# Say No, To Beer Snobbery!



## dc59 (14/9/09)

Common now brewers. Put your hand up if your guilty of being a beer snob. You know the type I mean, giggling at people who say they want to brew a vb or tooheys new. Throwing around the term "megaswill."  

I for one will confess to enjoying the odd new or gold during the cricket (even now) and before I began brewing only ever drank new and guiness at my local.

I say we should be more encouraging to people who have different tastes to yourself at this particular point and try to remember back to what you were like before you started the grand old hobby.

So, who's guilty?


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## .DJ. (14/9/09)




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## DiscoStu (14/9/09)

Guilty as charged


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## MaestroMatt (14/9/09)

Guilty without remorse.... 

I don't see it as being a beer snob though.....just the complete inability to force myself to drink something that I know will not be better than what I could be drinking....

If I am going to be injesting something into my body, I want it to be good!


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## Lachlan (14/9/09)

I'm guilty as charged as well.

If i'm going to destroy my liver i might as well do it with something decent. 

Now where did i put that slab of Tooheys Red. :icon_vomit:


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## Bribie G (14/9/09)

I'm a bit of a beer reverse snob. I love to explore the world of beers when I'm at Dans and get weird and wonderful bottles from Ukraine etc but I'm not in the conoisseur club who can prattle on for hours about Weihenstephan beers or triple lambic hefe kolshy stuff. I bought some Leffe at Christmas to get the glass but wouldn't buy it again. If I feel like a change from my own beer I'm just as likely to get a couple of tall bottles of Cascade Original Pale which is a really smooth tasty 5% job, or a threesome of Coopers Sparkling on special ATM, or even a few tall Bavarias from Liquorland to augment my green bottle stocks. And at the beach I always go a Melbourne Bitter on a hot day.

However what does annoy me, and I'll admit to a bit of a sneer here, is the blonde lo carb TED type beers with their marketing tripe. I had a schooner of Pure Blonde at the pub last week to see what all the fuss was about, now that's what I call megaswill. :icon_vomit:


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## technocat (14/9/09)

Avoiding a beer that I don't like or disagrees with me and yes Toohey's Red comes to mind I am guilty as charged

B)


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## Bongchitis (14/9/09)

Guilty!

But not really so far as to bag and laugh at people who drink megaswill but when someone offers me a warm VB in a can, I now must refuse whereas previous to my brewing I would have drank it under sufference. I do feel differently towards people who strongly advocate megaswill and leave the brewing to 'the professionals' and often don't tell people I brew as it often comes down to defending my position or educating them on good homebrew... both of which end up being discussions of a cyclic nature.


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## Katherine (14/9/09)

BribieG said:


> I'm a bit of a beer reverse snob. I love to explore the world of beers when I'm at Dans and get weird and wonderful bottles from Ukraine etc but I'm not in the conoisseur club who can prattle on for hours about Weihenstephan beers or triple lambic hefe kolshy stuff. I bought some Leffe at Christmas to get the glass but wouldn't buy it again. If I feel like a change from my own beer I'm just as likely to get a couple of tall bottles of Cascade Original Pale which is a really smooth tasty 5% job, or a threesome of Coopers Sparkling on special ATM, or even a few tall Bavarias from Liquorland to augment my green bottle stocks. And at the beach I always go a Melbourne Bitter on a hot day.
> 
> However what does annoy me, and I'll admit to a bit of a sneer here, is the blonde lo carb TED type beers with their marketing tripe. I had a schooner of Pure Blonde at the pub last week to see what all the fuss was about, now that's what I call megaswill. :icon_vomit:



As Bribie has said its about education! One of my best friends drinks swan, I dont judge him for that! I just choose not to drink it!


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## Brewer_010 (14/9/09)

I do to a degree, but then if someone likes a particular style then good luck to them, to each their own. 

I don't like some belgian beers for example, and certain lagers. I also don't like most mega swill. Some 'boutique' beers are shite too IMO.

My observation: people like to be elitist over one another in any example of life, beer is just one of these.


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## Murcluf (14/9/09)

Call it what you may, i see it more as having a willingness to educate your palate beyond the norms, some people will never venture past steak and 3 veg and hell or high water you will never get them too either. Where as I'll give anything a go atleast once, but in saying that if you have developed your palate beyond bland megaswill your never in a hurry to race back to it either. So if that makes me a snob because i want to expereince life beyond the the bland and mundane. Shyte yeah I am Beers Snob and thankful to be so. 

Just think of the state of the beer industry or anything as a matter a fact, if we all conformed to what was put in front of us.....mmmm un hopped ale one style, one malt, only from one brewery yum yum  no thanks its all yours.


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## petesbrew (14/9/09)

Guilty. It annoys SWMBO bigtime too.

I'd say the worst part of being a beersnob would be the wallet gets emptied a lot more quickly, especially when your favourite pubs are Belgian Beer cafes or the like. 

Still, who's complaining when you're drinking quality?


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## Cortez The Killer (14/9/09)

Guilty


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## Pollux (14/9/09)

Guilty....

Makes it a bitch when you are away from home and have to fork out for a decent beer.


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## QldKev (14/9/09)

Guilty, but along the same lines as BribieG. Often I'll have a XXXX Bitter, I've got Carlton Black in my fridge at the moment, and have been known to even drink a XXXX Gold. But can;t stand that Low carb crap beers that are getting pushed these days.

Kev


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## pixelboy (14/9/09)

Guilty.. and proud of it..

I don't drink cheap wine or eat macdonalds, why would I drink crap beer?


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## petesbrew (14/9/09)

Todd Baker said:


> Guilty.. and proud of it..
> 
> I don't drink cheap wine or eat macdonalds, why would I drink crap beer?


Macca's should be byo, don't you reckon? Would make the dining experience truly memorable.

Actually my brother (also a hber) gave me a crownie on saturday, adding "it was on special", like it justified it.
Still, on a hot day standing round the bbq it went down nicely.


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## warra48 (14/9/09)

Sort of guilty.

At my golf club, the only place I drink beer other than my own, I drink either a Toohey's Old or a "charlie" which is a light beer with about 25% Old. It's called a "charlie" after a certain Mr Perkins, mostly white with some black, if you get my drift.

I regularly castigate the bar staff for not serving anything other than from the majors. I have asked them several times why they can't get our local boutique brewery's (Wicked Elf) on tap. Was told by one of the bar staff they'll never have that on tap, as he recently had a bad hangover after drinking it all night. He just quietly forgot to mention the dozen plus schooners of it he downed during that night.

PS: It is on tap at the Port Macquarie Golf Club, but that's not where I play.


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## EK (14/9/09)

MaestroMatt said:


> Guilty without remorse....
> 
> I don't see it as being a beer snob though.....just the complete inability to force myself to drink something that I know will not be better than what I could be drinking....
> 
> If I am going to be injesting something into my body, I want it to be good!


+1. Absolutely no remorse. Especially at the prices that are charged for megaswill anyway.

The way I look at it there is usually a decent beer available when I head out and refusing to drink megaswill may help to get more craft beers stocked.

So: I say "Yes" to Beer Snobbery.

:icon_cheers: 
EK


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## Luka (14/9/09)

Guilty...
But as others have mentioned my palate has changed and I like to try new things and can't go back to the likes of VB, not that I ever liked it anyway. But I like beer with flavour, is that too much to ask. Growing up in northern tassie I was brought up on Boags Draught and its still one of my fav's, especially in the summer after work, goes down very nicely. So, I dont consider myself a "snob" as I dont roll my eyes or pass judgement on others choices, I just choose to drink what I want to drink.


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## petesbrew (14/9/09)

Had birthday drinks at the Orbit bar up at Summit restaurant last week.
A boags/crownie was $8.90, and a Lord Nelson Old Admiral Strong Ale was $9.50.

One guy summed it up beautifully, "well if I'm gonna be F%%% up against a wall, what's an extra 60cents, hey?"


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## Screwtop (14/9/09)

Dravid said:


> Common now brewers. Put your hand up if your guilty of being a beer snob. You know the type I mean, giggling at people who say they want to brew a vb or tooheys new. Throwing around the term "megaswill."
> 
> I for one will confess to enjoying the odd new or gold during the cricket (even now) and before I began brewing only ever drank new and guiness at my local.
> 
> ...




FOOK OFF!!!


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## Polar Beer (14/9/09)

Dravid said:


> I for one will confess to enjoying the odd new or gold during the cricket (even now) and before I began brewing only ever drank new and *guiness* :excl: at my local.



:excl: Guinness police here. 
It is an act of gross sacrilegious indecency to associate Tooheys New and the mighty black stuff. Keep it clean.


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## dc59 (14/9/09)

> One guy summed it up beautifully, "well if I'm gonna be F%%% up against a wall, what's an extra 60cents, hey?"



I like this  hope he doesn't mind if I use it.

I'd personally consider a beer snob anyone who frowns upon others for drinking "megaswill." Nothing wrong with drinking what you like, whether it be vb or a boutique beer.

+ I don't think there has been a single home brewer who hasn't found his/her palate changing dramatically after starting brewing. I know mine has. Keep encouraging new brewers no matter what they want to brew and they'll eventually come around to our side of things in terms of beer appreciation.





Guilty h34r: ....I look down on crownie drinkers


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## deebee (14/9/09)

If you acted the same way about wine it wouldn't be called snobbery, but people think wine is sophisticated and beer is not. 

My pet hate is restaurants with BYO-wine only. I just take beer along anyway and if questioned I ask them if their beer list is designed to complement their menus and what beer they would suggest to match the dishes on their menus. Then offer to pay corkage or walk out. They always relent. My wife hates it.


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## eric8 (14/9/09)

deebee said:


> If you acted the same way about wine it wouldn't be called snobbery, but people think wine is sophisticated and beer is not.


Aint that the truth. Lets change it from beer snobbery, to beer geeks as we are willing to try lots of different types of beer because we would like to broadedn our appreciation of what is out there and learn from what we taste. We drink the beers we do because they are different and they TASTE of something as compared to corporate crap.

:icon_cheers: to flavour!!


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## HoppingMad (14/9/09)

Don't think I'm Guilty. 

On a post a while back when Zwickel commented that XXXX was a good beer he loved to drink in Australia he was almost howled down. I backed him up and admitted that when I was in the US caught between a Budweiser and a Coors the XXXX stood up positively well. We do cringe a bit about our mainstream beers, and some can be bad - but I'm the first to admit they're not all 'orrid when you consider some of the liquid turds out there worldwide.

I do drink Carlton Draught a fair bit in Victoria, it's one of the few beers that has enough turnover down south that the the kegs are fresh and as a result the lines get cleaned and maintained. Would prefer to go more exotic stuff but every time I go for a Coopers, an non-BUL imported or a Decent Craft beer on tap, more often than not the lines are bloody well skunked and the kegs are old. You're forced into an unwinnable position - drink the freshest you can taste or pretend that the exotic beer genuinely tastes good when it doesn't.

That said wouldn't try and brew a VB. There's too many other more exciting things out there to make. Does that make me a homebrewing snob? :blink: 

Hopper.


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## joshuahardie (14/9/09)

Yeah guilty as charged.

I never judge a regular punter who is drinking what they like in a normal pub. 

It drives me crazy for example when someone goes to all of the trouble of driving to a great micro like Potters brewery and ask for a New or VB. Holy Jesus Christ on a bike you have come that far, step outside your comfort zone for a minute, you might like it.

Was great to see at the 2008 Sydney AHB pub crawl, 4 blokes fresh from a wedding party walk into the Lord Nelson, push past 50 AHB crew drinking Pale Ales and Robust Porters, then order four News. They were practically laughed out of the building. Not before being told that New was not on tap. Instead they branched out and ordered a round of Coronas. 

'slaps forehead'


I try not to pick on others for the choices they make. Just more of the good stuff for me I say.


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## BoilerBoy (14/9/09)

Getting too old to punish myself by politely grimacing my way through most factory beer, passed up many megaswill offerings for water or a cup of tea. 
I wont drink so called beer for beer sake, if thats being a "beer snob" then i'll remember to put it on my CV.

Cheers,
BB


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## Kieren (14/9/09)

deebee said:


> If you acted the same way about wine it wouldn't be called snobbery, but people think wine is sophisticated and beer is not.
> 
> My pet hate is restaurants with BYO-wine only. I just take beer along anyway and if questioned I ask them if their beer list is designed to complement their menus and what beer they would suggest to match the dishes on their menus. Then offer to pay corkage or walk out. They always relent. My wife hates it.



Love it! Got to try that sometime.


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## gregs (14/9/09)

Listen up guys, I may be guilty of this as a home brewer BUT the megaswill drinkers as most of us were at one time are also beer snobs as well, you see the VB drinkers will be rubbishing the xxxx drinkers; the xxxx drinkers will rubbish the Swan drinkers and so on. 
Its just a matter of taste, some have poor taste and never move on and some of us have moved on, but as beer drinkers we all have a little beer snobbery in us, both commercial drinkers and home brew drinkers. Thats the way I see it.


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## raven19 (14/9/09)

+100 Guilty.

Life is too short to drink sh!t beer. :icon_cheers:


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## skippy (14/9/09)

raven19 said:


> +100 Guilty.
> 
> Life is too short to drink sh!t beer. :icon_cheers:





:icon_cheers:


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## buttersd70 (14/9/09)

It's not just beer.....ask a group of passionate amateur cooks how to clone a big mac, and what do you think the response would be....


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## chappo1970 (14/9/09)

buttersd70 said:


> It's not just beer.....ask a group of passionate amateur cooks how to clone a big mac, and what do you think the response would be....




+1 Well said


Just don't tell Muckey you can clone a big Mac FFS.... h34r:


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## Batz (14/9/09)

buttersd70 said:


> It's not just beer.....ask a group of passionate amateur cooks how to clone a big mac, and what do you think the response would be....




True, and most could not do it either, and few home brewers could clone a true Aussie mega swill.

Who would want too ! Easy answer hey?

Batz


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## Tony (14/9/09)

Im guilty as charged.

But i wont stop someone from trying if they want to and will do my best to ster them in the right direction.

You can lead a horse to water..........................

Mind you i do have a beer on tap ATM made with just ale malt and POR. Its nice too and i bet youd all drink it.

It is better than Tooheys red though i must say.

Opps........ snobery alert!


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## Effect (14/9/09)

I don't know if I am a beer snob. When I go out I always like to try some micro beers I haven't tried before. Won't ever touch the mega-swill except for coopers. I don't try and make others drink good beer though, and don't lecture them on how shit mega-swill beer is and how much better craft beer is. Its just a waste and they will end up thinking your a dick if you try and convince them to drink more expensive beer - because in the end to them, its just beer.

At a bbq, if someone offers me a beer and its a megaswill, I'll drink it. Letting them know your opinions about beer in such a situation would insulte their hospitality IMHO, and make you more of a dickhead than a beer snob or beer connesseur.


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## canon1ball (14/9/09)

Tell you what's one of the worst things for me, going to a function and you have the choice of iiicy cold VB or Tooheys New and that's all there is and the function drags on for hours.
I'm no beer snob, don't get me wrong VB and other mega swills have their place, I for example loved VB icy cold coming out of the snap freezer working (actually during breaks, you drink it like water up there) on a prawn trawler in the Gulf of Carpentaria in 40c + heat, but now I rather drink my own or that of my fellow home brewers of the Northern Beaches or spend a few more bucks to get a good beer. Maybe it's my German origin?



c1b


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## Tiny_Tim (14/9/09)

I've found the aussie public have a pretty low tolerance for this kind of thing. If I tell people I don't like a type of beer because it's boring and I prefer another type of beer because it has flavour and balance they accuse me of being a 'normal beer hater' or a snob. 

I think because of how saturated the aussie market is with pale lagers, people think there isn't very much variety within beers in general, so if you think one's better than another you must be a dickhead.


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## Barley Belly (14/9/09)

If you haven't anything nice or constructive to say, say nothing at all. If you have to put others down to make yourself a bigger person, are you really any bigger?

My first aim when taking up this homebrewing caper was to make a beer close to Toohey's New, well after tasting my first brew I thought screw the Tooheys I can do better!!! 

But it was about my taste, not some holier than though opinion, on some website, that made me change.

I suppose what I'm getting at is we all started somewhere, no-one here was breastfed AG from birth, so we all started on so called mega swill.

So if someone new comes on the site asking to clone their favourite beer of the moment, how about trying to teach them how to or how to do better rather than slap them in the face and make them feel insignifigant and stupid. I know first hand because it happened to me on here when I first started.

Thankfully, I learnt to wade through the bullshit on this site and value the opinions of the people on this site, who actually love brewing enough to want to teach and pass the craft onto others.

Making fun of people doesn't make you a better brewer, it just shows your true character.

If you haven't anything nice or constructive to say, say nothing at all. If you have to put others down to make yourself a bigger person, are you really any bigger?


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## Effect (14/9/09)

finners said:


> So if someone new comes on the site asking to clone their favourite beer of the moment, how about trying to teach them how to or how to do better rather than slap them in the face and make them feel insignifigant and stupid



+1 here here!


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## Bizier (14/9/09)

I am a snob when it comes to beer that I am drinking. I will even suggest a change of pub because I get sick of the beer after a couple, but it is only tendering a vote. I will drink VB/New at christmas or a wedding, but will happily fork over beans that I have busted my balls for to get a better beer (preferably in an anonymous glass too).

That said if someone promised loads of VB and a kicking party, I will happily leave my snooty tastebuds at the door... The first beer I enjoyed was at 14 or 15 years old. It was a VB after I had helped pull up a 200m or so bore pump in mid summer... it was then that I understood why people drink beer.


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## jacknohe (14/9/09)

raven19 said:


> +100 Guilty.
> 
> Life is too short to drink sh!t beer. :icon_cheers:




Ha ha. I use this line all the time too when I have to purchase beer. I'd rather pay the extra few dollars for quality. But of course I prefer my own, well now that I'm getting better at brewing... :lol:


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## dc59 (14/9/09)

> So if someone new comes on the site asking to clone their favourite beer of the moment, how about trying to teach them how to or how to do better rather than slap them in the face and make them feel insignifigant and stupid. I know first hand because it happened to me on here when I first started.



Thank you finners that was the point I was trying (and failed) to get at. For what I consider to be hands down the most pleasant and funniest forum I've ever been apart of, sometimes we forget what its like to be new to this forum and not knowing when someone is just having a friendly poke.

Thanks everyone for your comments :icon_cheers: 
Dave.


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## Mantis (14/9/09)

Tony said:


> Mind you i do have a beer on tap ATM made with just ale malt and POR. Its nice too and i bet youd all drink it.
> 
> It is better than Tooheys red though i must say.
> 
> Opps........ snobery alert!



I think I know this brew and have made it myself (Tonys recipe). Craps all over any megaswill from carlton etc. 
Hey and anything craps over Tooheys Red :icon_vomit: 

I am guilty of pushing my homebrew over megaswill but it falls on deaf ears so , meh

Guilty as charged :icon_chickcheers:


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## cooperplace (14/9/09)

Todd Baker said:


> Guilty.. and proud of it..
> 
> I don't drink cheap wine or eat macdonalds, why would I drink crap beer?




what's wrong with macca's? Had lunch there yesterday with the 3 kids, much easier there than anywhere else when you have 3 chaos machines in tow.

I won't drink cheap wine tho', life's too short for that.


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## Sydneybrewer (14/9/09)

deciding not to drink beer from VIC or QLD is not snobbery... its just common sense


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## HoppingMad (14/9/09)

Sydneybrewer said:


> deciding not to drink beer from VIC or QLD is not snobbery... its just common sense



More good beer for the rest of us! Heh heh! I'll have a few of these then since you're not drinkin'....!!!

ie:

Vic:

2 Brothers Brewery
3 Ravens Brewing Company
Artic Fox Brewing
Beechworth Brewery
Bells Hotel and Brewery
Bintara Brewery
Boatrocker Brewing Company
Bridge Road Brewers
Bright Brewery
Buckleys Beer
Buffalo Brewery
Boynton's Brewery
Coldstream Brewery
Emerald Hill Brewery
Grand Ridge Brewery
Hargreaves Hill Brewing Company
Holgate Brewhouse
Jamieson Brewery
Kooinda Boutique Brewery
Lone Hand Brewery
Mercs Own Brewing Company
Mildura Brewery
Mountain Goat Brewery
Nischwitz Cole Brewing
O'Brien Brewing
Otway Estate Brewery
Portland Hotel Brewery
Red Duck Beer
Red Hill Brewery
Southern Bay Brewing Company
Sweet Water Brewing Company
Temple Brewing Company
True South Beer
Three Troupers
What's Brewing Company
White Rabbit Brewery - Healesville

And QLD:

Burleigh Brewing Company
Preservation Brewery - Eumundi Markets 124 Memorial Drive Eumundi
The Sunshine Coast Brewery
The Brew House
Townsville Brewing Company
Oxford 152


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## O'Henry (14/9/09)

I was at a function on the weekend and they were offering Crown or Cascade light. I had a crown when we got there and couldn't bring myself to have another. 6 hours later I had drunk a shit load of water. And for this I was called a beer snob. But I am sure the same person would not have drunk wine they didn't enjoy. Beverage prejudice pisses me off...

I have been slagged off for not drinking mainstream beers more than I have bagged out drinkers of these beers. I have been known to bag the beers seperate of the drinkers though. Some people have just never drunk anything else as that is all they have known. I can't really blame them for that...


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## Sydneybrewer (15/9/09)

HoppingMad said:


> More good beer for the rest of us! Heh heh! I'll have a few of these then since you're not drinkin'....!!!
> 
> ie:
> 
> ...



ok ok kooinda is awesome :icon_drunk:


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## Sydneybrewer (15/9/09)

but seriously though i was at rosehill races on saturday and i was peeved that the only beer they sold was tooheys new or tooheys extra dry, actually stomached two extra dry's as the lesser of two evils, before i decided i was better off paying the $10 a can for the jim beam


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## manticle (15/9/09)

I wouldn't call myself a beer snob.

My favourite beers are usually 'fancy' small brewery type beers such as trappists, German wheat beers or Eastern European lagers but I can drink pints and jugs of Carlton Draught after work without complaint or happily sink cans of Melbourne Bitter at a mate's bbq.

What shits me to tears though is when fairly average beer is touted as premium or any of the other rucbbish marketting shebang. Carlton Draught is good because it fulfils a niche (thirst quenching, refreshing working man's beer) which it is. Crown lager is essesentially the same beer with a hint of egg but marketted as an upmarket, discerning beer drinker's beer - which it isn't. Rubbish marketting and closemindedness (eg friends who won't drink anything darker than Melboure or think you're a pooooove because you buy a westmalle dubbel [incidentally twice as strong as your lager there chief] are the things that annoy me the most. 

Otherwise the diversity of beer is one of the most attractive things about it and the basic supposed megaswill brews (not the 8 million lo carbed mid strength premium draught cold filtered ice beer versions of said brews) have their place


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## Tiny_Tim (15/9/09)

manticle said:


> What shits me to tears though is when fairly average beer is touted as premium or any of the other rucbbish marketting shebang. Carlton Draught is good because it fulfils a niche (thirst quenching, refreshing working man's beer) which it is. Crown lager is essesentially the same beer with a hint of egg but marketted as an upmarket, discerning beer drinker's beer - which it isn't. Rubbish marketting and closemindedness (eg friends who won't drink anything darker than Melboure or think you're a pooooove because you buy a westmalle dubbel [incidentally twice as strong as your lager there chief] are the things that annoy me the most.



I was at a music festival last year where CUB must have scored the exclusive bar contract. Besides the usual over-priced super sugary premixes all they had was 375ml cans of Carlton Draught for $7 or 250ml aluminium bottles of Crown Lager for $9. So much variety, I was overwhelmed with choice. Me and my brother got one of each simultaneously and both agreed that the Draught actually tasted better than the Crown, not that either of them tasted great after paying those prices.


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## DennisKing (15/9/09)

Went to a wedding at the weekend and had to drink UK crap. Really pissed me off as I expected the venue to have good beers so maybe I`m guilty. Definitely a whisky snob, only drink aged malts.


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## Screwtop (15/9/09)

A while back in a local bottlo, a bloke was buying his after work sixpack of XXXX Gold. He was behind me at the checkout and saw that I had paid $17.80 for a sixpack of James Squire IPA. The bloke says "seventeen bucks for a sixpack a beer mate, you'd have to be some sort a dick head"

Is that reverse beer snobbery??

I said yes mate yours is $2 per bottle and mine is nearly $3 but mine has more than one and a half times the alcohol of yours, so you're paying good money for more water! Should have seen the look on his face, looked like he was still trying to do the math in his head as he wandered off.

Like 99.9% of Aussie beer drinkers I was brought up on megaswill. But, you know I never really liked it, to me Castlemaine Fourex was the best of a bad bunch, over the years I drank it with a dash of Sarsparilla, a dash of Lemonade and even a dash of Green Ginger Wine. Occasionally I would swap brands and when available would buy Coopers Sparkling. Subliminally I had been searching for a better beer all of my beer drinking life. For a long time I swapped to drinking a wine at night, I found complexity and flavour in wine. But still I would rather a beer. When the International Beer Festivals where a big thing in the seventies I went along, tried beers from all over the world, and hated most more than our own Aussie Beers. Trouble was the beers on offer were imported megaswill lagers, really not all that different to our own.

The day I discovered a small boutique brewery and craft beer was a revelation, I had been searching all my life for a satisfying beer, a beer with colour, flavour and aroma, a beer with complexity, similar to good wine. When out I will choose an ale, whatever is available, depending on availability, usually a Coopers or a James Squire as they're available about the place now. If I'm asked why I am drinking that particular beer, say "because I like beer with colour, flavour and aroma, not the pale weak stuff" thats all. You would be amazed how many times you see the person who asked drinking one of the same later on. The beer spoke to me, now I let the beer speak to others. Having lots of tradies around lately at the house I always put a few on when they finish of an afternoon. Nothing is said, I ask which beer they want today, they are all homing in on a favourite and a couple like my IPA at 60 IBU. They even talk about the flavour of the beers, have never heard that being discussed when sitting around a carton of XXXX.

You want to put me in a box labelled Beer Snob, go right ahead. I have always appreciated diversity in food and drink and believe I have a right to choice. Never make fun of other beer drinkers for their choice in beer, they may well be on the same journey as I was all those years ago. But do provide every opportunity for them to try something different, without personal marketing, let the beer speak to them.

As for saying no to beer snobbery..............Fook Off

Screwy


----------



## matti (15/9/09)

I am a beer snob and I cannot help it.
When I had to drink Pure Blond, like I did this weekend, I cringed.
It was peer preassure  and to appear sociable and wash down the smoothest home made Arrak
from a Macedonian friend.
He also brews clean beer from Malt and Dextrose, they are a little plain and no real hops.

I once gave him an APA as he was curious what beers I brew.
He has never asked for more :huh: 

before I was introduce to Homebrew through the M.A.L.E I was a mega swill snob.

People are generally weary to treading on foreign soil or drink strange beers.


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## petesbrew (15/9/09)

DennisKing said:


> Went to a wedding at the weekend and had to drink UK crap. Really pissed me off as I expected the venue to have good beers so maybe I`m guilty. Definitely a whisky snob, only drink aged malts.


So what was the UK crap? I remember lots of lagers over there, but please explain?


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## Katherine (15/9/09)

Screwtop said:


> A while back in a local bottlo, a bloke was buying his after work sixpack of XXXX Gold. He was behind me at the checkout and saw that I had paid $17.80 for a sixpack of James Squire IPA. The bloke says "seventeen bucks for a sixpack a beer mate, you'd have to be some sort a dick head"
> 
> Is that reverse beer snobbery??
> 
> ...



I enjoyed reading that very much Screwy!


----------



## EK (15/9/09)

Screwtop said:


> A while back in a local bottlo, a bloke was buying his after work sixpack of XXXX Gold. He was behind me at the checkout and saw that I had paid $17.80 for a sixpack of James Squire IPA. The bloke says "seventeen bucks for a sixpack a beer mate, you'd have to be some sort a dick head"
> 
> Is that reverse beer snobbery??
> 
> I said yes mate yours is $2 per bottle and mine is nearly $3 but mine has more than one and a half times the alcohol of yours, so you're paying good money for more water! Should have seen the look on his face, looked like he was still trying to do the math in his head as he wandered off.


I'm going to have to remember that for when I get similar comments by wankers at the bottle shop.

Thanks for the story.



Screwtop said:


> Like 99.9% of Aussie beer drinkers I was brought up on megaswill. But, you know I never really liked it, to me Castlemaine Fourex was the best of a bad bunch


Same here. I never found the attraction to mass-market Australian lager that most do. Then I found Ale. Then I found the attraction.

:icon_cheers: 
-EK


----------



## Katherine (15/9/09)

I never liked beer, I still remember tasting my mums beer out of a can (who knows what it was) and the smell and taste I hated it for years. I was always attracted to the froth of my Grandfathers over carbonated home brew. I would try it and still not like it! Spent many a weekend watching boyfriends drinking throw downs of VB's and when there feeling fancy Carlton Cold. Still couldnt get into the beer. 

The first beer I started to enjoy was Toohey's Old, then Coopers Sparkling. The first time I tried LCPA I felt like a child in a lolly shop for the first time. My tastebuds got excited! Now its all to late!


----------



## Bribie G (15/9/09)

HoppingMad said:


> More good beer for the rest of us! Heh heh! I'll have a few of these then since you're not drinkin'....!!!
> 
> snip.............
> 
> ...



Brew House and Oxford 152 are no more. Dunno about the Eumundi brew house, haven't heard of it for years




DennisKing said:


> Went to a wedding at the weekend and had to drink UK crap. Really pissed me off as I expected the venue to have good beers so maybe I`m guilty. Definitely a whisky snob, only drink aged malts.



Och what's a good wedding without a keg of warm Tartan served with a car foot pump :lol:


----------



## Murcluf (15/9/09)

finners said:


> If you haven't anything nice or constructive to say, say nothing at all. If you have to put others down to make yourself a bigger person, are you really any bigger?


There goes 95% of my posts and a few others also :lol: 

I'm what you call a beer snob for what I have learn't through educating my palate and choosing to no longer purchase mass marketed megaswill. Not for shtyte canning other individuals for what they choose to drink and if you do your more the DH then a beer snob for doing so. Shyte canning people for not choosing to drink megaswill doesn't make you ant better either..... you can lead a Beer Snob to Beer but you can't make him drink. 

Oh and I'll take a scotch fillet burger over a big mac any day, but hey a lot of people actually like to eat Macca's and I have no idea why...!


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## DiscoStu (15/9/09)

Choosing not to drink beer you do not like doesn't make you a snob. I won't drink most mass market beer by choice, there are social events where you have no options and often I'll chose wine in that case.

But I don't bag my mate or collegues for their beer choices either, but having introduced a few to my beers and shouting craft beers are when we go to the pub some are changing their tastes and choosing craft beers over "megaswill"

Most peoples first beer will have been one of the mass market brands, I grew up drink Cascade Draught and Pale Ale, when I moved to Sydney I drank either New or VB only since getting into brewing myself and doing a couple of case swaps have my horizons expanded and VB/New etc is no longer for me, but I don't look down on people who do drink VB or New, if they are happy drinking it good luck to them.


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## glennheinzel (16/9/09)

I was only joking around, but perhaps I have sinned...
http://www.aussiehomebrewer.com/forum/inde...st&p=521910


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## bum (16/9/09)

I guess I'm slowly becoming a beer snob of sorts but, more pertinently, my fully-fledged grammar snobbery wants to punch the title of this thread in the comma.


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## chappo1970 (16/9/09)

bum said:


> I guess I'm slowly becoming a beer snob of sorts but, more pertinently, my fully-fledged grammar snobbery wants to punch the title of this thread in the comma.



Says the man from Quilpie? ROFL! :lol:


----------



## bum (16/9/09)

I practice what I preach. I committed all sorts of acts of violence against punctuation while up there.

I even cock-punched an ampersand.


----------



## chappo1970 (16/9/09)

bum said:


> I practice what I preach. I committed all sorts of acts of violence against punctuation while up there.
> 
> I even cock-punched an ampersand.




Wow you are tough... Sorry Bum for asking.... (Chappo cowls in the corner hoping not to be scorned for using too many exclamation marks!!!!!)


----------



## manticle (16/9/09)

'Cowers'. You're in for it now.


----------



## chappo1970 (16/9/09)

LOL! :lol: A cowl is on tha roof huh?


----------



## manticle (16/9/09)

A cowl is on the monk who sits on the roof of the trappist monastery.


----------



## chappo1970 (16/9/09)

Or one of these  







Ya egg head! :lol: Remember I'm a dumb assed Builder?


----------



## manticle (16/9/09)

They have those on trappist monasteries. Monks sometimes wear them to relieve themselves from the boredom of silent prayer.

We are all right.


----------



## manticle (16/9/09)

Re dumbarse: I know you're kidding but anyone who can go from a site full of dirt to the frame of a wooden house in just a couple of days gets a weeny bit of respect from me.


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## chappo1970 (16/9/09)




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## hoohaaman (17/9/09)

Pretty much drink any beer offered,rude not to accept.I'm a tradie so get offered some dAMN strange stuff,from so many different nationalities.

I do have my beer at home,but sometimes being polite is more important then bad beer.

And I am a beer snob,will not drink a beer unless in it's proper glass


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## syd_03 (17/9/09)

Screwtop said:


> A while back in a local bottlo, a bloke was buying his after work sixpack of XXXX Gold. He was behind me at the checkout and saw that I had paid $17.80 for a sixpack of James Squire IPA. The bloke says "seventeen bucks for a sixpack a beer mate, you'd have to be some sort a dick head"



Never had anyone comment to me like that.

Round where I grew up comments like that to someone in a bottle shop would have you on the floor without a word said. He musta been feeling brave that day haha.


----------



## HoppingMad (17/9/09)

BribieG said:


> Brew House and Oxford 152 are no more. Dunno about the Eumundi brew house, haven't heard of it for years



Cheers Bribie! Grabbed the list off the Melbourne Brewers website. Now I can give them crap that their microbrewery list is out of date!  

Being a mexican (victorian) I haven't been to QLD for years. Just sticking up for us interstaters in the face of New South Welshman insults!!! lol!

Hopper.


----------



## hoohaaman (17/9/09)

syd_03 said:


> Never had anyone comment to me like that.
> 
> Round where I grew up comments like that to someone in a bottle shop would have you on the floor without a word said. He musta been feeling brave that day haha.



Yeh it's different sometimes.Whats your favourite drop at the moment syd 03?

Where I grew up the whole country would be pissed


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## syd_03 (17/9/09)

hoohaaman said:


> Yeh it's different sometimes.Whats your favourite drop at the moment syd 03?
> 
> Where I grew up the whole country would be pissed




Not really sure, just trying as many as I can right now. None instantly spring to mind. Yourself?


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## Dave86 (17/9/09)

My mates bag me for being a beer snob because I'd rather go without than drink XXXX/New/Carlton etc for the sake of being polite, but I have convinced pretty much all of them that tooheys old isn't bad! Mates/acquaintances who don't know me as well will rubbish me for drinking old at the local here, but i just reply "If you think old is rubbish, it's exactly how I feel about what you're drinking'

At home, or a venue that permits, they're all happy to try my beers. Some are popular, others not, but they all get tried (I think my mates must be a bunch of freeloaders!). I'll drink some megaswill, but not most. I'm not a huge fan of lagers compared to ales, so most megaswill isn't too appealing. I'll usually give anything from tassie a go and see how fresh it is and if I'm in the mood to drink it, same goes for resches and VB. For some reason these are the only two mainstream beers I can stomach (sometimes) 

More often than not, I'll just not have a beer if I can't get an old or something better when I'm out, if offered a beer that I don't like, I just reply "No thanks, I don't like that". Dead easy. Perhaps this makes me a beer snob, but if you don't like the fact I'd rather not drink at all than force down your favourite swill, youy can F^&* off!


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## DennisKing (18/9/09)

petesbrew said:


> So what was the UK crap? I remember lots of lagers over there, but please explain?


Sorry it's taken so long to reply, being laid out with swine flu. The offending beer was Green king IPA smothflow. It use to a reasonable pint when sold cask conditioned several years ago but very ordinary now. The smothflow was void of any taste.


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## buttersd70 (18/9/09)

DennisKing said:


> Sorry it's taken so long to reply, being laid out with swine flu. The offending beer was Green king IPA smothflow. It use to a reasonable pint when sold cask conditioned several years ago but very ordinary now. The smothflow was void of any taste.



Ahh, a _particular _beer, _not _UK beer in general...which is how the original post could be interpreted.


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## rude (18/9/09)

Theres no such thing as a bad beer just some are better than others.


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## DennisKing (18/9/09)

buttersd70 said:


> Ahh, a _particular _beer, _not _UK beer in general...which is how the original post could be interpreted.


I think the majority of pints sold in the UK are crap. But we also have more brewery's than any other country [as reported by our very own BBC last week]. 711 brewery`s is not bad for a small island 


http://www.camra.org.uk/page.aspx?o=307955

There are a lot of good beers in the UK it`s just most people drink the crap.


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## MarkBastard (18/9/09)

Beer is not wine!

I cringe whenever I hear people say stuff like 'late fruity notes' and other verbose pompous nonsense when referring to beer.

That said I like a quality beer and I dislike 'megaswill' for the most part. Not because I'm some enlightened beer snob but because those beers taste like crap.


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## bum (18/9/09)

So you're a snob snob?


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## MarkBastard (18/9/09)

bum said:


> So you're a snob snob?



hey back off you beer snob snob snob


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## beerbrewer76543 (18/9/09)

joshuahardie said:


> It drives me crazy for example when someone goes to all of the trouble of driving to a great micro like Potters brewery and ask for a New or VB. Holy Jesus Christ on a bike you have come that far, step outside your comfort zone for a minute, you might like it.



I had a similar experience the other day

I saw two chaps sitting outside the Belgian Beer Cafe in Perth drinking Hahn Super Dry from the bottle...

Shame, shame, shame


----------



## chappo1970 (18/9/09)

Mark^Bastard said:


> Beer is not wine!
> I cringe whenever I hear people say stuff like 'late fruity notes' and other verbose pompous nonsense when referring to beer.




I disagree MB Beer is Wine to the beer affectinado


----------



## peas_and_corn (18/9/09)

rude said:


> Theres no such thing as a bad beer just some are better than others.



You haven't tried Geelong Pale, have you?




Mark^Bastard said:


> Beer is not wine!
> 
> I cringe whenever I hear people say stuff like 'late fruity notes' and other verbose pompous nonsense when referring to beer.
> 
> That said I like a quality beer and I dislike 'megaswill' for the most part. Not because I'm some enlightened beer snob but because those beers taste like crap.



How do you explain what you like about a beer? "It tastes good" is not very helpful, isn't it? Describing the flavours is a little closer to understanding what is good about a certain beer and what is bad.


----------



## Katherine (18/9/09)

L_Bomb said:


> I had a similar experience the other day
> 
> I saw two chaps sitting outside the Belgian Beer Cafe in Perth drinking Hahn Super Dry from the bottle...
> 
> Shame, shame, shame



Why would it annoy you. Who cares what others choice to drink/eat! really! Maybe they like the surroundings of the Belgium Beer Cafe!


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## MarkBastard (18/9/09)

peas_and_corn said:


> How do you explain what you like about a beer? "It tastes good" is not very helpful, isn't it? Describing the flavours is a little closer to understanding what is good about a certain beer and what is bad.



I just describe it in plain English. I don't have any issues with people using terms like 'High IBU', 'Alpha Hops', and referring to general styles like IPA, APA, Stout, Porter etc.

I would say things like "It's an alpha pale ale with a bit of fruitiness to it" but not "It has delicate hints of cherry-blossom on the nose and a cheeky hint of man juice in my anus because I am a poetic wanker"


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## chappo1970 (18/9/09)

Mark^Bastard said:


> ..."It has delicate hints of cherry-blossom on the nose and a cheeky hint of man juice in my anus because I am a poetic wanker"




It's a shame really MB, you would make a good wanker  , as you have such a way with words :lol:


----------



## peas_and_corn (18/9/09)

Mark^Bastard said:


> I just describe it in plain English. I don't have any issues with people using terms like 'High IBU', 'Alpha Hops', and referring to general styles like IPA, APA, Stout, Porter etc.
> 
> I would say things like "It's an alpha pale ale with a bit of fruitiness to it" but not "It has delicate hints of cherry-blossom on the nose and a cheeky hint of man juice in my anus because I am a poetic wanker"



But that's not very accurate! Fruity as in citrus, grassy, NZ grapefruit, what?


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## bum (18/9/09)

Careful, p&c, he'll think you're coming on to him.


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## seravitae (18/9/09)

I think ultimately everyone's going to have an opinion and flavours they prefer, it's okay to dislike something so long as you don't press your opinion onto others, discussing it is okay though. That said i think it's human nature to put yourself in the best situation (ie, cheapest beer, best flavour, most alcohol if that's your thing), so i'm saying no to saying no to beer snobs.


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## MarkBastard (18/9/09)

peas_and_corn said:


> But that's not very accurate! Fruity as in citrus, grassy, NZ grapefruit, what?



If you want to get more detailed say citris, or grassy, or like grapefruit or whatever.

It is the dialect of it all that annoys me. You read someone else or hear someone else say it, and you copy them, and it makes this big wanky system where if you want to 'officially' talk about a beer or wine you must do it in this pre-defined way, that sounds horribly pompous and stupid and over the top.

You can be perfectly descriptive of a beer without having to sound like a fruitloop. I also think there's a time for just shuting the F up and giving someone a taste of said beer and letting them appreciate it in their own way.

I really think the uprising of quality beer in this country should not be done in exactly the same footprint as wine.

Blokes can go to incredible lengths when cooking yet still not sound like some annoying french chef when they describe it to you. Beer should be like that.


----------



## Katherine (18/9/09)

Mark^Bastard said:


> If you want to get more detailed say citris, or grassy, or like grapefruit or whatever.
> 
> It is the dialect of it all that annoys me. You read someone else or hear someone else say it, and you copy them, and it makes this big wanky system where if you want to 'officially' talk about a beer or wine you must do it in this pre-defined way, that sounds horribly pompous and stupid and over the top.
> 
> ...



Its called CODE. There needs to be a language! 

Im not saying I use this language but in judging they need it.


----------



## bconnery (18/9/09)

Mark^Bastard said:


> Beer is not wine!


You're right. 


Beer is far more complex and much better...


In my opinion, although of course that's slightly redundant as the mere fact of me saying makes it my opinion really...

(I do actually like wine a lot, just in case anyone really cares)

Edit: OK, to stay on topic I try not to be a beer snob, as I believe everyone can drink what they want but I do a) try and steer people towards better beer and B) can't bring myself to drink some things that I used to. I try, but VB etc just tastes bad to me now...


----------



## BitterBulldog (18/9/09)

seeing as we are fast approaching x'mas i love the amount of people that SPLURGE and purchase the VERY BEST Beer ..... you know ..... Crown Lager LOL!

i remember being in Dan's last x'mas & overhearing a couple of workers talking about how the Crown is flying out the store faster than they can bring it in!

Then you go to the pub & people have that SPECIAL x'mas drink are buying Crown bottles instead of the token NEW.... LOL!

It's amazing how tradition sticks! & it's even more amazing that people are content with drinking the same garbage their entire lives!

What's even funnier is BEER isn't an expensive beverage!!!


----------



## rude (19/9/09)

You haven't tried Geelong Pale, have you?

No I havent also I havent tried Southark the South Aussie one either.

But I did try & try the West End one but no way that was imposible.

But still we did give it a run. After that, wasnt game to try Southark

excuse spelling. We then come to our senses & got onto the coopers.

This was a surfing trip to the eyre penisular by the way.

Hey not having a shot at you South Aussies either, we have the dreaded emu export.

Thats what I grew up with till I relised there was a choice emu bitter.

Of course there was Swan larger allso.

I wonder what they were like before my time maybe they used ale yeast.

Anyway if there isnt much cash & you havent had a drink for a while, been working hard chill it down & Im sure it wil be ok just not in quantity.


----------



## Screwtop (19/9/09)

bconnery said:


> You're right.
> 
> 
> Beer is far more complex and much better...
> ...




On the same page as Ben here.

Lagers are the white wines of the beer world, and ales are the reds, some so beautiful and complex. Ponsy words aren't required to describe them, at least not by choice. When tasting a really great beer, your mind pulls words to describe the aromas and flavours from somewhere in it's areas of association and the words can be different for different people. Some really great beers mess with you're mind when tasting, swapping between the dominant flavours and aromas in the beer, these are the most interesting. Have had some of Ben's beers and used words like xmas cake, cinnamon or jaffa to describe them as there was just no other words I could pull from memory that I could use to describe the flavours and aromas.

So, I'm a beer snob, well I wouldn't want to be a head-up-arse type like some wine snobs, but one thing is for sure I love great and interesting beer.


Screwy


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## bum (19/9/09)

BitterBulldog said:


> x'mas



Eat my typographical character kung fu!


----------



## manticle (19/9/09)

I'm going to brew you a larger for x'mas. It's IBU will be awesome.


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## Batz (19/9/09)

manticle said:


> I'm going to brew you a larger for x'mas. It's IBU will be awesome.




Make it a Pilsner and it will be, in Australia it is just approaching Pilsner drinking weather.
I've been working on Pilsner recipes for many years, just now I believe I'm achieving what I want. It's a difficult beer to perfect, to my liking anyway.

Batz


----------



## Batz (19/9/09)

Screwtop said:


> So, I'm a beer snob, well I wouldn't want to be a head-up-arse type like some wine snobs, but one thing is for sure I love great and interesting beer.
> 
> 
> Screwy




They live on the coast mate, never see them in the Hinterlands.





Batz


----------



## NickB (19/9/09)

ROFL, nice one Batz. Looks like Noosa if I'm not mistaken h34r:


PS: I AM a beer snob, and a good one at that  Mind you, I'll still accept a beer if it's free, good or less good....


Cheers


----------



## eamonnfoley (19/9/09)

drunken post removed!


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## chappo1970 (19/9/09)

It's just beer get over it guys.


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## eamonnfoley (19/9/09)

easy to forget sometimes! better get off the soapbox....


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## Screwtop (19/9/09)

Chappo said:


> It's just beer get over it guys.



Says you with 3589 posts in 8 months on AHB :lol: :lol:


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## chappo1970 (19/9/09)

Screwtop said:


> Says you with 3589 posts in 8 months on AHB :lol: :lol:




It's true what can I say? Obviously your better than me. yeah


----------



## barfridge (20/9/09)

Sod off, I'm a loud and proud beer evangelist. I love encouraging people to try new things, grow and broaden their horizons. How awful would this place be if everyone sat around spouting crap like "VB is a good beer, you should brew beer like that". It would stagnate, nothing interesting would happen, and the forum would die. 

But instead people here have the passion to innovate, explore and create, all traits which should be embraced. This is the main reason why I keep coming back here, even if I don't post too often these days. 

But a little bit of knowledge can be a dangerous thing.
Recently I was at a wedding, with a friend of mine who is a serious wine collector. I have been introducing him to beers, and he has been reciprocating with wine.
He went up to the bar, muttered that the wine list was shite, and grabbed a crownie
I went up to the bar, muttered that the beer list was equally shite, and grabbed a glass of red.
Back at the table we tasted our respective beverages, frowned, and simultaneously blamed each other for spoiling our tastebuds.

And now we are educating our palates with whiskies, brandies and other spirits. Pretty soon there won't be anything left we can't turn our nose up at  And i wouldn't have it any other way.


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## Infinitee (1/11/09)

There's a 'pilsener-drinking time of year' ?
VB is shit ? (I agree, but be fair, at a few below zero - there's not alot that isn't refreshing)
All grains are 'the way to go' and inherently better than a liquidmalt or grainless beer ?
Glass is better than plastic ?
AHB is the bomb?! (Just kidding, this place really is the bomb diggity)

Well, I think beer snobbery goes deeper than just frowning upon commercially produced piss (though some of it is pretty watery and it's all unpleasant enough warm) but it goes right into the heart of the homebrew community (real and virtual).
Other homebrewers have told me that I simply CAN'T put my brew into twist tops and just screw the lid back on (this has worked for 499 out of about 500 bottles) and that I just Can't use a good deal of hot-water, I Must use metabisulphate to stop contaminants. Yea right!

I disagree. Do it the way you will and enjoy your own swill.

Many failures (after a few months to mellow themselves) become brilliant brews.
And even one contaminated brew of my brothers was utterly delicious (somehow synthesised a port/berry taste and golden syrup aroma).

This hop, that hop, a thousand strains of yeasts.
I've had very pleasant homegrown hops. Harsh on your palate, but mine may be adapted to it.
I've also used wild airborne yeast, pigeon shit for nutrient, whole millet grains for a base.
I've fermented in buckets, bins, glass and plastic bags.

And i don't consider myself an expert.

But trying the same things the 'gourmets' try and saying it's the only way to go,
Is the opposite of the creative spirit of the craft-industry of homebrew,
Ignorant of the long and simple history its enjoyed &
I'm afraid, doesn't make you an expert either.


~Sorry, don't mean to ruffle feathers ... & I know I'm a 'newbie' (Kill da noobz!).
~But beer snobbery -of any sort- I don't buy.
~(And can't stand not having my 2c worth) :lol:


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## bum (1/11/09)

Pigeon shit, you say?

Sorry, I didn't think I'd ever have to do this, but I am going to out myself as a no-faeces-in-my-beer-thanks snob.


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## Infinitee (1/11/09)

Fair suck of the sav, mate.

It was country-pigeon shit, UV irradiated and brew-pasteurised into a bit of sediment that never makes it to the bottle anyhow.
(And it was better than 4X)

See what I mean, people?!


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## peas_and_corn (1/11/09)

I say no to poorly placed commas.


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## bum (1/11/09)

I say no to misidentifying independent clauses.


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## Infinitee (1/11/09)

3 Can play your game.

I say no to grammar, to convention and to undue conviction.

And ofcourse, who could resist to saying no to drugs?


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## Barley Belly (1/11/09)

I say "YES" toilet chin mounted toilet paper dispensers :lol: :lol:


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## dicko (1/11/09)

Hi.

I have found over the years of brewing at home that the general public ( friends and relatives who don't brew ) expect the beer that you may serve them to be pretty much the same as the beer they may get in the pub.

When they come to my home some bring Crown Lager some bring West End Draught some bring Cascade etc and the list goes on.

I find that the majority opinion nearly always rules; in other words, if you have two or three West WEnd, Blonde, Super Dry, drinkers then comments are generally negative indicating that the beer is not the same as they are used to. Having said this I notice that most still are happy to drink the beer offered.

Then you may get the people who don't stand in the bar at the pub knocking these beers down like there is no tomorrow and then you can offer them a beer, maybe an APA or an Amber or a California Common or any other beer that you may have brewed.
I have had some say that they have enjoyed one of my APA's more than any other beer.
No boasting here.

I have a workmen's house that I quite often stay in, in another regional town on the Eyre Peninsula and I have found that when I buy JS or LC or any other beer and leave it in the fridge then, the guys will drink it without comment. But you guessed it. It is replaced with the regulatory Blonde, Super Dry, West End etc, etc,

This indicates to me anyway, that, the price is the major factor with the majority of beer drinkers in Aus (or at least SA).
I agree with Screwtop and his comments. Both beer and wine is to be appreciated for what it is. Beer is not expensive.

There is some bad beers (including HB Micro and Mega) as there is bad wines but within the wine parameters the product is not often considered a HB but a small winery or a bad year etc etc.
After all, there is not many homes that the general public may be invited to, that, serve HB wine and , or beer.

So as a response to this original post I call myself a "fence sitter", although I reluctantly call myself a beer snob if it comes to a bad beer.

It is an interesting topic and the more we all can do tho introduce the megaswilling public to "good" beer the more we will find people enjoying the match of beer and food or just enjoying a quality beer after a days work to "quench" their thirst.

Cheers


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## staggalee (1/11/09)

I say no to posting under bodgie names/user accounts.

stagga.


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## gwozniak (1/11/09)

BitterBulldog said:


> seeing as we are fast approaching x'mas i love the amount of people that SPLURGE and purchase the VERY BEST Beer ..... you know ..... Crown Lager LOL!
> 
> i remember being in Dan's last x'mas & overhearing a couple of workers talking about how the Crown is flying out the store faster than they can bring it in!
> 
> ...


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## Muggus (1/11/09)

I'm very guilty of this. Even to the point where i'll rag on mates for drinking "boutique" beer of lower standard, and explain why they've made a shit choice and how to redeem themselves.
As annoying as I can be it does get infectious, and most of my beer drinking mates do tend to drink high quality microbrewed beer when possible and are keen to go out and try new things. So I guess i'm technically doing my part for the Aussie beer industry in a little way.


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## Steve Lacey (1/11/09)

Are there any craft breweries in Australia that serve beer of questionable value? There are plenty in Japan. And wine comes in a wide range of quality around the $10-20 price point. Labels and brands count for nothing. You just have to trust your own taste and palette and enjoy what you enjoy and avoid what you don't. I went to a BBQ today (in Tokyo) after a half-marathon, and we drank Aussie xxxx from Costco, which was bland, but fine for the occasion, and bottles of Hardy's unwooded chardonnay, which was even better for the occasion. I ended up later in the afternoon at Baird's taproom in Harajuku (member Just CJ is head brewer of Baird) and had a hoppy IPA and a well-crafted pumpkin ale. For late in the day, with a few drinks under the belt, this was a perfect way to finish the day. At that point, another xxxx or Asahi Super Dry would not have cut the mustard. You have to keep in mind the time and place. And remember that, if you can't be with the one you love, love the one you're with B)


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## manticle (1/11/09)

Steve Lacey said:


> Are there any craft breweries in Australia that serve beer of questionable value?



There's at least one that I can think of. I may have just had a bad pint but I've not heard anything good about any of their others and the response I got from my feedback in regards to said pint was less than satisfactory.


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## bum (1/11/09)

You're an enigma.


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