# Sell me on beer snobbery **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Tags:** beer\ **Created:** [April 28, 2010, 2:46am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sell-me-on-beer-snobbery/537595 "2010-04-28T02:46:54Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 5
**Author:** ![Capt.Ridley\_s\_Shooting\_Party](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/cc9497/32.png) [@Capt.Ridley\_s\_Shooting\_Party](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Capt.Ridley_s_Shooting_Party)\ **Post date:** [April 29, 2010, 12:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sell-me-on-beer-snobbery/537595/81 "2010-04-29T12:24:54Z")
> [@pulykamell](#): > > What the hell is Rockford’s? A microbrewer based in Delaware, apparently. ---
**Author:** ![silenus](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/silenus/32/166_2.png) [@silenus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/silenus)\ **Post date:** [April 29, 2010, 12:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sell-me-on-beer-snobbery/537595/82 "2010-04-29T12:27:10Z")
> [@Rigamarole](#): > > Right now I’m sipping the Pale Ale. It’s undoubtedly better than any beer I’ve had to date, although I’m not going to go so far as to say I’m an instant convert. But it is good enough that I’m interested in experimenting further… Told ya. 😃 The tastings are going to be an eye-opener for you. Don’t expect to like every beer you try. Sturgeon’s Law applies to beer, too. But the gems you find that you like make it all worthwhile. If the Apricot Ale tastes good to you, try to find Buffalo Bill’s Orange Blossom ale. Lovely stuff. ---
**Author:** ![Martini\_Enfield](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/martini_enfield/32/11123_2.png) [@Martini\_Enfield](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Martini_Enfield)\ **Post date:** [April 29, 2010, 1:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sell-me-on-beer-snobbery/537595/83 "2010-04-29T13:00:25Z")
> [@pulykamell](#): > > Very few of the beers listed here would technically qualify as microbrews, although colloquially they are almost always referred to as such. The term “craft brewery” or “craft brew” is not really a common term for anyone but beer geeks really (and even beer geeks–at least the ones I know–don’t make the distinction very often.) I’m pretty sure that “Craft Beer” is a fairly common designator in Australia for beers from places that are bigger than a “boutique” or “micro-” brewery, but not generally available “On Tap” at most bars. Certainly, when I worked in the liquor business, there was definitely a distinction between “microbreweries”, “craft beers”, and the big selling stuff. ---
**Author:** ![Snickers](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/5daacb/32.png) [@Snickers](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Snickers)\ **Post date:** [April 29, 2010, 1:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sell-me-on-beer-snobbery/537595/84 "2010-04-29T13:28:22Z")
> [@Grey](#): > > Have to admit that I find that attitude of “not beers with training wheels” annoying. Not everything has to be hopped to the Nth degree, and many that try completely swamp all the other aspects of the beer. I know it’s marketing, but I still hate it. Ja, I don’t care for it either. And I don’t care for overly hopped beers either, but the market’s seemed to have decided that that’s what Americans want (much like the wine market’s decided that Americans want dry dry dry wines), hence the saturation of overly bitter IPAs. Me, I like malt. Bring on the malty sweetness. If I want bitter, I’ll look somewhere else. But that’s how Surly likes to characterize it, so I thought I’d pass it on. If you like really hoppy beers, Surly might be right for you. I think their Bender is OK, but that’s about it. The others are just too hoppy for me; I’m not interested. ---
**Author:** ![footballisplayedwithyourfeet](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/9f8e36/32.png) [@footballisplayedwithyourfeet](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/footballisplayedwithyourfeet)\ **Post date:** [April 29, 2010, 1:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sell-me-on-beer-snobbery/537595/85 "2010-04-29T13:29:16Z")
I haven’t had the pleasure of trying out any of these Canadian and American micro brews I’ve never heard of (I’ll make sure to do so next time I’m over) but you can’t go wrong with the Belgians. Also I’ve noticed that a lot of you are saying that it isn’t difficult to _find_ these beers in the US. In my opinion the best thing about going to a bar in Belgium or the Netherlands is that most of the time they will have quite a selection available; it’s like you sit down and go: ok, let’s see what beers they have here. If you really feel like special beers, most places have special beer cafes that have huge selections and will always have something you haven’t seen before. Even the supermarkets carry Duvel, Gulden Draek, multiple Chimays, Westmalle’s, Leffes and La Trappe’s. ---
**Author:** ![Sitnam](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/6a8cbe/32.png) [@Sitnam](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sitnam)\ **Post date:** [April 29, 2010, 1:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sell-me-on-beer-snobbery/537595/86 "2010-04-29T13:31:16Z")
[Chimey Grand Reserve](http://www.google.com/products?hl=en&q=chimay+reserve&um=1&ie=UTF-8&ei=WYnZS7e5NpHsNIGwzWQ&sa=X&oi=product_result_group&ct=title&resnum=3&ved=0CBwQrQQwAg) - it’s pricey at about $10 a bottle, but they’re large bottles sold individually and with an alcohol content of around 10% one gets me more buzzed than a 6 pack of Newcastle. ---
**Author:** ![silenus](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/silenus/32/166_2.png) [@silenus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/silenus)\ **Post date:** [April 29, 2010, 1:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sell-me-on-beer-snobbery/537595/87 "2010-04-29T13:34:56Z")
> [@Snickers](#): > > If I want bitter, I’ll look somewhere else. Between the two of us, we might make a balanced beer. I’m one of those who loves chewing on hops. I generally loathe malty beers. There are exceptions, of course. Optimator springs to mind first. But given a choice, 99 times out of 100 I’m going to go for something where the brewer wasn’t afraid of a few IBUs. ---
**Author:** ![Snickers](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/5daacb/32.png) [@Snickers](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Snickers)\ **Post date:** [April 29, 2010, 1:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sell-me-on-beer-snobbery/537595/88 "2010-04-29T13:39:23Z")
Nice! My husband and I do some homebrewing, \*\*silenus \*\*- we should get together. We once made a nice beer from wild hops my father in law picked. Went down the the brewstore, said, “we have hops!” and asked the guys there what else they might recommend to put a beer together. They cracked us some grains, pointed us at some yeast and malt, and off we went. Turned out as a light, American-style pilsner, not unlike a Bud Light or so but with more flavor. We thought it was pretty good result for the first time going off recipe - before that, we’d only brewed with kits. I don’t think we’ve made a beer since, sadly. Now, we’re all about the cider, it seems. Can’t make it fast enough. ---
**Author:** ![silenus](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/silenus/32/166_2.png) [@silenus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/silenus)\ **Post date:** [April 29, 2010, 1:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sell-me-on-beer-snobbery/537595/89 "2010-04-29T13:52:43Z")
I’ve made more than a few ciders myself. The wife is just itching for us to get moved into a larger house so I can set up my equipment again and get back to brewing. She looks at all the ribbons on the walls and bemoans the fact that she has never tasted anything I’ve brewed, because I stopped just before we first met. Humulus lupulus forever! ---
**Author:** ![pulykamell](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/pulykamell/32/3166_2.png) [@pulykamell](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/pulykamell)\ **Post date:** [April 29, 2010, 2:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sell-me-on-beer-snobbery/537595/90 "2010-04-29T14:21:33Z")
> [@Capt.Ridley\_s\_Shooting\_Party](#): > > A microbrewer based in Delaware, apparently. Do you have a link or anything? I can’t find anything called Rockford on [Ratebeer.com](http://Ratebeer.com) (there’s only two beers that have Rockford anywhere in their name or their breweries name.) I want to know what this beer is exactly. ---
**Author:** ![DCnDC](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dcndc/32/2842_2.png) [@DCnDC](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DCnDC)\ **Post date:** [April 29, 2010, 2:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sell-me-on-beer-snobbery/537595/91 "2010-04-29T14:29:16Z")
Rockford Brewing in Delaware closed in 1998. ---
**Author:** ![elmwood](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/elmwood/32/3060_2.png) [@elmwood](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/elmwood)\ **Post date:** [April 29, 2010, 2:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sell-me-on-beer-snobbery/537595/92 "2010-04-29T14:32:31Z")
> [@ralph124c](#): > > I’ll stick with my Genny Cream Ale! Genny Cream? Green Death! Screamers! It’ll make ya’ regular! How’s that above-ground pool in the backyard of your house in Cheektowaga working out for you? Get any good calls this week down at the fire hall? Hey, quit farting! Seriously, Genny Cream is really an underappreciated and unique beer from a large regional brewery, but even in the area where it’s most popular, it has a blue-collar old-man reputation. It’s your grandfather’s beer, in the same vein as Ballantine and Schlitz. ---
**Author:** ![Trom](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/958977/32.png) [@Trom](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Trom)\ **Post date:** [April 29, 2010, 2:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sell-me-on-beer-snobbery/537595/93 "2010-04-29T14:54:25Z")
> [@Martini\_Enfield](#): > > Is Sam Adams really a Microbrewery? I mean, you can buy Sam Adams here in Australia. I really don’t think that’s part of the criteria for “Microbrewery” status. On a recent TV commercial Sam Adams mentioned that they currently make up 0.9% of the American beer market. ---
**Author:** ![silenus](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/silenus/32/166_2.png) [@silenus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/silenus)\ **Post date:** [April 29, 2010, 3:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sell-me-on-beer-snobbery/537595/94 "2010-04-29T15:18:25Z")
Sam Adams is definitely a craft brewer, not a micro. **elmwood** , I agree about the Genny. Not bad at all, for what it is. I like Ballentine too, and I really wish I could find a few bottles of the reformulated Schlitz around here, so I could see if it’s what I remember from my youth. ---
**Author:** ![pulykamell](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/pulykamell/32/3166_2.png) [@pulykamell](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/pulykamell)\ **Post date:** [April 29, 2010, 5:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sell-me-on-beer-snobbery/537595/95 "2010-04-29T17:01:31Z")
> [@Snickers](#): > > Ja, I don’t care for it either. And I don’t care for overly hopped beers either, but the market’s seemed to have decided that that’s what Americans want (much like the wine market’s decided that Americans want dry dry dry wines), hence the saturation of overly bitter IPAs. Me, I like malt. Bring on the malty sweetness. If I want bitter, I’ll look somewhere else. There’s plenty of malt out there, so far as I could find. There probably is a good deal more hops-based brews, but it’s not difficult to find at least twenty varieties of porters and stouts, in particular, at a well-stocked liquor store. For example, here’s just the [Midwest list](http://web.mac.com/archerliquors/ArcherLiquors/ListM.html) of my local beer store. (And it really is a standard-sized Chicago neighborhood liquor store. It’s not a Binny’s or a BevMo.) I counted at least 40 malt-based beers on that list. Now, part of this is regional. The Western US beers are going to be a lot more hops-based, as the great hop growing region of America is in the Pacific Northwest. So when I look at the Western region list, it is a lot more hop dominated. Still, you can find a good bit of variety, I would think. Personally, I like both. When the weather gets cold, cloudy, or rainy, I’m apt to pick up something malty. I love a good porter or dry stout. When it’s warm, give me the hops or the wheat. I’d get bored if all I drank were malty or hoppy beers year round. By the time one season ends, I’m pretty much burnt out on that style anyway and ready for a switcheroo. ---
**Author:** ![pulykamell](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/pulykamell/32/3166_2.png) [@pulykamell](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/pulykamell)\ **Post date:** [April 29, 2010, 5:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sell-me-on-beer-snobbery/537595/96 "2010-04-29T17:03:15Z")
> [@DCnDC](#): > > Rockford Brewing in Delaware closed in 1998. > [@](#): > > There is also a real bargain to be had with their £10 beer bucket which consists of five choice tipples from around the globe. Two of the most popular beers are Kwak from Belgium and Rockford’s from the USA. Well, I guess that explains the “bargain bucket.” ---
**Author:** ![Theodore\_Striker](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/74df32/32.png) [@Theodore\_Striker](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Theodore_Striker)\ **Post date:** [April 30, 2010, 1:33am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sell-me-on-beer-snobbery/537595/97 "2010-04-30T01:33:38Z")
Another suggestion, because I see that Jungle Jim’s is hosting one soon, is a beerfest. For a flat entrance fee, you get a limited number of samplings from a wide variety of vendors. Yeah, the samples are usually on the petite size, around 4 ounces or so, but they are enought to get a decent feel, and you can experience a really good variety in one night without making too significant an investment. ---
**Author:** ![Yookeroo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/yookeroo/32/323_2.png) [@Yookeroo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Yookeroo)\ **Post date:** [April 30, 2010, 3:35am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sell-me-on-beer-snobbery/537595/98 "2010-04-30T03:35:40Z")
> [@NDP](#): > > As to where to find these beers, I see from your profile that you live in LA. I would think that any supermarket there (not just high end ones) should have a fairly decent beer aisle that would include beers from some craft and microbreweries. Just going by what’s in California, I’m guessing you’ll probably be able to find beers from Stone, Sierra Nevada, and North Coast among others. Also, if you want to try someplace that has an even wider selection, there should be more than a few specialty beer places within short driving distance. True. My local supermarket carries Chimay (all three varieties) & Spaten among many others. > [@DCnDC](#): > > _Blue Moon_ is actually manufactured by **Coors**. They don’t want you to know this. Can’t stand Coors. But I do like Blue Moon quite a bit. ---
**Author:** ![silenus](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/silenus/32/166_2.png) [@silenus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/silenus)\ **Post date:** [April 30, 2010, 12:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sell-me-on-beer-snobbery/537595/99 "2010-04-30T12:28:17Z")
We are going to want an update tomorrow after the beer tasting. ---
**Author:** ![Martini\_Enfield](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/martini_enfield/32/11123_2.png) [@Martini\_Enfield](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Martini_Enfield)\ **Post date:** [April 30, 2010, 1:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sell-me-on-beer-snobbery/537595/100 "2010-04-30T13:00:39Z")
One other piece of advice: Don’t be afraid to admit you didn’t like a generally well-regarded beer. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sell-me-on-beer-snobbery/537595.md?page=4) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sell-me-on-beer-snobbery/537595.md?page=6)