The impetus for the October rant topic beer lists comes from two directions. One was this blog post from The New School, from the Piss & Vinegar column. I just wish I had coined the phrase “listicles”. Classic. The other is that I have been doing 10 Best Lists of different beer styles over on Food GPS covering styles like IPA’s, sour beers and pale ales that are brewed in California. So what is my 3-D and not black and white take on lists in blogs?
Right off the bat, I have to agree that the numbered list is a beloved darling of the SEO set. No getting around it. And it is also a rubric that has sold magazines and self-help books too. That means that many who write such lists are just filling in the blanks. The 10 Hottest ????. The 5 Best ????. Combine that lack of interest in the actual topic in comparison to the maximization of hits and re-tweets and you have a recipe for hastily written, un-researched faux opinion. And the lack of knowledge shows.
See example A
Others create lists just to create a shitstorm of comments. I will rank Heady Topper as the 9th best IPA in the U.S. just so I can rile up the interwebs. Some days it seems that the horrible comment trolls are neck and neck with horrible content trolls. Anybody who creates a best of beer list that doesn’t start with, “MY OPINION” in big caps or states repeatedly, that the author intends to invoke conversation and not provoke outrage is just not starting with the right frame of mind.
But with a little work and specificity, a list can be a helpful road map for someone new to craft beer or new to a part of the country, or new to a style. My hope with the California Great California beer series is to give people visiting the state or visiting the breweries here a starting point. Here are 10 sour beers from California that I think are a good place to begin your journey. I try not to rank them (except for in my own head) and I try to provide a quick tidbit about the beer or brewery that I find of interest. I also endeavor to not pre-bias a beer for someone by putting my tasting notes into the list. Of course, I sometimes have difficulty following my own rules. But my end goal is to create something akin to a shopping list. (which is what I do monthly with my “Sean suggests” post).
The lists that I find most useful fall into two camps, those that are those written more in a travel guide type of style. When visiting Point A, you should try the pizza from here, the burger from here and check out this particular museum. It helps me get oriented to the city and lets ME decide what I would like to do. The same for your better than average beer lists. It should steer someone to trying a beer that may have been previously unknown. And in a perfect world, should make everyone reading it thirsty!
Secondly, I enjoy reading what other beer people like. I will read about what Los Angeles area brewers are drinking. I would read with avid interest any list coming from the L.A. Beer Blogger group. Because I value their opinion and I think I can learn from them. The reason why I would is because I know that they are beer fans first and foremost.
A good list is written by someone who knows and is passionate about the topic from whence he/she writes and is doing it for not just to get higher blog rankings. Will it ever be “content full”? Probably not. But neither are cat videos.