Bottle Conditioned

Jay Brooks posted quite an interesting blog post yesterday on his blog, the Brookston Beer Bulletin. In his post, “Penny Wise and Pint Foolish“, Jay comments on an article written by New York Times travel writer Seth Kugel. The article is called “For Beer Tastes, On Beer Budgets”.

This the second part of the one-two punch that beer has gotten from the press in past couple days. First, the article on beer being the “binge drinkers beverage of choice”, and now this, an ode to the cheapest beer you can possibly find.

Jay sums this up so eloquently when he writes:

Beer has been struggling mightily for over 25 years to gain some respect. Given the strides made by the craft beer industry in that time it certainly deserves its place among the other fine gourmet beverages of the world. Once the laughingstock of the world, American beer today is known throughout the world to be of the finest quality. There are now more different beer styles brewed in the U.S. than anywhere else in the world. That’s an unbelievable swing in a little over two short decades. It’s a shame that something like 95% of all Americans didn’t get the news.

Bingo. Nail on the head there.

This just irritates me to no end. It’s another perfect example of the ignorance and the odd sense of pride that a large piece of our nation gets from drinking junk to get drunk. Why are so many people in this country proud of the sad heritage that beer has had in this country? It totally confounds me.

Wine drinkers - do you go out looking for the cheapest wine you can possibly find, in order to drink as large a quantity for as little money as possible? (I realize that posing this question to the readers of this blog is rhetorical, but it’s for effect).

I understand beer’s history in this country. I understand that for decades, beer was a “laborer’s” drink, while wine was the drink of the upper class. The thing is, it’s not that way anymore, and it hasn’t been for some time. Since at least the early 80s, when the craft beer revolution really started to crank up, beer has been working hard to redefine itself and up its stature in the marketplace as a beverage that can, at least, stand on the same ground with wine. Why then, is our society so reluctant to adopt this great new image of beer?

Take for example a fine restaurant. Upon sitting down at your table, you’re handed the menu and wine list. Where’s the beer list? In many places, if you even ask about beer, you either get “Well, we’ve got pretty much everything you need…Bud, Miller, Coors”, or you get looked at as if you’re suddenly undeserving of your reservation. The fact that beer pairs better with food than wine on many occasions is completely lost among many of the top chefs and sommeliers across this country. We’re known for some of the best food in the world, but we can’t even offer a good selection of beverages to go with it.

I know it’s ignorance. I know it requires education. Perhaps I’m just too damn picky. Whatever the case, articles such as Seth’s and the one from the AP yesterday regarding binge drinking aren’t helping.

Now, I’m sure that there are people out there who are saying “Who cares? We know what great beer is, if everyone else doesn’t, that’s their own damn problem”. Yeah, it’s easy to take that stance. The truth is, however, that beer’s image across this country (and the world for that matter) does affect us. It prevents great beer from making its way to our tables at restaurants. It causes lawmakers and neo-prohibitionists to enact ridiculous legislation aimed at “solving the problem of beer”. It limits our selection of great beer available locally. And, it limits many craft brewers from expanding and thriving. Simply put, beer’s bad name affects all of us, whether you like it or not, and whether you care or not.

So, as I tend to say often, and at the risk of sounding like a broken record…again…do your part! As craft beer lovers, we’ve got a great chance to change beer’s image. All you have to do is convert one person at a time, changing their mind about what beer is, and they’ll do the same. When you love something like craft beer, it’s hard not to be infectious about your passion.

Go ahead, spread it around.

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