grasping its meaning—essentially a game of beer-themed Mad Libs.

It makes me wonder: are we all guilty of echoing terms we’ve heard and hoping we won’t be called out? If you’ve ever found yourself in a similar situation, you’re definitely not alone. It seems that in the world of craft beer, we sometimes prioritize sounding knowledgeable over being informed. How often do we inflate our vocabulary instead of simply enjoying the beer for what it is?

Have you ever caught yourself in a similar predicament? Let’s embrace our shared experiences and enjoy the artistry of craft beer, jargon and all!