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Steven Coulson
Steven has been drinking beers, wines and spirits for decades and has a propensity to go about them at length after a few drinks.
Latest Posts
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- # What’s the most pretentious thing you’ve ever said about beer that you secretly didn’t understand yourself?
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The Unintentional Pretentiousness of Craft Beer Enthusiasts
Craft beer culture is a fascinating tapestry of flavors, aromas, and experiences that can sometimes lead us down unexpected paths. Last weekend, while enjoying a lively bottle share with fellow beer aficionados, I found myself in an amusing yet somewhat embarrassing situation.
As a bottle of barrel-aged sour was opened, I eagerly delved into a description that I hoped would resonate with the group. I enthusiastically mentioned how I “truly appreciated the characteristic brett interacting with the oak tannins to create some beautiful phenolic compounds.” The only issue? I was completely clueless about what phenolic compounds actually are. My attempt at sounding knowledgeable was nothing more than a fusion of wine jargon and bits of information I had vaguely absorbed from various brewing podcasts.
What happened next was both hilarious and dreadful. The crowd nodded in apparent agreement, as if I had just unlocked the secrets of the universe. Emboldened by their reaction, I further embellished my commentary, claiming that the beer “expressed local terroir through indigenous microflora.” In retrospect, it was a perfect example of craft beer speak gone awry.
The following month, I found myself waxing poetic about a beer’s “mouthfeel complexity,” which, in reality, was just my way of saying it had a thick texture. In that moment, I realized I was indulging in a kind of craft beer Mad Libs, piecing together phrases and concepts that sounded sophisticated but had little grounding in my personal understanding.
It leads me to wonder: Are we all just echoing sentiments we’ve absorbed from others in hopes that no one will question our expertise? There’s a certain irony in the craft beer community, where the pursuit of knowledge and appreciation can sometimes morph into a competition of who can sound the most refined.
So, to my fellow craft beer enthusiasts: Have you ever found yourself in a similar predicament? Let’s embrace the playful side of our hobby, allowing room for genuine exploration without the pressure to sound overly intellectual. After all, the beauty of craft beer lies not only in its complexity but also in the simple joy it brings. Cheers!