It is not easy being a craft beer geek. Especially when we are experiencing a down cycle of sorts. It’s extra hard when you only drink Indie Beer.

A trip the store gets more gut-wrenching every time.

At one time we thought craft beer was going to keep getting more and more shelf space as people become aware of what good tasting local and independent beer is all about.

Sadly, Big Beer fought back against this buy buying out a large portion of the formally craft breweries that were big enough to get into the grocery stores (the holy grail for a small brewery).

Nothing exposes the suck of being a beer geek more than going to the grocery store or being in a restaurant that doesn’t have great beer.

Do you buy a ‘situational beer’ (a beer you would not drink or buy normally but are in a tight spot and it needs to happen) or do you not buy anything at all.

I’d like to breakdown why it can be so difficult at the grocery store for us poor souls that stick to their independent beer guns.

I have not had a variety pack, with good beer, last so long. I mean that as a compliment. It has legs, in a good way. I’m talking about Sierra Nevada Brewing’s variety pack called “The Sampler”.

The Sampler for Fall 2019 features:

• Sierra Pale (duh)
• Coffee Stout
• 3 Weight (session)
• Flipside
• Hop Bullet
• Torpedo

The website features cans for all but the Coffee Stout and Flipside. That would be cool to find this in cans or mixed, but I only found the ALL bottles version.

The session beer, 3 Weight, as the most interesting to me. But I love sessions, so…

I got it on sale for $15.99 in my local grocery store, which is a great deal for a craft beer 12-pack. It lasted the better part of a week. I wasn’t exclusively drinking this, mind you, but used it for palet cleansing for bigger Untappd checks.

A lot of people complain that they can’t get the Flipside or the Coffee Stout on its own. I’m not a big fan but appreciate the beer, so for me, having in the Sampler is just fine.

Overall, I would totally pick up this 12 pack again, probably will for Thanksgiving or something. For the variety of it, I would choose it over a 12 pack of Torpedo or a 12 pack of Sierra Pale, 9 of 10 times.

Or just enjoy a nice quiet Saturday night with an old friend, Sierra Nevada.

Because brewers are so fucking bored with flavor and the work, they just want pilsners and lagers.

It’s a good test. A test to see if the brewer knows what the hell he is doing. If he’s got a good lager or pilsner then he probably can brew.

I had always thought that tasting a brewer’s pale is how you judge.

Brewers are annoyed that you like flavors. You dick Beer Geeks, liking all that damn flavor! Screw. You. Guys. I’m going going home with  Zero Hopped Pilsner.

Give us what we want, you brewing bros. Stop trying to shove your Pilsner on is. Homebrew your lagers and drink them all day for all I care.

You’re a damn Pro. And being pro means you have to make some stuff that is interesting and fun. There is nothing fucking interesting and fun about a clean lager.

If you want to be relive your Budweiser drinking days, then go get a Budwieser and leave us be. Where is my Mosaic hopped marshmellow hazy?

Lagers are as boring.
Continue reading “Why Do Brewers Love Lagers and Pilsners So Damn Much!?” →