I have grown weary of writing this when I go to review a beer on the Ratebeer website: “I don’t know why this pilsner has such a low score.” or “Typical low score for a pilsner.”
I would have thought by now that pilsners, Kolsch’s, Helles’ and the like would have finally earned some love from the beer geeks in the world but as with session beers, it appears that the love still firmly focuses on high ABV monsters.
So my rant this month is a mini-Call to Arms for those who love the simple pleasure of a well-made lawnmower beer. Go out and buy some! Have some in your ‘fridge. These are the gateway beers for the large percentage of people who are still (amazingly) not into craft beer yet. So why are they dissed and skipped over? They should be held in esteem or at least acknowledged for their place in the craft beer eco-system.
And don’t stop with just buying and enjoying.
Post it on Untappd and rate it fairly. Don’t automatically give it one less start simply because it pours a light yellow hue. And do the same with the big beers, don’t give it 5 stars for being boozy. You don’t tell friends to see a movie that you haven’t seen so why do the same for beer? Dig a little deeper. When you go on Ratebeer or Beer Advocate, talk about the beer without bias.
I have said it before and I will say it again, if we do not appreciate all beer styles then some of those styles may fall by the wayside and that would be the exact opposite of what the beer revolution was and is about. We all wanted choice, not just Imperial Stouts or Triple IPA’s. This world needs Vienna lagers and blonde ales too.
These lighter beers take skill and time and must be appreciated for how hard they are to make. You certainly can’t hide flaws in these beers. And yet we treat them like the Brady’s treated Cousin Oliver, as a nuisance at the far end of the taster tray.
Let there be light!