QQ's Three Maxims of Beer Advocacy

As I recently authored my final craft beer article for The Docket (the official newspaper of the Case Western Reserve University School of Law), I have decided to begin writing blog posts again. Today, I offer you three maxims that every beer drinker should live by. You don't have to be a beer geek to follow these suggestions. You just have to be someone who wants to better appreciate whatever beer you're drinking.

1. Drink a variety of beer. This is the number one way to build your appreciation for craft beer. I can’t tell you how many times I have heard someone say “I hate dark beer. I don’t know how people can drink it.” But upon further questioning, I discover that the only dark beer they have ever tried is Guinness. Not that there is anything wrong with Guinness, but there are many other “dark” beers out there. Try a brown ale, or an Edmund Fitzgerald Porter, or a finely crafted Dunkel lager from Germany. Moral of the story: Keep an open mind and always be willing to try new things. When the bartender asks if you want another, order something new instead of the same beer you just had. Pretty soon you’ll discover that you enjoy all sorts of beers! In a similar vein, keep in mind that your tastes will change over time as your try a wider variety of beers, so even if you try something once and don’t like it, don’t be afraid to give it another try later down the road.

2. Put your beer in a glass and use your sense of smell. Most of your sense of taste comes from your sense of smell. The small openings on bottles and cans make it difficult to smell the beer and thus interfere with your ability to fully taste the beer. It actually does make a difference—try a side-by-side comparison some time. You will definitely notice all the subtleties of the beer’s flavor with much greater ease when it is in a glass and you can smell it properly. The agitation of the beer that occurs when you pour it into the glass also helps release aromatics, thus making it easier to smell and taste the beer. Swirling beer in the glass (just like you would with wine) also helps bring the brew’s aromas to your nose. Make a point of asking for a glass whenever you drink a craft beer and soon you’ll be appreciating your beer even more.

3. Be a Beer Advocate, not a beer snob. Educate, don’t berate. Everyone is entitled to their personal tastes and opinions. Your buddy wants to drink a Bud? Fine. There’s nothing wrong with that. Even I admit that macro lagers have their place. They’re cheap, go down easy, and are quite refreshing on a hot day. But most of the time when I reach for a beer, I want something that’s more than just easy-drinking refreshment. I want something I can appreciate—something with nuances of flavor that mass-produced adjunct lagers simply can’t achieve. To make an analogy: there’s nothing wrong with a McDonald’s quarter pounder, but I’d rather have a Lola Burger. This said, never act like your beer is superior to someone else’s or that you’re superior because you’re drinking craft beer. And never make someone feel stupid for choosing to drink non-craft beers. These are two surefire ways to make someone not drink craft beer. Instead, offer education. When asked why you ordered a Dogfish 60-Minute IPA instead of a Bud, explain yourself. Explain how craft brewers put a lot more time and effort into creating their beers and how you feel that is reflected in the flavor of the final product. Also be sure to explain why you should drink your beer out of a glass, rather than a can or bottle. A craft beer lover is not born overnight. But by offering beer advocacy, rather than beer snobbery, you will ultimately win over many converts.

A version of this article appeared in The Docket, Vol. 25, Issue 20 (April 15, 2013).