Ok, so maybe not the best title in the world, but oh well. Today's headache comes from my obsession with hating on IPA. I don't really know what it is that makes me lash out at the most popular beer on the West Coast (or as I like to call it, the Hop Coast. Because I'm clever), but I just can't help it. To me, the style is just a bore. You have a base malt and too many hops and I fail to see how that is an interesting style choice. Sure, I have had a few good IPAs, and even fewer good ones, but I have never had one that makes me go all gushy for them.
That is just my opinion, and I realize that my views are probably bullshit to you hop heads out there. I'm fine with that. Honestly. And I'm ok with everyone jumping on that IPA train, I suppose. My issue stands with the #IPAday thing going around today.
Part of being craft beer drinkers is that we help to grow awareness of craft beer in general. This silly movement today of celebrating one style over another serves to drive a wedge between fringe beer drinkers and the hard core foamaphiles that we craft beer drinkers like to believe we are. Instead, why not just promote Craft Beer in general? Why all this stylist garbage floating around Twitter today? Is IPA really the style we need to promote? Will that help us get more beer drinkers?
Everything you write, everything you promote matters. It matters to the non-beer drinkers. It matters to the fringe folks who get excited over Fat Tire. You are a Craft Beer ambassador, not some style monkey.
So, that's my stance. I'm looking to understand the IPA movement and this whole #IPAday thing. I just don't get it. Anyone else?
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as sincere as the "founders" claim to be this isn't much more than future resume fodder. you know, "I MADE IPA DAY!! HIRE ME!!" this is evidenced with them bragging about trending, follower count and other "successes." hardly the stuff that makes up "the brewers code."
ReplyDeleteit's all pretty gross if you ask me.
I could really get behind this if it wasn't created out of thin air by that horrible guest you guys had a while ago called the Beer Wench. However, I will use any excuse to drink publicly that I can.
ReplyDeleteFrom what I've seen, the people that "invented" #IPADay are total n00bs to the craft beer scene. They're self important "social media" big-wigs who seemingly care more about their klout score than they do about anything beer. These people may have brewed/helped brew a batch here and there, but they aren't homebrewers. They're into beer because beer is popular at the moment and if it starts to fade, they'll move on to whatever the next cupcake/cakeball fad is.
ReplyDeleteBecause these people are who they are, of course they're going to pick IPA for their day to celebrate. They drink what's popular because they can't think for themselves so...#IPADay it is. They can't verywell come up with a Dusseldorf Alt day because a) they don't know what an alt bier is and b) als isnt a popular style of beer and creating an #AltBierDay wouldn't increase their klout score.
I agree with you that social media days about a specific style of craft beer do not promote beer in the way I think it should be promoted, but unlike you, I drink a lot of IPA's.
So, let's stop promoting this ridiculous day and get back to just drinking #CraftBeer
Their site says, "#IPADay is not the brainchild of a corporate marketing machine" however one of them is the marketing guy at Karl Strauss and the Wench works for Bison still doing media and marketing? Both probably corporations...
ReplyDeleteAnd could you be any less creative than make a day out of the most represented beer styles with one of the highest year to date percentages in terms of growth?
I don't know, when I heard about the day all I thought was, "Looks like Bison is trying to find a way to boost their IPA's sales."
So you should be happy that tomorrow is International Beer Day! http://www.internationalbeerday.com
ReplyDeleteI find IPA'S to be the new light lagers. At the only decent beer store in my small town there is a wall full of Bud, Miller, & Coors products and a wall full of IPA'S. And then one door of other styles in bombers. Im sure there are pale ales and some ambers in there too but it really seems like a wall of IPA. Its made all the funnier by the clerks talking up thethe hops when I buy a Duvel or some Saison. Its all a lot of people know about beer, craft beer has more hops than Bud light. At least I can get those and just smile and nod at the clerks.
ReplyDeleteHonestly, you're an idiot. Please kill yourself and do yourself and your family a favor.
ReplyDelete