The Evolution of Beer People

Written by on October 26, 2015 in Beer - 1 Comment

Beer SnobsBeer people are pretty cool, generally speaking. They are part of the reason I decided to open a beer store. The craft beer movement has such a unique community that the people in it come across as family. Since you’re reading Drink Up Columbus, you’re most likely already clued into this. Also, since you’re reading this you are most likely looking to learn something new about the Columbus scene whether it’s a new brewery to try, a new beer bar to check out or something new about a beer style that you love. Beer people like to learn. They like to share what they know with others and they like getting feedback on what they are drinking or may want to drink. They also love to share beer with other beer people, which is a serious positive as far as I’m concerned. And since the craft beer scene is a fairly new movement, especially here in Columbus, you have probably met many people of varying knowledge levels making your beer journey even more fun. In my experience, these are the evolutionary stages of beer knowledge.

Stage One: The Discovery

The first stage is where someone is just starting to discover beer. Some people hit this stage or skip it all together. It has all sorts of funny and cute names so you can call it whatever you want but it’s the stage where you don’t care what you have as long as it’s cheap. It’s the world of keg stands and nine-dollar 36-packs. No judgement here, people have to start somewhere.

Stage Two: Gateway Beers

The next step would be those who discover something that’s craft to them, like Yeungling, Leinenkugel or Blue Moon. These beers are often times called Gateway Beers as they start people’s journey through craft beer and help adjusting their palate off of standard American light pilsner lagers. This is usually a pretty important step. When a person subjects themselves to American light pilsner lagers for years they need something that is not so far out reach for their palate to handle. Obviously there are people out there who are exceptions to this idea but for most people this is a hurdle that’s best overcome by gateway beers.

Stage Three: Grocery Beers

Sometime after the gateway beer step comes the basic grocery store craft beers. These are usually good beers to introduce people to many of the craft beer styles out there. We have it pretty good these days and some pretty good craft beers can be found in grocery stores as opposed to 10 years ago when it was just shelves and shelves of American light pilsner lagers. This is the stage where beer drinkers really start to take off form and evolve into the last two stages.

Stage Four: Beer Snob

This is a phase that every serious craft beer drinker will go through and, hopefully, will grow out of. Beer snobs are people who have acquired a pretty refined palate over time from trying hundreds upon hundreds of beers. They like getting some of the rarest of the rare beer, which is fine, but beer snobs tend to enjoy telling people they encounter that if they are not drinking the obscure thing that they themselves are drinking, then those “uneducated” people suck. They like shaming people whose taste are not as evolved (in their own minds) as theirs. Being a beer snob is an unfortunate phase that everyone goes through, and I’m speaking from experience. While I do regret having been a beer snob at one point, I will admit that that I used to be one but have moved on. I once demanded that my cousin sit at another table because she was drinking Coors. That’s a dick move and I do feel bad for having done that. My bad.

Stage Five: Beer Geek

The Beer Geek stage is the end of the road for beer evolution. Once you realize that beer is good and that even beer that you find in a grocery store is worth drinking (beer snobs would almost never drink grocery store beer), then you have arrived. Beer geeks will go to some stages to find rare beers but if it’s too much effort, and it usually is, they’ll take a pass and hope that their friends grabbed some rare stuff for them. It’s not uncommon for a beer geek to have a huge collection of beer in their cellar for aging gained mostly by buying more beer over time than what they could physically consume in any reasonable amount of time. One of the many differences between geeks and snobs is that the geeks couldn’t care less what you’re drinking as long as you are enjoying it. If you’re drinking a yellow fizzy beer and having a good time, great. If you’re drinking some super rare thing and loving it, sweet. Geeks generally will not ever drink an American light pilsner lager but they won’t judge you for drinking one because you have to start somewhere. Geeks just love beer and they want you to love it too which is why they really like to share beers with just about anyone. They want to have some and they want you to have some so that you can discuss all of the tiny details that make that beer great.

Beer Geek Evolution

What you want to aspire to is to become a geek, not hang out in the snob world. To give you an idea, if a beer snob were online they’d be referred to as a troll and no one wants to deal with a troll. Don’t be too hard on the snobs though. Like I mentioned, it is a normal part of beer drinking evolution and most will go through it. Snobs are excited and just want to let everyone know just how excited they are. They really want you to know. While it is possible to skip the whole snob phase it’s not all that common. Those who skip it generally have some geek who is helping them along the way and guiding them. The takeaway here is that if you are drinking a beer, regardless of how rare it is, what it cost you or where you bought it, enjoy it and share it with others to enjoy. But, if you your beer tastes like shit, pour it in the grass. Life is too short to drink bad beer and beer is cheap. Go buy another one.


full disclosure: Crafted Drafts is a client

About the Author

Mike Troy is the owner of Crafted Drafts, a badass beer bottle shop on the Northeast side of Columbus.

One Comment on "The Evolution of Beer People"

  1. Bill Babbitt October 26, 2015 at 6:23 PM · Reply

    Well said Mike!

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