Beer Culture: Beer Geek vs. Beer Snob

For this post, I thought I'd try something a bit different and talk about a topic of conversation that gets brought up over and over again in beer circles: Are you a geek or a snob? Some even go so far as to assume that everyone who loves great beer (like me) is a snob. As a derivative of the term wine snob, being called a beer snob is something of a pejorative and certainly something that a geek like me takes personally. So to everyone out there who thinks that people like me are snobs, I politely ask you to consider a few things.

First, allow me to define the terms we're talking about.

geek: one who is overtly occupied with a particular area of interest, esp. computers and technology, whose interest therein extends to all facets of that particular field; someone who is considered overly intellectual

snob: a person who believes himself or herself an expert or connoisseur in a given field and is condescending toward or disdainful of those who hold other opinions or have differenttastes regarding this field


Given these terms, it is clear to me that I am firmly a geek. Allow me to illustrate the differences. I have met a few beer snobs who believe that the beers they drink are the best, even when their preference in beer is relatively limited, and who can't fathom how anyone could ever bring themselves to drink some industrial swill macro lager like Bud Light. They will then go so far as to ridicule Bud Light drinkers. The snob and I have one thing in common: I can't understand either why anyone enjoys Bud Light. But I also am aware that I don't understand why lots of people do the things they do. So I don't cast aspersions upon the Bud Light drinkers. If that's what they like, more power to them. All I ask is that they keep an open mind about craft beer until they've tried a few of them because I think there is a beer out there for everyone. If someone tries my preferences in beer and then makes the educated decision to stick with the Bud Light, then so be it. I'm not on a mission to convert the masses. But as long as there are folks who dismiss craft beer out of hand, I will continue passionately advocating for good beer.


Furthermore, I have run across many a snob who doesn't actually know much about beer. They know just enough to act superior but not enough to have the perspective and respect that both beer and people deserve. Sure, a snob might love their Blue Moon and they can tell you that it's a Belgian Witbier, but they can't explain how a witbier is different from, let's say, a hefeweizen or what flavors and body wheat contributes to their beer of choice. This is frustrating to me because the thing I care most about in beer is education and folks like this are giving me a bad name and scaring off people who might be interested in craft beer if that snob hadn't acted like loving beer was like being in some secret society. Remember folks, we're not saving the world or curing cancer here; we're drinking beer (occasionally too much beer). While I derive a certain amount of pleasure from following some rituals when I drink (proper glassware, clean glass, nosing the beer excessively, finding words to describe what I taste, trying to figure out what processes they might have used in making it), the thing I want to stress to people is that beer ought to be FUN! Do what works for you. If you want to drink that Belgian Strong Dark Ale out of a shaker pint, go for it! Don't let anyone ever make you feel like you're drinking beer wrong.


Another thing that separates geeks from snobs is our love of every aspect of beer. I love understanding how yeast works (at least on a rudimentary level) and what effects you can expect from a longer hop boil. I don't just drink beer that I like; I learn about the style (SRM, abv range, Original and Final Gravity, etc.), I learn about the brewery, I read up on historical innovations and developments in beer across continents and millenia. I do this because it allows me to establish a personal connection with that beer. This perspective means that when I taste great beer, I have a window into 8,000+ years of brewing history. It is a history of dedication, caring, craftsmanship, and hard work. Suddenly I realize that I'm not all that different from those ancient Egyptians who were drinking beer through long straws out of reed baskets 5,000 years ago. And that's pretty cool.

If you come to a brewery or a festival, I think you'll find that the overwhelming majority of people who are truly passionate about beer tend to be geeks. We're a very approachable bunch. While we tend to be opinionated when it comes to beer, we'll welcome you with a smile and a pint. My only hope is that this blog inspires someone to try that crazy looking beer that they've seen on the shelf. To anyone who feels intimidated (I remember feeling like that when I started), talk to a beer geek about what flavors you like and start exploring. So come on in, the beer's fine. Cheers!