These are just a couple of thoughts prompted by reactions to our last post.
1. You can’t write a set of rules for “cool”. Trying to define “good beer” or “craft beer”* in a form as definite as the CAMRA conception of “real ale” is impossible. Defining “indie” is pretty tough, too, but you know it when you see it.
2. People have often have very different taste in music or films when they’re just finding their way than they do later in life. They might start with the pretentious stuff and get over themselves; or they might prefer brash, loud and attention-grabbing, but begin to appreciate something more thoughtful as they mature. Our respective dads thought our respective tastes in music were terrible, but they were just glad we liked music at all.# If people just starting out on beer happen to get all excited about Guinness, or crazily hoppy American IPAs, we should be encouraging them, not sneering.
Footnotes
*. Actually, we’re not going to footnote ‘craft beer’ every time we use it. We’re going to link to this new permanent page.
#. That sentence is a perfect example of what a pain in arse this “two bloggers with one voice” thing can be. That’s the last time we’ll mention our respective dads…
2 replies on “Pop Culture and Beer”
Well said, if people aren’t encouraged to explore they simply never will.
Agreed. We ‘the bloggers’ preach in varying guises and if people are receptive to something we said and run with it, albeit that sometimes they may run backwards, we should be supportive of their epiphany all the same!