The Art of Pretentious Beer Talk: Confessions from the Craft Beer Community

As craft beer enthusiasts, we often find ourselves immersed in a culture rich with intricate flavors, brewing techniques, and the occasional pretentious discourse. Recently, I attended a bottle share that exemplified this phenomenon perfectly. During the event, one guest presented a barrel-aged sour, and I felt compelled to contribute to the conversation. With confidence, I exclaimed how I “truly appreciated the characteristic brett interacting with the oak tannins to create some beautiful phenolic compounds.”

However, I must confess that I had absolutely no clue what phenolic compounds were. I think I inadvertently fused terms from the wine world with snippets I barely recalled from a brewing podcast. It was an incredible moment of self-doubt when I realized that I was essentially playing a game of craft beer Mad Libs.

What compounded my embarrassment was that everyone present nodded in agreement, as though I had imparted wisdom that was truly enlightening. Spurred on by their feedback, I continued to opine about the beer “expressing local terroir through indigenous microflora.” The words flowed, but the understanding? Not so much.

Just last month, I found myself articulating a beer’s “mouthfeel complexity,” when all I actually meant was that it tasted thick. It’s amusing—and a bit disheartening—to think that many of us have fallen into this pattern of verbose expression, largely because we’ve heard it from others.

Have you ever felt the pressure to sound knowledgeable in these discussions, only to realize that you’re just repeating phrases you’ve picked up along the way? I suspect I’m not alone in this experience. Let’s embrace the lighthearted side of our passion for craft beer and admit that sometimes, less is more. Cheers to enjoying great brews, no matter how we describe them!