Craft Beer Conversations: Navigating the Language of Pretension

As craft beer enthusiasts, we often find ourselves immersed in a world filled with intricate flavors, unique brewing techniques, and a language that can sometimes sound more like a foreign dialect than a simple discussion about our favorite brews. Recently, during a bottle share event, I found myself caught in such a scenario that inspired a moment of reflection on the pretentiousness that can occasionally seep into our conversations about beer.

Picture this: a barrel-aged sour is unveiled, and before even taking a sip, I found myself proclaiming my deep appreciation for how the “characteristic brett interacts with the oak tannins to create some beautiful phenolic compounds.” If I’m being honest, my understanding of phenolic compounds is limited at best. I realized later that I had essentially amalgamated jargon I had half-absorbed from various wine discussions and brewing podcasts.

To my surprise, the collective nods and affirmations from my peers made me feel even more compelled to elaborate, and soon I was talking about the beer’s ability to “express local terroir through indigenous microflora.” It was then that I recognized the absurdity of my commentary—much of it was simply crafted nonsense, strung together to sound knowledgeable.

Even more recently, I found myself describing a beer’s “mouthfeel complexity,” when, in reality, I was trying to convey that it tasted quite thick. The truth is, I suspect many of us find ourselves participating in similar conversations where we pick up on phrases used by others in the craft beer community, hoping to sound knowledgeable, but often without a full understanding of what they actually mean.

This experience has led me to wonder: are we all just playing a sort of craft beer Mad Libs? Are we so engrossed in the art of craft beer that we sometimes forget to bring our authentic selves to the conversation? I can’t be the only one who feels this way.

So, let’s embrace the joy of discovery in the world of beer without the cloak of pretentiousness. After all, the beauty of craft beer lies not just in its complexity, but in the simple pleasure it brings to our palates. What are your thoughts? Do you find yourself in similar situations, or are there any pretentious phrases you’ve accidentally let slip that you’ve later regretted?