The Pretentious Side of Beer Connoisseurship: Confessions of a Craft Enthusiast

Beer appreciation can be a nuanced adventure, rich with flavors, aromas, and a vocabulary that often seems reserved for elitist circles. Recently, while attending a bottle share, I found myself navigating this complex landscape, diving into a barrel-aged sour. In an attempt to sound knowledgeable, I enthusiastically remarked on how I “truly appreciated the characteristic brett interacting with the oak tannins to create some beautiful phenolic compounds.”

Here’s the catch: I couldn’t quite articulate what phenolic compounds are, and it dawned on me that I was weaving together some wine terminology with vague, half-remembered bits from a brewing podcast. The perplexity escalated as I noticed nods of approval from my fellow beer aficionados, making me double down on my statement. I then ventured further into the abyss of pretentious jargon, suggesting that the beer was “expressing local terroir through indigenous microflora.”

Upon reflection, I realized that I had strayed into the realm of absurdity, masked in a facade of sophistication. Just last month, I had described a beer’s “mouthfeel complexity,” when the truth was that I simply meant it tasted thick. It felt like I was playing a version of craft beer mad libs, stringing together buzzwords in hopes of not being called out.

This experience has left me pondering: do many of us, perhaps subconsciously, fall into this trap of using flowery language and intricate terminology, only to echo what we’ve heard from others? As craft beer enthusiasts, are we genuinely appreciating the brews in front of us or merely mimicking the lingo of seasoned connoisseurs?

If you’ve ever found yourself in a similar position, rest assured you are not alone. Let’s embrace our shared experiences and the sometimes comical pretentiousness that creeps into our beer conversations. After all, everyone enjoys a good brew, whether it’s thick, fruity, or something entirely different, without the need for a PhD in brewing science!