The Beer Rant

OK...So despite my reputation for enjoying a refreshing Budweiser on occasion (and I'm not the only high profile person on the forum who does...but that person's secret is safe with me ) I drink "craft" beer about 90% of the time and have been doing so for more years than my liver cares to admit. I typically stay away from all that goofy foo-foo-Cinderfella stuff but I do enjoy a nice hearty IPA or Pale Ale as much or more than the next guy/girl.

So what am I ranting about ? Well price for one...and secondly all this retarded mad-scientist-turned-loose-in-a-brewery beer that has been gracing the shelves of late. It's not "craft" beer...It's "crap" beer and it's about time someone called it what it is.

Let's talk price...and let me say straight up that I'm one of those people who thinks God him or herself personally walks to the gates of Heaven and tosses cases of Hopslam down to the waiting masses... But this whole price thing has gotten way-WAY out of hand. I was tripping around the Liquor Barn just last night and counted on all of my fingers and toes and a then started counting on Becky's fingers and toes and we ran out of appendages before we could count all the "craft" beers north of $15.00 a six pack...and I used to think the soft drink companies had a racket going...I mean a 4 pack of some kind of mad scientist Founders for 23 bucks a FOUR pack ??? Let's get fricking real here.

It would be different if it were all great beer...but let me go out out on a limb here and make the statement that it's NOT all great beer. In fact a lot of it is just plain piss-water. I've got a friend who (unlike me) isn't afraid to drop the occasional C-note on a mixed cart of big bottles and assorted "Big" beers and I am but one of the beneficiaries of said indulgence. In more instances than his wallet cares to admit the end product is nothing more than "sink beer" (which is where a lot of it goes). I have a theory that goes like this...The economy has gotten SO bad that people are willing to spend every bit of what little money they have in the hope that they will find some magical elixir that will transport them into better times. OK, not buying that one ? OK, how about this one...The brewers all have a secret contest going on and whoever creates the goofiest most God-awful "recipe" and actually gets people to BUY it wins a round the world cruise ?

Joking (somewhat) aside...is it just me ? I mean WTF ?...Are there people out there who actually LIKE a Nut-Brown-Double-IPA-Bourbon-Barrel-Christmas-Ale ?...and don't mind paying 25 bucks for a Four pak ?

) I drink "craft" beer about 90% of the time and have been doing so for more years than my liver cares to admit.

Quoting Steve P about a week ago.....

"The 2010 three most overused/abused words in the English dictionary:

1) Green
2) Artisan
3) Craft

Just sayin'."



Just busting your chops.....I do agree with you on some points made though.

It's not about the beer.

It's all about the cute label and kickin' name.

Duh.

<-- sarcastic

It's not about the beer.

It's all about the cute label and kickin' name.

Duh.

<-- sarcastic

Bingo.

I hear ya Steve. But one thing to consider....
You know that you should expect to pay a premium when you are drinking a beverage made of glacial water from some Scandinavian fjord, brewed by mute Trappist monks with some rare hops grown in organic yak dung in the Black Forest and and barley individually hand-hulled by buxom ladies of Germanic descent.

Go to the locals and get growler refills and you won't have this problem. In fact, you can get growlers of Cumberland and NABC at Liquor Barn if you want. 1/2 gallon for 8 bucks or so.

OK...So despite my reputation for enjoying a refreshing Budweiser on occasion (and I'm not the only high profile person on the forum who does...but that person's secret is safe with me ) I drink "craft" beer about 90% of the time and have been doing so for more years than my liver cares to admit. I typically stay away from all that goofy foo-foo-Cinderfella stuff but I do enjoy a nice hearty IPA or Pale Ale as much or more than the next guy/girl.

So what am I ranting about ? Well price for one...and secondly all this retarded mad-scientist-turned-loose-in-a-brewery beer that has been gracing the shelves of late. It's not "craft" beer...It's "crap" beer and it's about time someone called it what it is.

Let's talk price...and let me say straight up that I'm one of those people who thinks God him or herself personally walks to the gates of Heaven and tosses cases of Hopslam down to the waiting masses... But this whole price thing has gotten way-WAY out of hand. I was tripping around the Liquor Barn just last night and counted on all of my fingers and toes and a then started counting on Becky's fingers and toes and we ran out of appendages before we could count all the "craft" beers north of $15.00 a six pack...and I used to think the soft drink companies had a racket going...I mean a 4 pack of some kind of mad scientist Founders for 23 bucks a FOUR pack ??? Let's get fricking real here.

It would be different if it were all great beer...but let me go out out on a limb here and make the statement that it's NOT all great beer. In fact a lot of it is just plain piss-water. I've got a friend who (unlike me) isn't afraid to drop the occasional C-note on a mixed cart of big bottles and assorted "Big" beers and I am but one of the beneficiaries of said indulgence. In more instances than his wallet cares to admit the end product is nothing more than "sink beer" (which is where a lot of it goes). I have a theory that goes like this...The economy has gotten SO bad that people are willing to spend every bit of what little money they have in the hope that they will find some magical elixir that will transport them into better times. OK, not buying that one ? OK, how about this one...The brewers all have a secret contest going on and whoever creates the goofiest most God-awful "recipe" and actually gets people to BUY it wins a round the world cruise ?

Joking (somewhat) aside...is it just me ? I mean WTF ?...Are there people out there who actually LIKE a Nut-Brown-Double-IPA-Bourbon-Barrel-Christmas-Ale ?...and don't mind paying 25 bucks for a Four pak ?

The majority of your concerns can all be solved by visiting your favorite local brewery and purchasing a growler at a very reasonable fee, and yes the majority of the local breweries do run specials quite often on their refills !
So every day can be a happy day

Go to the locals and get growler refills and you won't have this problem. In fact, you can get growlers of Cumberland and NABC at Liquor Barn if you want. 1/2 gallon for 8 bucks or so.

Yea , what Brian said....!

I think Cumberland has 5 buck refills on Monday (did have that special not sure if they still do).

Go to the locals and get growler refills and you won't have this problem. In fact, you can get growlers of Cumberland and NABC at Liquor Barn if you want. 1/2 gallon for 8 bucks or so.

Yes. Yes that is certainly an option and one the I subscribe to fairly frequently (via the Liquor Barn)...and I do agree that both brewers put out good product with some regularity (but with apologies to Roger, David, Cumberland, etc I will say I have also tried some products that were approaching the "mad scientist" level). One thing I -do- need to check on, the last time my lovely bride was in "The Barn" to refill a couple of growlers...She returned two clean growlers...which they took...and they then refilled two new growlers and charged her for them. If indeed we have reached that point where you can't get a used growler refilled and will be charged for a new one each time, then I may have to rethink the economics of that policy.

Just to be clear, my original comments were more directed my toward the "mega" craft beer providers. Bell's, Founders, Rogue, Stone, etc...all of which have some good products but all of whom have (lately) been devoting a fair amount of their efforts toward what I will describe (conservatively) as "fridge" products, most of which are not worthy of the price they are charging.

I hear ya Steve. But one thing to consider....
You know that you should expect to pay a premium when you are drinking a beverage made of glacial water from some Scandinavian fjord, brewed by mute Trappist monks with some rare hops grown in organic yak dung in the Black Forest and and barley individually hand-hulled by buxom ladies of Germanic descent.

You forgot the part about then being aged in ancient oaken barrels lined with baleen harvested from the mouth of a baby Humpback whale...but otherwise spot on.

Out of curiosity, do any of you have any regular beer indulgences that you enjoy, but seem inordinately expensive?

I regularly buy 11.2 ounce bottles of Rochefort 10 from Liquor Barn at approximately 7.99 a piece. I can't really justify it, but it's one of my favorites.

Also, Steve, what are some of the culprits (expensive beers that suck), in your opinion?

I enjoy quite a few "big" beers, but then, I guess I'm fairly brutish and unrefined.

What is a growler???

a half-gallon glass jug for draft transporting draft beer

I can't afford such fancy beers. This reminds me of the person who has a Mercedes but complains of the maintenance costs.