Manifesto: Blog as Soapbox

I just returned to Chicago from a quick trip up to Michigan to see my family and celebrate my grandfather's 90th (!) birthday. This was the first time I'd seen anyone in my family since deciding to head to brewing school, so my future plans were of great interest. As I explained what lay ahead and what my/Danny/Jason's plans are, I was struck by a peculiar reaction. Many of my grandparents' friends, while encouraging and interested, hadn't ever heard of a brewpub or had a craft beer. "I'm not a beer drinker, but good luck," one said.

In Portland, that type of interaction would have been impossible. I believe that non-US citizens hoping to take up residence in Oregon are required to take a beer identification test as part of their naturalization exam. So leaving Beervana is a good reality check: not everyone knows (or cares to know) what an IPA is.

That reaction sent me back to thinking about one of the recurring topics that our instructors at Seibel love to push: as brewers, we are ambassadors for beer and beer's image. It's understandable that people who lived the majority of their life between the end of Prohibition and the rise of craft beer know little about craft beer. But, our instructors' emphasis on this theme stems from a more deep-seated frustration with the way in which beer is perceived (and marketed) in American culture. Beer remains, in many people's eyes, the unsophisticated swill of college parties, ultimate frisbee tournaments, and Joe Sixpack. The image of beer is firmly entrenched in the a perception of beer that is cheap, undistinguished, and quickly consumed.

"It's hard to be an advocate for beer drinking and for beer's healthful qualities if you're carrying a keg around in your gut," Maryjane Maurice told us. Adding, "there's no such thing as a wine bong." So the "Joe Sixpack" myth hinders beer appreciation as much as history. But how inaccurate is that image? How bad is it really?

It's silly to think that beer can or should ever fully shed it's Joe Sixpack reputation. You can't argue away the existence of beer games and toys--nor can you argue away their fun. There is a time and a place for that use of beer too--just as champagne or wine is overindulged at certain celebrations Purim, for example, comes to mind. But, as the most affordable and drinkable of alcoholic beverages, it's hardly surprising that beer is the drink of choice for gross and speedy indulgence. It's also important here to disentangle causality and correlation. Beer is the most common medium of binge drinking, but it's not the cause. Beer can be cheap and not harsh, and the fizz goes to your head. Plus, last time I looked, you can't purchase Everclear in a keg.

But beer, just like the people who drink it, is multifaceted, and it's wrong to asume that beer can only suit one type of social environment. The rise and proliferation of craft beer has proven this, and as up-and-coming members of the brewing industry, it's my and my classmates' responsibility to advocate for a new understanding of beer.

What does effective beer ambassadorship entail? Nine components come to mind, but someone will have to send me a tenth to make it look nice and round.

1) Encouraging people who drink "bad" beer to try something new, especially when the time is right. The flip side is also true: there is a time and place (parties, summer, beaches) when American light lagers ought to be the beer of choice.

2) Pushing "non-beer drinkers" (who are typically older and wealthier) to try a beer that will re-define beer for them. There's a false logic that says that people have to be "introduced" to beer via a mild style, like a golden ale. Those beers are too remniscent of and often sweeter than light lagers. And while a double IPA or barleywine might be too boozy and bitter, complex styles like saisons, sours, American ambers, or alts win converts because they are more complex, and "winelike."

3) Brewing pilsner and more complicated light ales. This ties in to the idea above: too many of the "introductory" beers brewed today are bland to win non-beer drinkers over. My mother consistently finds blonds and goldens too sweet, but she enjoys the balance in pilsners. No one has ever been wowed to become a beer drinker by an American blonde ale, balanced as the beer may be.

4) Fostering curiosity in young drinkers. If people wants to know about and learn to appreciate beer, let them. That's how connoisseurs are created.

5) Pursuing interests other than beer. Brewers and beer lovers need to role model that beer is a central but not all-consuming part of life. Read, get outside, then drink.

6) Educating consumers about beer styles, flavors, and production. Drinking beer is an agricultural act, and people should be connected to the work and vision that go into making a great pint of beer. Their appreciation is enhanced through understanding.

7) Offering better food menus for beer. While pub grub has a time and a place, too many American craft brewers settle for unhealthy fried foods to serve with their beer. How about a brewery that features salads or exclusively vegetarian fare? Pizza, burgers, and sausages can make for great beer-food pairings and a delicious meal, but when the majority of brewers succumb to those items as the principle of menu creation, it only serves to perpetuate the Joe Sixpack image.

8) Participating in political activism on issues of agriculture, temperance, and environment. Similarly, doing community outreach--supporting local events or creating them on your own--helps foster the image of the brewer (and beer drinker) as engaged in community. Oh, and it's the right thing to do.

9) Moderating drinking to any given social context. This means appreciating restraint in many cases (and proving that you can have a beer at lunch or brunch) and indulging oneself in others. By now, I'm sure it's clear that I don't believe in the right to condemn or condone any type of drinking en absoluto. There's a time to party hard and a time to drink not at all. There is a time where it's OK to be Joe Sixpack. Yet, for most people, this moderation will mean thoughtful regular use, occasional abstinence, and occasional over-indulgence.

So, that is my form of ambassadorship. It is a way of taking pride in the work I have done and will do. It's a realistic approach to loving and spreading the love of beer. Let the conversions begin.