Tag: debate

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A Book & A Beer – The Fire is Upon Us by Nicholas Buccola

I picked up The Fire is Upon Us from the library primarily because it was written by a professor at my Alma Mater, Linfield College. Not because I had an empty image of either of the two men at the center of the book.

Because the focus is narrowed to race, it is really hard to muster any sort of feeling for William Buckley. He was a prolific writer and as opposed to many politicians held convictions firm but he was also a man that time has passed by at a rapid pace whilst Baldwin becomes more and more important with each passing year.

Couple that with the fact that the debate isn’t arrived at until literally late in the last quarter of the book and you have the problem of having to leaf through backstory more than you experience the debate. Personally, I would have opted for a smaller book that really dug into everything around the debate as well as extended notes on how re-constructing a debate where only snippets of video exist, would have packed a more powerful punch. Heck, the fact that Buckley had severe time constraints due to an injury to his wife that he admirably did not want to leave alone, would have merited more attention.

Indeed the transcript of the debate makes for fascinating reading and reveals debate and oratorical skills as well as a grasp of socio and political ideas that I found fascinating.

As far as beers to taste while reading this book, I would tongue in cheek pick two breweries and give a representative sampling of their core beers of both to some friends (as well as yourself) and have them write down which beers struck their fancy and which brewery they think “won” this drinking debate. Perhaps get beers from a pair of New York breweries to make it closer to Baldwin’s home turf, since he (spoiler) won this debate.

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Beating a Dead ….

America is great at a great number of things they should not be. Putting things (and people into boxes), memes, reality shows. [Insert your own list here.]

But we, with the help of social media, have truly mastered the art of the backlash and the reverse backlash. Nowhere is that on display more than when SABInBev makes either a purchase or dunderheaded marketing miscue.

It doesn’t take Karnack the Great to guess what will transpire:

1. Announcement of Sale
2. Cut and paste, “We are not going to change” defense from brewery / blog or business.
3. Heat of 1,000 suns hatred from all corners.
4. But we’re still craft comeback from the purchased.
5. The “No you aren’t” response
6. A rational look at the problem (hopefully, this is where I am)

This is where the reverse backlash starts. Bloggers and social media types attack the people who are attacking SABInBev for bringing an Us or Them mentality to the table.

Which is true. The spectrum has been lost. The color grey is no longer in the Crayola box. The Pros and Cons of Heineken buying a craft brewery vs. MillerCoors cannot even be discussed. Certainly not on Twitter or Facebook. And I am not the only one who thinks that is a loss. Read THIS.

Instead of adopting a political stance, how about listening first and processing the information and then, the next day, responding. How about explaining where you stand instead of just asking for people to be “nice” and not talk about it. Or worse deciding that you are right and that anyone who disagrees is wrong.

Let’s discuss the topic. I’ll start. I prefer local and #independent beer. I am concerned when a company not in the beer or alcoholic beverages sector buys a majority stake in a brewery but a minority stake doesn’t trouble me as much. Big doesn’t mean bad to me and small doesn’t equate with great. I firmly believe that SABInBev would like craft beer to disappear from the face of the earth but cannot fathom the whole concept of a small brewery and thus cannot combat it. I believe there is so much good craft beer out there that you can boycott a brewery based on your personal code and not the quality of the beer and not have either the quantity or quality of beer consumed fall.

The goal should be to IMprove not just prove that you are right.

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The Firkin for May 2010

beer-wine1
RESPECT

Wine gets it and beer doesn’t. It seems to be a thorny issue. Especially now that craft beer has raised it’s profile. Beer has prestige where once it was only a plebian drink. But the pro-beer crowd seems to feel that despite innovation within the brewing industry and educated palates of consumers that proper respect isn’t being given and that wine is sitting on its grape laurels.

That is so beyond the point to me. Beer shouldn’t be compared to wine in that way. By reducing it to a class struggle or vying for preeminence at the dining table, it takes away what is great about both drinks. And it makes both seem like inaccessible drinks for the highly cultured few.

Beer does not have to justify itself as classy. Beer is classy. And wine people who put down beer as beneath them and the beer people who fight every perceived slight just reinforce the old and outdated image of beer as just a watery lager for the masses.

An argument is made that there should be a level playing field. Wine and spirits and beer starting at point A. They are all great and deserve a participation ribbon. That seems very short sighted. We should celebrate the heritage of beer and marvel at the journey it has taken. Then the beer world needs to focus on what is good for the advancement of beer. Not in comparison to others but simply beer.

Beer does not need to keep up with the Jones’s of the wine industry. Remember that this new renaissance started not to compete but to make a good beer because the beer available was watered down and not getting any better. It wasn’t done to win a competition of beer vs wine.

Oddly enough though, I love beer vs wine pairing dinners where people can vote on what works better with their palates. This is because it is an educational setting. It may be externally a competition but in the end people from both sides of the aisle are being exposed to different flavors and their combinations.

The people of the craft beer world need to use whatever GPS is needed to relocate where beer is in history and move forward from there. We are not on the same trajectory as wine or spirits or coffee or tea. They have their own arcs. If beer has a problem then let’s find a BEER ANSWER.

If an alcohol law need to be changed, then we should craft resolutions that fit this industry.

If restaurants don’t use beer to cook or as an accompanying beverage, then we should start restaurants that are beer centric.

If informed media exposure is needed then, then we need to provide either the content or the screens, be they computer or TV, for potential customers to see it.