I'm still not entirely sure what I have to offer in this Session. I've always said that I'm far from an expert on beer. I'm still very far away from being any type of analyst when it comes to old world beer culture. Hell, I'm not really sure what it is exactly.
What I do know is that Adrian or "Ding" has certainly had his run-ins with some throughout the beer community. I've claimed this edition of The Session to be the one where the internet implodes after witnessing some of the beer tirades through social media. He comes off as stubborn and cynical. I can understand that as a person who is also stubborn and cynical.
Like it or not, the rest of us need us cynics to sometimes keep everything in check and to keep the world from going too far. That doesn't always mean anyone has to listen. There are plenty of examples throughout history that back up both cases.
Beer in a way is similar to politics, which I've lost interest for over the years. I don't remember the last time I voted. Still, I remain registered as a Republican mainly because it gets on people's nerves. I love the people that scream "YOU'RE ONE OF THEM!?" The world can explode and I wouldn't really care about the political affiliation of the political crony that was responsible for it.
The beauty of both beer views and political views is that people will argue tot he death over who's side is right and wrong while there isn't anything in the history of time that says either side is really right. To me, it's just a bunch of wasted energy. I sometimes feel the same way about the bickering that goes on in the beer community.
Beer in a way is similar to politics, which I've lost interest for over the years. I don't remember the last time I voted. Still, I remain registered as a Republican mainly because it gets on people's nerves. I love the people that scream "YOU'RE ONE OF THEM!?" The world can explode and I wouldn't really care about the political affiliation of the political crony that was responsible for it.
The beauty of both beer views and political views is that people will argue tot he death over who's side is right and wrong while there isn't anything in the history of time that says either side is really right. To me, it's just a bunch of wasted energy. I sometimes feel the same way about the bickering that goes on in the beer community.
Still, I can see a few big differences between the beer cultures of Britain and America. It seems to me (and anyone can correct me on this) that the two mainstays of beer across the pond are still porters and pale ales. Here in the states, the beer scene is saturated with hops and high ABV's. The IPA has become the main style of the American craft beer spectrum.
Ding has always been vocal about the definition of session beer and how some Americans have stretched the meaning of it. My take? It's just beer. Drink and enjoy it.
As I mentioned earlier in the post, I'm also a very cynical person. Society makes me want to bang my head off of the wall in many aspects. Sometimes this happens when it comes to beer. The fighting over beers like Kentucky Breakfast Stout and the overly-hopped IPA's like Hopslam makes me shake my head.
I'm cynical about all of it, but keep my mouth shut most of the time. I don't really feel like fighting with people. So, there it is. Maybe the American beer culture does have an achilles heel? Maybe it's just unique? I don't know enough about other beer cultures to really say so. All I know is what I've stated time after time on this blog. I drink what I prefer, out of any glass I feel like drinking from, as well as the way I want to. Beer is a beautiful thing. Just enjoy it. The same way I enjoy Ding's commentary on beer regardless if it's against the grain.
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