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

Last weekend, I had the pleasure of attending a bottle share, where fellow enthusiasts gathered to indulge in a diverse array of craft beers. Amidst the clinking glasses and excited chatter, someone uncorked a barrel-aged sour. Seizing the moment, I confidently declared my appreciation for “the characteristic brett interacting with the oak tannins to create some beautiful phenolic compounds.”

In hindsight, I realized I had ventured into murky waters—while I threw around terms that sounded sophisticated, I had only a vague understanding of what phenolic compounds actually entail. My statement felt like a clumsy blend of wine jargon and snippets from brewing podcasts I had stumbled upon.

What made matters worse was the nodding approval from my companions, who seemed utterly convinced that my proclamation was a sign of deep beer appreciation. Emboldened by their response, I continued to elaborate, claiming the beer “expressed local terroir through indigenous microflora.”

When I reflect on this experience, I can’t help but chuckle. Just last month, I had found myself discussing a beer’s “mouthfeel complexity”—a phrase that sounded clever, but in reality, I simply meant it felt thick. My attempts at sounding knowledgeable were little more than pretentious wordplay.

This leads me to ponder: how often do we, as beer enthusiasts, unwittingly parrot phrases we’ve heard from others, hoping to blend in without being exposed? Surely, I can’t be the only one who finds humor in these moments. There’s a sense of camaraderie in our shared experiences, and perhaps we’re all just trying to navigate the intricate world of craft beer together, armed with a mix of genuine passion and sometimes puzzling terminology.

Do these thoughts resonate with anyone else out there in the craft beer community?