Tramampoline! Trabopoline!

themymblesdaughter:

wilwheaton:

section9:

sotheresthat:

YES. 

PREACH!

No. I’m sorry, but this is wrong.

Seven paragraphs into this poorly-researched article, the author says:

Let’s be clear: Not all craft beer is hoppy. There are many craft breweries that seek to create balanced, drinkable beers that aren’t very bitter at all, like Patrick Rue’s the Bruery in Placentia, Calif., and the Commons Brewery in Portland, Ore. Among the non-hoppy yet complex and delicious American craft beers available are Widmer’s hefeweizen, New Glarus’ cherry and raspberry beers, and Full Sail Brewing’s Session Lager (a beer specifically developed to serve as a refreshing counterpoint to overhopped beers). America’s independent breweries make beers to suit every palate, not just the ones that revel in bitterness.

Yeah, so the entire premise of the headline is disproven by the author, but somehow Slate thought this was still worth publishing. That’s lazy and should be an embarrassment for both writer and editor.

There are plenty of craft beers that aren’t hop-forward, like Mama’s Little Yella Pils from Oskar Blues, Lagunitas PILS, and Coney Island Lager. There are literally dozens of browns, stouts, and wheat beers that feature malt and yeast instead of hops. The first craft beer I ever had, when I was in college and convinced that all beer was Budweiser was St. Rogue’s Red Ale, from Rogue brewing.

A more accurate and actually useful article might be headlined Think All Craft Beer Is Too Hoppy? Think Again.

I can only imagine that what prompted an article like this is how strongly hoppy beer is pushed in venues featuring craft beers.

My favorite craft beer place has 19 taps. On any given day at least half, if not more, are variations on hoppy beers ranging from almost drinkable to eye-crossingly bitter. The rest go to the other extreme of equally gross maltiness and finally to a handful of brews that favor complexity and flavor over some crazy extreme.

So those other beers, the delicious pils and lagers, the brown ales, sours, wheats, etc, do exist. And they are delicious when they get their rotation on the tap. But they are definitely rare creatures.

I’ve never had to wonder why though. I’ve been told by “hardcore” beer enthusiasts that I am “not a real beer geek” because I stay away from the extreme brews. Speaking in generalizations here, craft brewing is a boy’s club and it’s been shown through the lens of many different hobbies that guys like making challenges for themselves. It’s no wonder that creating the hoppiest beer has become one of those challenges - and being able to actually drink it as well.

I also think it’s backlash against the big breweries who’ve never been much known for strong and flavorful beers. Making a hoppy beer is, generally, not difficult. One can add hops at a number of different times in the brewing process to increase hoppiness. I’ve even seen beer espressed through hops right into the serving glass. One ends up with a very strong and usually quite bitter beer that is directly opposite of every Bud, miller, Coors, etc.

However, there’s a difference between a strong, one-note (hoppy) beer and a good beer. Unfortunately, as I described before, the more subtle brews, the ones that favor complexity over simply mowing your mouth over with hops, are apparently considered “not real craft” or “girl beer”, scoffed at (“might as well drink Bud Light”) or simply ignored.

You are also not an affectionado of spicy food unless you squirt Dave’s Insanity directly into your sinuses.

Also reblogged by Wil Wheatbeer, huehuehue!