The Truth about Craft Beers...

Selfish Giant

I've heard a lot about these so-called 'beer snobs', but in all honesty, the only consistent snobbery that I've come across is from people that prefer Guinness, Smithwicks, etc. I drink a range of beers, but I'll almost always have a smart remark thrown at me when I'm drinking a 'craft beer'. The amount of times that people have told me that I'm drinking piss, and these same guys refuse to even taste it! Imagine telling someone that they've terrible taste in music, without listening to a single song. It's very bizarre.

Ghost Buster

SEPT 23 1989 wrote: »

No they dont

Some have big bubbles, some have little bubbles.

Selfish Giant

SEPT 23 1989 wrote: »

No they dont

I agree. Coors, particularly Coors Light, is the worst alcoholic drink I've ever tasted. If my tongue was 'blindfolded' I'd still recognise its particular style of nothingness.

But to prove I'm not a 'beer snob', the second worst alcoholic drink that I've tasted was Ola Dubh Special Reserve 12, which is rated 'outstanding', with a score of 92/100, on Beeradvocate.com.

buried

lol the f**king thread title - "The TRUTH about Craft beers" as if the OP's opinion is the literal 'factual truth' for the planet
Just opened a 1litre bottle of Black's of Kinsale Model T stout with three more to go. "The TRUTH about Buried getting very very drunk tonight".

username2013

kylith wrote: »

This.

I love being able to try loads of different beers and find something that I like. I was in the Porterhouse recently and asked for the barmaid's recommendation and she poured me a couple of wee samples, which was nice of her. I went to the beerfest in 2013 and it was great fun.

It was nice but it should be standard. Lets face it you are paying more for supposedly premium product so a little sample to know that you like it is in order and is in fact good business, more than likely you will go back to the Porterhouse and they have just got some excellent free advertising here! I no longer live in Ireland so I am not sure what is normal there but a free sampler is no problem in any of the bars here in Toronto.

LuckyLloyd

Give me choice. That's the main thing. The only thing I'm against is the same narrow range of generic brands in every pub. There should be no reason why you and I are unable to sit in the same pub and both get a beer we'd like.

Diageo nearly killed the concept of choice in this country so **** them.

Tin Foil Hat

Craft beers often tend to have strong tastes by design. That's why people who don't like them seem to really hate them. Mass produced beers, on the other hand, seem to be designed not to offend, rather than to please. Very little flavour at all, a lot of the time.
Craft beers also use a lot of hops. I heard recently that, even tough the craft beer industry is a tiny percentage of the market (5-10%, maybe) it uses 60% of all the hops used in the brewing industry. So, if you don't like the taste of hops, then you're not going to like many craft beers.
They are also often served at the wrong temperature. Lots of them should be served at 8 or 9 or even 12 degrees. Not 3 or 4 degrees like you would serve the mass market brands.
I think they are great. They make drinking beer more interesting and fun than it has been for most of my adult life. I can't stand the inverted snobbery that seem to be rife on the internet against people who have dared to move away from the only 6 or 7 taps that could be seen in almost every pub in the country until recently.

saywhatyousee

All alcohol tastes horrible I refuse to believe anyone enjoys the taste of beer craft mass produced or otherwise.i only drink grey goose because its so neutral tasting

happyoutscan

I bloody love German biers. The majority of bier brewed within it's borders is lovely. Absolutely bloody brilliant.

I also like trying a few craft beers from time to time but I drink too fast so they usually end up ming-warping me fairly quickly.

Wouldn't go for the buds or coors but each to their own.

Calibos

As a bud drinker, the day I stop being asked how I can drink 'that piss-water' is the day I stop thinking all craft beer drinkers are pretentious hipster ****.


I like my piss-water thank you very much!

Wolf Club

If I was going on a long, heavy session where 10+ pints were being consumed I'd go for the more "conventional" beers (Becks, Heineken, etc) but if I was just having 2 or 3, I'd definitely try a few craft beers if they were on offer. They seem a bit more like a treat, and generally offer a lot more variety.

As for the snobbishness around them, people can develop those attitudes about anything that's relatively new and perceived as trendy (music, art, food, etc). It doesn't seem to prevail in places I've been to where craft beers have been popular for longer than they have here.

Eutow

jetsonx wrote: »

As we all know, there has been an explosion in the number of craft beers available on the market.

But very few of these are actually nice. (nicer than Bud, Coors etc but that would not be too hard) Most are too watery, too hoppy or just lack any sort of decent flavor.

There are of course exceptions. Five Lamps is a tasty brew as is Red Rebel but other ones which I've tasted have stood out for being totally unremarkable, forgettable or just insipid.

The fact of the matter is most, not all, craft beers su@k.

What do you think?

The only truth is that Bud, Corona, Coors and Molson are sh!t. Why else would they have to be frozen to be drinkable.

Regarding the non mass produced beers, taste is subjective, there is no truth really. I don't like Five Lamps lager, but the Five Lamps Black Pitts Porter is nice.

Poor Uncle Tom

Gatling wrote: »

Give me a nice ruby ale over the common piss water larger.

Nothing like a nice rounded Bishops Finger.......;)

Anesthetize

Calibos wrote: »

As a bud drinker, the day I stop being asked how I can drink 'that piss-water' is the day I stop thinking all craft beer drinkers are pretentious hipster ****.


I like my piss-water thank you very much!

Lol @ someone referencing hipsters in 2015. It's not 2009 any more!

A Neurotic

'Craft beer' is a really broad term. It basically means 'almost all beer in the world apart from Diageo/etc's stuff'.

A lot of people have 'tried a craft beer and didn't like it'. What they tried was one beer, of one style, from one brewery, out of thousands of options out there.

I think just calling it beer is simpler.

dashcamdanny

The Truth about Craft Beers.....

The truth is that craft beers were here for a long time before the OP even noticed. Such lovely English ales and brews have always been available in good off licences and bars .

The rise of the Irish craft brewery is nothing other than spectacular. We have nailed it from the starting blocks. Lots of people are fed up with Diageo telling them what's nice. Its good to see small Irish business grow and fitting perfectly into a growing gap in the market.

To say bud or coors is piss is also ignorance. Its cheap to make and bland for sure, but other may call it light and refreshing, and its certainly nice when in the correct setting . Say on a hot summer day. Just the same way a strong IPA or stout is nice with a with a meal.


Lots of BS on this thread by people who know nothing about beer. Hipster?? Because one is interested in IPA or the like..

To be honest, one should not be led by what their friends on Facebox say, and try things for themselves.

mfceiling

SEPT 23 1989 wrote: »

No they dont

Yes they do...

worded

I drink craft beers on and off but recently tried a few and one ale from this place was outstanding

http://www.wicklowwolf.com

I will try pick out which one it was and Post back. On a smart arse phone at the moment

New film being made in the same town called 50 shades of Bray

MagicMarker

I simply do not care about beer enough to want to taste the vast majority of craft beers. I'd generally drink Heineken when out, and all that I ask is that it's ice cold. That's it. I don't give a toss about "experiencing new tastes", it's ****in' beer. I generally don't drink it for the taste anyway!

To me it's kind of like opting to drink fancy flavoured water instead of actual water. I want my water to be cold. I want my beer to be cold. I want water to quench my thirst. I want my beer to get me pissed. Once I've achieved those goals I'm as happy as a pig in ****.

And I speak as someone who doesn't really drink much, haven't had a drink in 3 months.

MagicMarker

MagicMarker wrote: »

I simply do not care about beer enough to want to taste the vast majority of craft beers. I'd generally drink Heineken when out....

Those two expressions go perfectly together. If you don't give a ****e about beer, drink HeinekenAmstelFostersCarlsberg. Or if you don't give a ****e about beer, and you don't like yellow fizz, drink Diageo Black and pretend it's the very definition of being Paddy Irish.

But if you do give a ****e about beer, drink beer.

Each to their own, that's what I say.

MagicMarker

Deleted User wrote: »

Those two expressions go perfectly together. If you don't give a ****e about beer, drink HeinekenAmstelFostersCarlsberg. Or if you don't give a ****e about beer, and you don't like yellow fizz, drink Diageo Black and pretend it's the very definition of being Paddy Irish.

But if you do give a ****e about beer, drink beer.

Each to their own, that's what I say.

Is Heineken not beer? Ya see, there's a certain undertone to your post that seems to be prevalent among many craft beer drinkers. And it's that undertone that makes some people think craft beer drinkers are just a bunch of ****.

ThisRegard

MagicMarker wrote: »

That's it. I don't give a toss about "experiencing new tastes", it's ****in' beer. I generally don't drink it for the taste anyway!

You're not the target audience obviously, you drink beer for the same reason people drink Buckfast.


People saying they don't like craft beer is like people saying they don't like food after eating a rotten turnip or something.

dresden8

AndonHandon wrote: »

What does craft beer even mean?

Small brewery.

MagicMarker

ThisRegard wrote: »

People saying they don't like craft beer is like people saying they don't like food after eating a rotten turnip or something.

I didn't say I don't like it, I just don't care. And your analogy is pretty stupid.

buried

MagicMarker wrote: »

Is Heineken not beer? Ya see, there's a certain undertone to your post that seems to be prevalent among many craft beer drinkers. And it's that undertone that makes some people think craft beer drinkers are just a bunch of ****.

Did you ever try any of them MM?

Ranchu

People that moan about craft beers tend to have the same attitude as people that moan about vegetarians and they all end up sounding like 90 year old stuck in their ways assholes.

ThisRegard

MagicMarker wrote: »

I didn't say I don't like it, I just don't care. And your analogy is pretty stupid.

And I never said you did either.

dashcamdanny

Deleted User wrote: »

Those two expressions go perfectly together. If you don't give a ****e about beer, drink HeinekenAmstelFostersCarlsberg. Or if you don't give a ****e about beer, and you don't like yellow fizz, drink Diageo Black and pretend it's the very definition of being Paddy Irish.

But if you do give a ****e about beer, drink beer.

Each to their own, that's what I say.

You come across as ignorant with that post.

What exactly do you not like about Heineken?

Is it the hops they use? The strength.

Do you know what you don't like about it? The image maybe.

Ranchu

dashcamdanny wrote: »

You come across as ignorant with that post.

What exactly do you not like about Heineken?

Is it the hops they use? The strength.

Do you know what you don't like about it? The image maybe.

I'd imagine it's the taste.

Anesthetize

MagicMarker wrote: »

I don't give a toss about "experiencing new tastes", it's ****in' beer. I generally don't drink it for the taste anyway.

This post makes me sad. I always scratch my head and wonder why so many people don't try to get the most out of the finer things in life.

dan1895

The thing that annoys me is oeople saying all craft is piss or all macro is piss. There's good and bad in both.

worded

I'm a Heineken drinker 90% of the time and rarely drink craft beers but I'm getting ferocious hangovers these days.

I'm wondering if there is a difference between bottled Heineken and draft Heineken. Dirty lines can Fcuk you up I know.

Anyway on topic. I'm wondering if craft beers are more "wholesome"

I've recently acquired some home made jam and its outstanding, I'd never eat mass produced jam again.

I've recently discovered Avoca brown bread, my god the stuff is amazing. It's miles better / healthier than anything I've ever eaten.

So I'm thinking, are some small local breweries making a way superior product? The taste of www.wicklowwolf.com is outstanding. I only had two bottle so don't know if its the answer to my hangovers but I'm staying away from draft for a good while to see if my body prefers bottled.

Call me what you will but I like quality and I like supporting small businesses in ireland if I can.

breakfasttime

My only preference is for my beer to be cold . . . and even that's negotiable.

alphonse mephisto

They're tasty!!!

buried

Ahh Heineken ain't that bad if all your looking for is to purely unwind of an evening and have a few cold beers. The main reason I got into craft beers and the smaller Irish breweries is because they make good stuff that I enjoy the taste and buzz off their product. They also are trying to compete in a market which is basically a heavily advertised 'Diageo/Vintner federation' Racket, so they need the support because they do make a very good, unadvertised, actual Irish product. Its a shame they are not available in more pubs here, but it is also a shame more pubs do not serve food in the evening, a lot of these craft beers, especially the stout's are very nice with meals such as steak and stews in the winter. The pubs are missing a trick here IMO

dashcamdanny

worded wrote: »

I'm a Heineken drinker 90% of the time and rarely drink craft beers but I'm getting ferocious hangovers these days.

I'm wondering if there is a difference between bottled Heineken and draft Heineken. Dirty lines can Fcuk you up I know.

Anyway on topic. I'm wondering if craft beers are more "wholesome"

I've recently acquired some home made jam and its outstanding, I'd never eat mass produced jam again.

I've recently discovered Avoca brown bread, my god the stuff is amazing. It's miles better / healthier than anything I've ever eaten.

So I'm thinking, are some small local breweries making a way superior product? The taste of www.wicklowwolf.com is outstanding. I only had two bottle so don't know if its the answer to my hangovers but I'm staying away from draft for a good while to see if my body prefers bottled.

Call me what you will but I like quality and I like supporting small businesses in ireland if I can.

Its something that grew on me.

The same way good coffee grows on you till one day you will no longer want instant and crave a nice latte or cappuccino instead.

Same thing really. Quality over quantity.

bnt

I've had both good and bad craft beers, and some types seem to work better than others. Best have been Weissbiers of various sorts, but I've totally gone off IPAs after a few bad ones - and it seems like every craft brewer is doing an IPA. The worst all seemed to be "too young", as if they weren't completely brewed - or, if that's how an IPA is supposed to be, I'll take a bottle of Proper Job instead.

Fratton Fred

samapple789 wrote: »

Metel Man in waterford is also a very good beer to drink and its so easy to drink compare to budwaser piss and the like.

Lovely lovely lovely beer.

Beer though, like wine, music and art is all a matter of personal taste.

Eutow

MagicMarker wrote: »

I simply do not care about beer enough to want to taste the vast majority of craft beers. I'd generally drink Heineken when out, and all that I ask is that it's ice cold. That's it. I don't give a toss about "experiencing new tastes", it's ****in' beer. I generally don't drink it for the taste anyway!

To me it's kind of like opting to drink fancy flavoured water instead of actual water. I want my water to be cold. I want my beer to be cold. I want water to quench my thirst. I want my beer to get me pissed. Once I've achieved those goals I'm as happy as a pig in ****.

I sometimes drink it as well, along with Kronenbourg 1664, if buying cheap cans, bottles or whatever. But if out in a pub, I will go for something else. If I'm buying pints I would rather spend that money on something I genuinely enjoy rather than something just to get pissed. It seems pointless to me to spend all that money on something with little to no taste. I drink beer because I like it and I want something I can enjoy.

dashcamdanny wrote: »

You come across as ignorant with that post.

What exactly do you not like about Heineken?

Is it the hops they use? The strength.

Do you know what you don't like about it? The image maybe.

Heineken is okay, I would drink it on and off. You can get a case of it and it doesn't cost a lot, something you can't do with micro-brewery beers. It doesn't taste of much though, that's the problem, and if you are in a bar it seems pointless to me to spend all that money on pints of the stuff when there are better options available for not much more. Ireland gets the paddy spec version of it, so it's even more tasteless.

Desolation Of Smug

Never tried one, never will. I like wine. I'm a wino. If Jesus had turned the water into beer, I'd follow his tip. He picked wine. Mainly as it tastes nicer.

anncoates

Craft Beer is one of those amusing things whereby the mongos that get so worked up about what is essentially just different, more complex beers (very much like music, food, wine etc) look far more intolerant and idiotic than the supposed fart-smelling hipsters to whom they are taking offence.

P_1

Macro beers are brewed to appeal to as many folk as possible which means you get the bland taste/flavor you can set your watch by (delete as appropriate).

Micro beers are brewed for those who want something different meaning that the taste is a bit like marmite

Anesthetize

P_1 wrote: »

Macro beers are brewed to appeal to as many folk as possible which means you get the bland taste/flavor you can set your watch by (delete as appropriate).

Micro beers are brewed for those who want something different meaning that the taste is a bit like marmite

And the thing about micro beers is that there's such a wide variation in tastes meaning that there's something for everyone. Anybody who can't find a micro beer that they enjoy is either extremely fussy or is just an idiot.

Dog of Tears

I believe my subjective opinion is a universal truth and wish to argue with similar minded folks.

Have I come to the right thread?

buried

Dog of Tears wrote: »

I believe my subjective opinion is a universal truth and wish to argue with similar minded folks.

Have I come to the right thread?

Indeed you have! Would you like a beer?

anncoates

MagicMarker wrote: »

I didn't say I don't like it, I just don't care. And your analogy is pretty stupid.

It's actually an OK analogy if a but vague.

You're saying you go out and pay about a fiver for a pint of something that you can't taste but want to get pissed with.

Others are saying they go out and pay a relatively small amount more money to get pissed drinking something with a more complex taste.

Whatever you want to drink is fine but why the constant need to denigrate a slightly more (so called) premium taste for anything as an affectation?

What's weird about the craft thing is that I know people that constantly moan abut craft beer snobbery but by that silly yardstick they would be complete snobs when it came to their so called tastes in music, food and clothes.

Kevin McCloud

Im sticking with the poteen anyway.

Frito

Banana bread beer, yum. It's almost an alcopop.

Mec-a-nic

I find macro beers bland and causing too many hangovers. If I'm going to be paying that sort of money, I want some choice, of local beers, in bottles - the taste is nearly always worth the experience and sure, we're getting the alcohol in the end.
--
Beer is living proof that God loves us and wants us to be happy. (BF)

WoollyRedHat

NomadicGray wrote: »

Hope he gives you a discount

I got the Bishops Finger too.