The Firkin for May 2011

I read this thought provoking post on NPR and it got me thinking about the craft beer world in both good and bad ways.

Back before the revolution of good beer, to try the best beer in the world required a European vacation. Now to try the best would require months and months of time, all the frequent flyer miles you have and an extra liver.

There is just TOO MUCH worthy beer out there. But that is a good thing. I like that there is an embarrasment of riches. Unlike the movies, where you might look at what’s playing and go, “Is that it?”, with beer you can rest assured find something good practically anywhere in the US and the world. And this will eventually entice all the industrial water lager drinkers to come over to the flavor side. So it is a seeming win-win. (Which is also a movie that I need to see).

But here is the downside on both a personal and consumer level. It is hard to grapple with the fact that I won’t have a majority of the beers that I wish I could. All these one-offs in Portland, Oregon or Portland, Maine. Anniversary beers from Alabama that never make it to bottles. Heck, even a lot of the brews that I post about will never make it to my ‘fridge.

But I am coming to the point in my beer drinking life where I am OK with that and I am starting to want more people to come to that realization to.

There is no need to go chasing after “beer whales”. Enjoy the fruit in your backyard and if a special beer shows up, try it. I’m not advocating an unadventurous spirit. But don’t pass up 10 good beers that you have had for the “special one” that might be good. Because the relentless hunt will only lead to dis-satisfaction.