There was a tiny bit of a kerfuffle over on the random kerfuffle generator website Beer Advocate earlier this month. Suffice it to say, it brought up many topics. (Notice how I am not going into specifics here, too many keystrokes have been spent on it). What I want to pull from it and expand upon is constructive criticism.
It is way easy to generalize about something. I, for instance, am not a huge fan of Black (Cascadian) IPA’s. Overall, I find more disappointments in this style category than many others. Now that is a pretty innocuous generalization. It can almost be taken as more of a challenge. Unfortunately, most generalizations on the craft beer interwebs are much harsher and it is becoming harder to find the needle of useful information in the proverbial haystack. I know that is a blinding glimpse of the obvious but it means that more people need to know how to be constructive and slow the tide of rising negativity. Otherwise we risk no one reading anything.
Here is what you need to read before posting for everyone to see:
1. If you are reviewing a beer, review that beer. Seems simple but you would be amazed how many review a beer based on whether the brewery is big or small, or whether they handled a ticket situation for their famous and rare beer well or any other myriad of things not relating to that specific beer you have in front of you.
2. Are you trying to create a furor? Some people love doing it. They will intentionally say that a beer A is overpriced or brewery B is overated or blogger C is a cheerleader. If you re-read and you see you are poking a bruise just to get a rise then stop. An opinion can be divisive and raise hackles but that should be a byproduct not an ultimate goal.
3. Backstory is everything. Why do you not like this beer? Or book? Or person? Explain how you got to the point where you disliked Black IPA’s. Example, I have had twenty or more versions and have found them all tilted too far towards the malt which masks the hoppy character that I enjoy in an IPA.
4. Imagine you are talking to someone from that brewery in their brewery and not typing from an underground bunker or safe house. Would you honestly smack talk a brewer in front of them? And not be constructive about it?
5. Always remember how good we have it now. There are knuckleheads and chuckleheads yes. Tickers and hoarders and the never satisfied. There are people in it for the money and not the beer. But, we could be living in a land of JUST Bud and Miller and Coors. It should never be forgotten that we live in a time of plenty.
6. Offer a solution. Maybe it is to brew more of Beer 1 and discontinue Beer 2. Or keep Beer 2 and dial back that crazy ingredient that is harshing the beer’s mellow. Or if you don’t like the marketing or artwork, show what you would do. Don‘t scream “you suck” at the referee. Kindly inform the referee that he might look into getting a new prescription for his glasses.
This requires a little more thought, a little more time and yes, a positive attitude even when writing about negative issues but the world of craft beer will be better for it.
