***Originally published on beeradvocate.com 11/18/02 but it needed to be republished here in Proc-Blogdom to assist those in the quest for beer knowledge and fufillment.***
The Evolution of a Beer Drinker
From Bud to Advocacy, the Rise of the Beer Drinker.
As with most things in life, the more we experience something, the more our understanding, appreciation and knowledge of it grows.And yes, beer is an experience.
This experience can be chronicled throughout the evolution of BeerManKind ...
The Cave Man Period
We start off our evolution much like the Neanderthal or Cro-Magnon Man in our pursuit of quarry that gets us by and provides for our beer sustenance. Inexpensive lagers and malt liquors and satisfy our beer survival instincts. We walk hunched over and wear "Bud" t-shirts.
The Medieval Period
As our evolution progresses, we work our way into the role of Knights of The Beer Table. Our intentions are brave and we dare to take chances. We lay our glassware out and try to save the day. Save the princess? No, but we'll drink with her. The word "pint" enters our vocabulary for the first time and we heartily drink like a King. Yes, a fresh pint of Guinness and we think we can rule the kingdom.
The Explorer Period
Like Columbus, Magellan and Marco Polo, we set off in the pursuit of new treasures. We leave behind the comforts of home and venture out to foreign lands. The hops and malts of offshore places tickle our palates and we become worldly. Heineken, Beck's, Corona, and Stella beckon us to their side.
The Evolution of a Beer Drinker
From Bud to Advocacy, the Rise of the Beer Drinker.
As with most things in life, the more we experience something, the more our understanding, appreciation and knowledge of it grows.And yes, beer is an experience.
This experience can be chronicled throughout the evolution of BeerManKind ...
The Cave Man Period
We start off our evolution much like the Neanderthal or Cro-Magnon Man in our pursuit of quarry that gets us by and provides for our beer sustenance. Inexpensive lagers and malt liquors and satisfy our beer survival instincts. We walk hunched over and wear "Bud" t-shirts.
The Medieval Period
As our evolution progresses, we work our way into the role of Knights of The Beer Table. Our intentions are brave and we dare to take chances. We lay our glassware out and try to save the day. Save the princess? No, but we'll drink with her. The word "pint" enters our vocabulary for the first time and we heartily drink like a King. Yes, a fresh pint of Guinness and we think we can rule the kingdom.
The Explorer Period
Like Columbus, Magellan and Marco Polo, we set off in the pursuit of new treasures. We leave behind the comforts of home and venture out to foreign lands. The hops and malts of offshore places tickle our palates and we become worldly. Heineken, Beck's, Corona, and Stella beckon us to their side.
We bring these treasures back to our home land.
We are heroes.
The Governor Period
We return home as conquering men of John Courage. We now discover delights in our own backyards. Various beers from our region are sampled and deemed incredibly delicious. We drink the nectar from our native soil and believe we masters of our own domain. And, in some ways, we probably are. Drinkers all over the world consume locally brewed beers and try to spread the word far and wide.
The Belgian Period (the Period of Discovery)
It is at this point in our evolution that all hell breaks loose. We find out that monks make beer and have done so for years. Finding out that these men of religion brew beer, we respond, "That is too cool." We open these complex delights and screams of "Chimay!" and "Westy!" bellow out of our mouths. We buy goblet-shaped glassware and throw out our Spuds McKenzie plastic mugs. We talk about "balance" and "body" and for the first time in our lives, we understand what a barley wine is.
The Advocacy Period
Our journey into BeerManKind is complete.
Our evolution reaches its pinnacle.
We know what an IPA is.
We know hops by the names of Cascade and Tettnanger and Noble.
Our families look at us funny, but humor us.
We actually give ratings to beer and know, for the most part, what we are talking about.
We walk upright.
We have evolved.
--Kind of makes you want to have a beer right now doesn't it? -Darren, 11/9/04
The Governor Period
We return home as conquering men of John Courage. We now discover delights in our own backyards. Various beers from our region are sampled and deemed incredibly delicious. We drink the nectar from our native soil and believe we masters of our own domain. And, in some ways, we probably are. Drinkers all over the world consume locally brewed beers and try to spread the word far and wide.
The Belgian Period (the Period of Discovery)
It is at this point in our evolution that all hell breaks loose. We find out that monks make beer and have done so for years. Finding out that these men of religion brew beer, we respond, "That is too cool." We open these complex delights and screams of "Chimay!" and "Westy!" bellow out of our mouths. We buy goblet-shaped glassware and throw out our Spuds McKenzie plastic mugs. We talk about "balance" and "body" and for the first time in our lives, we understand what a barley wine is.
The Advocacy Period
Our journey into BeerManKind is complete.
Our evolution reaches its pinnacle.
We know what an IPA is.
We know hops by the names of Cascade and Tettnanger and Noble.
Our families look at us funny, but humor us.
We actually give ratings to beer and know, for the most part, what we are talking about.
We walk upright.
We have evolved.
--Kind of makes you want to have a beer right now doesn't it? -Darren, 11/9/04
3 comments:
Great piece. I think I'm somewhere in the latter stages, but I've yet to be schooled in the intricacies of hops.
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