This country seems to be taking a page from the Flaming Cheeto in the Oval Office when it comes to being defensive. And the world of beer is not immune to getting defensive and then becoming offensive quickly thereafter.
The most recent kerfuffle involves the Georgia brewery, Scofflaw which posted about their own consistency issues and then seemed to get angry when people posted that, yes, they thought the brewery was inconsistent. You can read a good blow by blow HERE.
It illustrates a certain posture that I find a bit distressing. It seems to say that any feedback will lead to a snowball fight. One pull quote from the piece says it all:
They might as well be saying “If you’re not going to compliment us, then we don’t want to hear anything you have to say.”
It can be easy in this day of instant trolling to hunker down and then lash out but, I believe, the better tactic is to kill with kindness and humor and honesty.
Trolls and haters breathe in defensiveness like oxygen. It shows that a bruise has been pushed. If a brewery gets a comment or even un-constructive criticism, the best thing to do is to accept it and then explain your position and then leave it alone.
In the case of Scofflaw, (unless this was an elaborate marketing gimmick) would be to explain their malt and hop supply, explain that their beers are being constantly tweaked in an attempt to improve them and that, in the end, their mission isn’t to be 100% consistent but rather, 100% interesting. (Or something funnier)
We all need to (including myself) not let criticism bring us low. Grow a bit more Teflon. I hate to say this, but be more like SCROTUS, don’t let comments stop you from being who you are.