This may be a touchy subject, so if you are likely to offend, please don’t read. However, over the past week some of the uglier aspects of the craft beer community have shown up. Just to catch you up if you didn’t know Westy XII, a beer that has never been sold outside of Belgium was released in the States in a very limited number. Some of the beer was sold to super geeked out and hyped up beer people. Some was bought and then sold on Ebay, some was not distributed to people that felt they really deserved it. I personally didn’t get any, and I’m not sure I know anyone who did. Considering we are opening a brewery, I’d say that makes it pretty damn limited.
So what’s the problem? Well, some of those people who felt they should have been able to sell the beer in their stores raised a stink about it. Some people who didn’t get any were upset that any of it was sold on Ebay.Stan Hieronymous made a very good post that I suspect (though addressed to beer culture in general) was influence by these recent events. If you haven’t make sure to read it here. However, I’d like to amend that idea a little bit, because I think it is again slipping into trying to dictate what something should mean to other people. This is where things might get dodgy, but I’ll do my best to explain. Some people live for the two-once culture (what Hieronymous calls the sip, rate, forget idea that tasting as many beers as possible is what beer is all about). Our brewery is not skewed towards that culture. We are making low-to-medium alcohol ales, focusing on the pub atmosphere. Basically, Hieronymous’ post really spoke to me and I think aligns really well with other things we’ve written on this blog. However, there are people out there who, for good reason, live and die for that two-ounce culture. Again, I don’t but, if I had children, if something was absorbing my time extremely, the two-ounce culture might be the only way for me to get into the beer culture. Even if something wasn’t pulling me, there are people who collect comic books, action figures, etc. Collection may be something that someone really enjoys.
I think it’s really a problem of ego. Of people thinking that their experience should be the experience of others. If you own a small bottle shop, you assume that everyone recognizes and understands the value of that. But, maybe Total Wine gives value to it’s distributor by purchasing more, and the distributor wants to return that favor. Instead of blaming the distributor, the bottle shop owner should probably think of a way they could offer more value to them. Or, just accept that really rare finds may not make it into the store and don’t expect it. In the same way, the two ounce culture has a lot of proponents. Even an entire website, untappd.com has sprung up to document all the sips beer fans take. Perhaps the people selling Westy XII on ebay really need the money. The idea that I would even try to imagine why these people were selling it on ebay is absurd. And those people that are buying it clearly see the value in having it. Perhaps in just tasting it with friends. Everyone experiences beer in a different way, much in the way everyone experiences art. (If you notice the quote Hieronymous uses originally spoke of art.) For instance, I will never bee convinced that a urinal with a signature is art, and several people have tried very intelligently to convince me; I don’t believe it. In the same way, I doubt I’ll ever be convinced that sour beers are as good as traditional ales. Sorry, and I don’t want to have an argument about it. I just personally don’t like the Dada movement and I don’t like sour ales (outside of rodenbach or a few berliners like oarsman). My ego causes me to define what art is and what beer is, and even that is not especially healthy. I will always be working on that. But, at the very least, I try not to project those definitions and assumptions onto others. Many people love sour ales. Many people think the Dada movement was brilliant. The beautiful thing about beer is that there are so many ways to experience it. From just starting to try some Sam Adams to waiting in line all day for a bottle of Westy XII and everywhere in between. Beer gives us a way to socialize and share our experiences with others. Whatever that experience may be.
