The Art of Pretension in Craft Beer Enthusiasm

Craft beer culture often comes with its own lingo—a lexicon that can sometimes feel more obscuring than illuminating. This past weekend, while attending a bottle share event, I had an experience that encapsulated this perfectly. As soon as a vintage barrel-aged sour was opened, I found myself sounding off with grandiose insights about the “unique interplay of brett and oak tannins,” and how these elements culminated in “exquisite phenolic compounds.” The irony? I couldn’t actually define what a phenolic compound was. It seemed like a term I had concocted from a mix of wine vocabulary and snippets from various brewing podcasts I had listened to.

To my surprise, my words garnered nods of approval from the crowd, as if I had just spouted a profound revelation. Emboldened by their enthusiasm, I continued, articulating something about the beer “exhibiting local terroir through indigenous microflora.” Looking back, I realize it was an endless loop of pretentious jargon that didn’t reflect my actual understanding.

Just the other month, I caught myself discussing a beer’s “mouthfeel complexity,” when what I really meant to say was simply that it had a thick consistency. In moments like these, I can’t help but wonder how often we, as craft beer aficionados, slip into the role of imposter, stringing together terms we’ve overheard in conversations, hoping no one will challenge our knowledge.

Does this resonate with anyone else? Do you also find yourself caught in the whirlwind of craft beer jargon that often veers into the realm of nonsense?