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What style of beer is being brewed here? Photo of
fermenting beer using classic method. See "German
Weissbier and the art of brewing."
You like beer. That’s a fact. Right?
I’m curious about your answer to the question: What is good beer? No, not your favorite brand, but why you like the beer you like? What matters?
Who is capable of brewing good beer? Is it local beer? “Craft” beer? Import? American? Homebrew? Does the origin factor in with regard to what makes it good to your way of thinking?
Is it about the ingredients? Organic? Local? All malt? Sustainable ingredients? Does any of this matter?
What matters when you think you can taste a difference among the 15,000+ brands of beer you have a choice in buying?
Does “cheap” matter? If so do you associate value with “cheap?”
Do taste, aroma, appearance, mouthfeel, aftertaste, drinkability really matter? Or are you sold by the label? The advertisement?
I started enjoying beer in a time when no one would have dreamed to ask these questions? I’m wondering if things have fundamentally changed with regard to what beer drinkers think good beer is.
Step #1:
- Clean glassware – “Beer clean” means no soap, detergent, oily residue or lipstick imprints inside or out of your glass. If bubbles stick to the inside of the glass – that’s bad, because that’s grease, soap or someone’s lipstick your experiencing. No head retention on your beer? That’s an improperly cleaned glass.
Comments
Good questions, Charlie. For me it's all in the taste, aroma, mouthfeel, aftertaste and drinkability. Labels and advertising mean absolutely ZIP. If it doesn't taste good, I'm not drinking it. Period.
I think we're a little spoiled here in CO because of all our choices. But I've only lived here for 6 years. I became more of a beer aficionado after I moved here. Like many, I went to college and did the whole college drinking cheap beer thing, but as I aged and matured (OK, maybe not so much on that one!) my taste buds matured (both for food and beer) as well.
I dislike fast food as much as skunky yellow fizz. And that's all it really is. I don't buy into this whole "but it tastes good after mowing the lawn" argument. That just tells me you haven't tried enough beers to know what good beer really tastes like. I can pick several craft beers that quench the thirst just as well and taste a thousand times better.
I don't think the mass majority of beer drinkers know what good beer tastes like. I have nothing against Coors, A-B or any of the other macro-breweries, but that is not good beer. I think of them as gateway beers... you have to cut your teeth on something, somewhere. I did. And that's fine. But GROW from that! There are so many great beers out there... you're only depriving yourself if you don't try them. EXPAND your knowledge!
The Warsteiner slogan says it best: "Life is too short to drink cheap beer."
To steal your line Charlie, good beer is whatever I have in my hand.
Seriously, cost matters, but so do hops. I like india pale ales and apa's, and drink them 90 percent of the time. I've tried a lot of different beers and styles, but keep coming back to ipa's. I go local most of the time, to both support what is near me and keep costs down. Ithaca Flower Power comes to mind, as I am in Buffalo NY. But, for hops, you can't beat the West Coast- Green Flash is something I enjoy regardless of the 12.99 a six pack. If it's between an 8.00 6 pack of something decent and a 12.99 six pack of something great, I'm going with the latter. That's only a quarter or two difference per drinking experience, as I usually consume two at a clip. That's worth it to me. Labels? They matter a bit. There's something too cool about Sierra Nevada Celebration that makes me want to buy it whenever I see it. In the end, it's all about taste and the hops. That's what's valuable to me.
I agree with Eli that taste, aroma, appearance, mouthfeel, aftertaste, and drinkability are the most important factors in determining what is a "good beer." I'd also add that the use of high quality ingredients and a passion for the craft of brewing are very important, and they certainly help improve each of the previously listed factors. Additionally, the culture of the brewing industry is important. Craft brewers appear not to fear the competition of other craft brewers, but rather feed off of it; many of them share knowledge, and sometimes even resources, with other brewers (craft and home) which helps foster a sense of community. Even if the industrial brewers managed to make a beer that passed the test of taste, aroma, appearance, mouthfeel, aftertaste, and drinkability, I would be very unlikely to drink it, regardless of price, because they don't operate by the same principles as the craft beer community.
And of course, to paraphrase some famous beer guy, the best beer is the beer you brew yourself, which is why I homebrew.
Brad Ginn
Poulsbo, WA
I appreciate beer made with organic ingredients in an environmentaly safe atmosphere, but, when it comes to drinking it, taste is the most important aspect.
I like all kinds of beers, but, actually still prefer the American beers and drink them most often.
I think that the most important thing in defining good beer is the brewer. I think that the brewers' dedication, effort, and creativity really show in a beer. The shakeout of the late 90's got rid of a lot of brewers who were just in it for the money.
I generally agree with the other posts and won't restate what they've already said.
The picture, by the way, looks like a wild beer like a lambic.
What Kyle said paraphrasing you rings true. There is no single beer for me. It is situational. I don't eat steak every night for dinner and I don't drink the same beer everytime I have one. I lean towards hoppier beers, especially ones with hoppy flavor and aroma vs just excessive bitterness. But most of the beers I drink are not aggressively hopped. Sometimes I want a bigger beer, but just as often I want a smaller beer. I usually prefer an amber beer, but usually end up with a paler beer. And there are times when I crave a black beer... not just on St Paddy's Day, either. I am fortunate that I get to travel a great deal around the world with my job. I like to try the local beer and usually try to share some of my homebrew with my hosts. There are some beers, like a Belgian wit or a rauschbier that really do require the right situation. I love a Bavarian Hefeweizen, but even there, I prefer one with more cloviness and less banana like flavor. Cost is usually an issue at the store, but not at a pub or restaurant. But good beer can be found at reasonable prices when stores offer sales. I am also fortunate that the local grocery has an excellent beer selection and they know how to take care of it to minimize degradation on the shelf. One thing I have discovered is that most imports suffer for their travels. There is a significant difference in a beer imported to the U.S. as compared with the same beer obtained locally. It has made a believer in me about buying primarily locally, where there is a choice. I don't seek out organic beer, but most premium or craft beers aren't adding stuff that ought not be there as far as I know. I miss having Celis in town. When I am buying beer at the store for home consumption, it is usually St Arnolds, Sam Adams, or Sierra Nevada. I like Dos Equis Amber. I sometimes get the Shiner Hefeweizen or the local Rye Pale Ale or soemthing else brewed in the area.
Great comments all ! I appreciate you taking the time to discuss your interests.
The photo is not of lambic. I will reveal what it is sometime over the weekend, unless someone nails it before then. Charlie
What makes good beer? That's not an easy question to answer. It takes not only the beverage itself but it also includes all of the following: the right setting, the mood, the people you share it with, the season, the food you're eating with it, the type of glass you drink it out of, how well your sense of smell is and how keen your taste buds are. You also have to train yourself to enjoy certain types of beer. Not everyone can pick up a hoppy IPA and love it from the first sip. Keeping all this in mind, you then have to take a look at what went into your beer and who made it. I'm a firm believer that homebrewers make some of the best beers in the world. Just look at how many beer companies started out that way. A true enthusiast of the craft will put their heart and sole into making a good beer. So it's really not a simple question to answer. A good way to sum it up is - IT DEPENDS.
I'm a little late in the game here, but, here goes.
The obvious answer is that there is alcohol in beer. It may not be the only reason people drink beer, but, its important.
Right now, today, I like to drink interesting beer. If we're talking volume, more than 50% is homebrew. The other half is mostly local beer or something new I haven't had before or something that really left an impression on me. The latter being very subjective.
I drink my homebrew, because, I'm heavily invested/involved in the process and the product. Its about me and what I'm capable of doing. Its also a social thing. I like others to tell me what they think of it.
What beer do I buy? I'll drink Victory or beer from The Sly Fox, because they are local and I want to support the local brewers. I'll also drink a beer because I've never tried it before. If its good I'll buy it again someday.
So homebrew, local beer and then "new to me" beer. In that order.
I'm probably not the typical consumer of beer. I would venture to say the majority of those people might not read this blog.
Availability has a lot to do with it. Sometimes that tastiest beer on tap is Guinness. If I have a choice I'd go with something brewed on a smaller scale, because I think it will probably taste better/more interesting.
Tough question(s). Good one to ask though.
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