Are They Scared Of Flavour?

[mike_hillyer]

Go the Coopers Pale, because its top fermented in the traditional manner (not engineered by lab techs). in addition, the company survived the severe economic rationalism of the 80's. Cooper's Sparkling would be in my top two favourite beers. How many products have a "best after" sticker on them? Apparently, those in the know in Adelaide cellar their Sparkling for two years before sampling.

This was another reason for making Noble Falls my locals I could have a pint of Belgium White buy a couple of small bottles of sparkling for the road (mine don't last long enough to be cellared infact they struggle to last the drive ) then have a couple of homebrews when I get home. Not a synthetic chemical in sight.

 

[Sloth]

I hear ya guys.

Lots of people at uni know I'm a home brewer and start talking about how crap alot of the commercial beers are. I soon ask what they tend to drink and get the response of Carlton Draught...

My mind then rapidly searches for a way out the the conversation, hopefully the room but preferably the building!!!

If only I had a dollar for each...

Sloth.

 

[jimi]

In the parallel world of music 15 years ago there was a time when some music was calling itself "alternative" the ardent followers of this genre claimed this music was more stimulating and creative and most things popular were bland and boring. As alternative became more widely embraced and commercially consumed the ardent followers of alternative felt some sense of validation and then a later a prolonged sense of identity lost. Their defining passion had become almost common place and trendy and they complained of their favourites "selling out" to have greater appeal.

My point (eventually) is, if we got what we wanted in beer culture (boutique beer ago-go) would we be happier?? :blink:

I personally don't need the masses to agree with me to feel validated about my taste in beer. If the masses don't feel that they should expect anymore from beer than a crisp dry flavourless fizz drink, so be it! If they have little aspirations for their drink they are more likely to achieve it and blissfully ignorant and happy.

 

[scotsdalebrewery]

Here Here jimi!! We stopped at Holgate brewhouse on the way home from a cricket trip to Bendigo. It was a little bit self indulgent but I thought it would be great to give these guys a different beer taste. Worst mistake ever. We left straight after the meals and I told them 'Stuff ya, If you dont want to try new stuff well then stick to your CUB crap - see if I care'. They all call me a beer snob!

 

[BoilerBoy]

Its really interesting peoples responses to beer I have given to them to try, some absolutely love it and cant wait to try anything else I brew and are amazed at the diversity of beer and the styles that actually exist.

Others and one imparticular said "I like to guzzle beer so long as it tastes ok I'll drink it" What he really ment was so long as the taste doesn't get in the way of his guzzling its ok.

I went to europe in 98 and loved the diversity of foods and how different people do things. We had some relatives of my wifes from europe stay with us 3 years ago and they refused to try anything different than their normal tates, it wasn't negotiable.
You have to ask what they expected when travelling to a different country, but some people are resolute in their attitudes toward anything new and beer is no different.

BB

 

[mike_hillyer]

Oh Jimmy, Jimmy, Jimmy! Your comparison is clever and appreciated however when did music become as dire as the early 1980's beer scene in Perth? Red or green mate! Really good beer is so joyous I'll tell anyone who cares to listen and I have had quiet a few wins too. I use the dripping water on a stone method; eventually you leave an impression

 

[3GumsBrewing]

I asked virtually every beer shopper that came into the store. 1 in 10 tried one. The usual comments were: Carlton draught is good, ill try the black.
Is leffe blonde low carb? (refering to pure blonde)
Coopers stout, is that like the pale ale?

I even had one customer look at the beers i had on tasting and say 'i prefer boutique beers' and then go and buy a carton of boags st george!

Ash

Sorry to drag up an old thread but I just had to get this one out there, I had almost the same experience last night at Dan Murphys.

I had Leffe Blonde, Leffe Vieille Cuvee (god I love this beer!), Timothy Taylor Landlord and Fullers ESB lined up ready to pay for when the sales person asked me what the Leffe Blonde was like as he was watching his weight but still wanted to drink beer :excl: .
I said it was a Belgian beer and probably would not be a good beer if you wanted to watch your weight. He replied that "oh all those German beers taste like Stella to me anyway" I payed, walked to my car and died a little inside...

Cheers
DK

 

[mikem108]

I usually find myself also educating Dans staff not only on beer but wine also, when I can be bothered! Funilly enough most of the calories in beer come from the alcohol http://www.beer100.com/beercalories.htm
sad to see the term Blonde in Australia has come to equal beer "for Blondes" who are watching their weight .
At St Peters Brewery last week Matt said he calls his Blonde "High Carb beer"

I also love the Leffe Vieille Cuvee but can't get it at my Dans

 

[drsmurto]

I've converted a few friends...

All you need to do have something like an aussie ale or an ordinary bitter as a stepping stone and progress from there. The differance between VB and a LCPA is huge for someone not expecting or experienced in flavour.

The other point is the better beer is the dearest, turns people off paying the premium price, even if it is worth the money.

Think you hit the nail on the head and explains to me what i did wrong.

I had mates around for a bbq and wanted to get them tasting some of the beers i like so offered them tastes of LCPA, JSGA and the Knappstein lager. They all said it was nice, and wow, theres a lot of flavour in that but when i offered them their own stubby - 'no mate, its fine, i brought my own' and proceeds to open TED or carlton draught. I am ashamed to admit that a lot of my mates wont even but CPA.

More for me i guess.

 

[Steve]

Think you hit the nail on the head and explains to me what i did wrong.

I had mates around for a bbq and wanted to get them tasting some of the beers i like so offered them tastes of LCPA, JSGA and the Knappstein lager. They all said it was nice, and wow, theres a lot of flavour in that but when i offered them their own stubby - 'no mate, its fine, i brought my own' and proceeds to open TED or carlton draught. I am ashamed to admit that a lot of my mates wont even but CPA.

More for me i guess.

same here....my six brother in laws just dont get into my home brews.....comments like....hmmm thats fruity (an APA)....hmmmm thats sweet (a Pilsner) etc etc. Never any compliments, never any insults but they dont usually have a second glass. Nah shes right mate i brought a six pack of Carlton Cold. Ah well, each to their own I guess.
Cheers
Steve

 

[user 1153]

comments like....hmmm thats fruity (an APA)....hmmmm thats sweet (a Pilsner) etc etc. Never any compliments, never any insults but they dont usually have a second glass.

Yeah one of my mates would always try my home brew and no matter what style it was he would always reply... "hmmmm it's a bit hoppy". All the time. Every single time.

My Toohey's New swilling mate here in Canberra will drink my home brew until he passes out (if you let him and has done home brewing so it wouldn't be hard to get him back into some decent beers.

But he still buys his cartons of New every week. sigh... At least he doesn't whinge about the increased flavour. I think he just likes the fact it is free (for him ) and on tap.

 

[dflower]

Last year I was in the US on a Contiki tour with a bunch of Aussie blokes who were all buying their Bud Lite/Corona etc... we went to a restaurant in San Diego where they happened to be selling Stones Arrogant ******* (in 22 oz bottles ), which was just fantastic. I gave a couple of the guys a taste and their comment was 'Jeez that's rough!'.

I gave up trying to convert them at that point, but continued to enjoy the multitude of different microbrews available in the liquor stores/supermarkets by myself and let them have their Bud Lites... I just think they're missing out on so much variety of flavour.

Dave

 

[PostModern]

I personally don't need the masses to agree with me to feel validated about my taste in beer. If the masses don't feel that they should expect anymore from beer than a crisp dry flavourless fizz drink, so be it! If they have little aspirations for their drink they are more likely to achieve it and blissfully ignorant and happy.

I don't need anything but my dancing tastebuds to validate my preference in good beer.

The motivation for me to improve the palates of the great unwashed is to get a bigger market for microbrewed beer. There will be good breweries and there will be bad breweries opening in the next few years. What we need to do is support all of them to help them establish market share. They won't get that with just AHB members, let's face it. The more palates we can educate and more wallets we can pry open, the better the beer market will be overall.

 

[Batz]

How many times have your met someone new and mentioned you home brew ?
Usually you get a laugh,woeful HB story and then asked....does it taste like xxxx Gold?

This must have happened to me hundreds of times,HB talk is often best kept to like minded people


Batz

 

[Darren]

Funilly enough most of the calories in beer come from the alcohol http://www.beer100.com/beercalories.htm

I too have found that amusing. The people who drink wine because it is "less fattening"

Actually it is 3x as fattening per serving.

The down side is that it it probably is easier to drink three longnecks of beer than a bottle of wine :chug:

cheers

Darren

 

[stew41]

I own a wine and beer retail business that is fanatical about not selling mainstream products. An obvious consequence of this stance that is we tend to alienate the passer-by trade that is just looking for a 'safe choice' to drink at the restaraunt next door......

"why don't you have any Jacob's Creek"

"why don't you sell any real wine"

"where's a real bottle shop"

We get this crap all the time. What it does confirm (in my mind) is that a significant portion of the Australian population are not interested in expanding their eating and drinking horizons and in doing so actively celebrate factory produced crap. I sense we are more mainstream in the way we choose to eat and drink than even the US. I mean, how the hell can two rubbish beer producers have ~90% of the market. Because the rank and file punter is happy to support them.

I've even had people complain, somewhat unwhittingly, that [insert quality micro beer name here] has too much flavour. Of course, I've been accused of being a 'poof' for not adoring the great 'Bogan's borthday beer' (Crown)....these attitudes, whilst mostly in jest, are common place and reflects the mainstream unwillingess to try something 'different'.

Nowithstanding....it's getting better and more and more young types (say u/25) are starting to show a genuine interest in micros. But, jeez, we have a long way to go.