The Craft Beer Quandary: Pretentious Terminology We All Misuse

Craft beer culture is a vibrant tapestry woven from passion, innovation, and yes, sometimes a bit of pretension. Recently at a local bottle share, I found myself in a situation that many craft beer enthusiasts can relate to—a moment that made me question the depths of my beer vocabulary.

As a particularly intriguing barrel-aged sour was unveiled, I felt compelled to share my thoughts. With an air of confidence, I declared my admiration for how the “characteristic brett interacts with the oak tannins to create some beautiful phenolic compounds.” The truth? I had no clue what phenolic compounds actually were. I had simply concocted a sentence by blending wine jargon with snippets I vaguely recalled from a brewing podcast.

To add to my embarrassment, my comment was met with nods of approval from my fellow beer aficionados, encouraging me to dig myself even deeper. In a moment of misguided enthusiasm, I went on to rave about the beer’s ability to “express local terroir through indigenous microflora.” Talk about lofty terms that masquerade as expertise!

Reflecting back on the experience, it struck me how often we resort to convoluted phrases like “mouthfeel complexity,” while what we actually mean is that a beer tastes thick. It’s a phenomenon that many of us in the craft beer community have likely encountered—spouting off terms we’ve overheard, hoping no one will call us out on our superficial understanding.

Is it just me, or do we all occasionally find ourselves engaged in these conversations, feeling like we’re playing a game of craft beer mad libs? It makes me wonder: Are we in this space sharing our genuine appreciation for brews, or are we inadvertently caught in a cycle of pretentious posturing?

Let’s embrace our shared experience and admit that sometimes, less is more when it comes to talking about the beers we love. Share your own moments of craft beer confusion—let’s learn and laugh together!