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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
- 57/m: Love beer, but it doesn’t love me as much anymore
- No Stupid Questions Wednesday – ask anything about beer
- Does anyone else get treated like a beer snob for ordering literally anything that isn’t a macro lager?
- Is there a polite way to refuse a beer that’s being served in the wrong glassware without making everyone at the table uncomfortable?
- # What’s the most pretentious thing you’ve ever said about beer that you secretly didn’t understand yourself?
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The Art of Pretentious Beer Talk: When We Speak What We Don’t Understand
Craft beer enthusiasts come together in various settings, including bottle shares, where the conversation flows as freely as the beverages themselves. However, amid the camaraderie and clinking glasses, one might find themselves feeling the need to sound knowledgeable about the intricacies of brewing. This leads to intriguing yet sometimes bewildering exchanges, especially when it comes to terminology that can be downright confusing.
Recently, during a bottle share I attended, a friend uncorked a barrel-aged sour, igniting my desire to appear well-versed in the complex world of craft beer. In an attempt to impress, I voiced my admiration for how the “characteristic brett was interacting with the oak tannins to create some beautiful phenolic compounds.” The truth? I was in over my head. The term “phenolic compounds” was something I had cobbled together from a brew-themed podcast I had partially absorbed, along with a jumble of wine vocabulary I’d encountered somewhere along the line.
To my surprise, heads nodded in agreement as if I had just shared the secrets of the universe. Emboldened by the positive reception, I proceeded to elaborate, mentioning how the beer “expresses local terroir through indigenous microflora.” If only my knowledge matched my bravado!
Just last month, I found myself discussing a different ale, lauding its “mouthfeel complexity.” In reality, I was merely trying to articulate that the beer had a thick texture. It dawned on me that I was engaging in what can only be described as craft beer “mad libs,” stringing together phrases I’ve heard in previous conversations without fully understanding them.
Is it just me, or does everyone occasionally feel like they’re regurgitating pretentious jargon in fear of being called out? It’s a curious aspect of beer culture—many of us may be relying on a mix of overheard insights and borrowed expressions, all while sharing a brew and striving to fit in. The next time you raise a glass, remember that it’s perfectly fine to enjoy and appreciate your drink without memorizing complex terminology. After all, in the world of craft beer, the most important aspect is simply the experience of coming together and enjoying the moment. Cheers to that!