Comments on: Another perspective

By: Pivní Filosof

Pivní Filosof — Sun, 27 Apr 2008 09:42:30 +0000

I think the main problem why people don’t go as much as they should to craft beers is that most people aren’t curious. They stick to what they know, if they want to try something new (and this can be applied to most products), they will try something they’ve seen in an ad, or that is offered to them at a supermarket. That is, something with a massive marketing budget behind it, and in average, products with massive marketing budgets are not the best.
I always tell people, even Czechs, to try different beers, be them craft or from smaller bottlers. Many of them are reluctant to do so, but then, when they finally go for it, they are surprised at how good they generally are.
Sites like ratebeer do that in a more global scale, but on the other hand, only people who are beer curious visit them.
I don’t post so much in the ratebeer forums, but I do a lot in traveller’s forums. Fortunately, many people who come to the Czech Republic want to know where to have the best pints. That’s is why I mostly write about places where you can get lesser known brews.

By: knutalbert

knutalbert — Sat, 26 Apr 2008 14:32:00 +0000

I see your points, but they also apply to the beer market. How do you educate people to go for the craft beers instead of the bland multinational lagers?
ratebeer is also a tool for finding that elusive beer that you have to make a detour to get….

By: Pivní Filosof

Pivní Filosof — Sat, 26 Apr 2008 14:23:25 +0000

I don’t like rating beers. I believe it is simplistic and gives the impression that everything is measured with the same bar.
But how can you compare something that is brewed in very small ammounts, using the finest and most expensive ingredients, and only to be sold to a selected few, with a mass produced session beer (and some mass produced beers aren’t at all bad for their purpose?)
Still, I do like sites like ratebeer, specially the forums, tehy give beer lovers a chance to share the experience and opinions. Yes, there are those beerfundamentalists, but you can ignore them. Also, as the above article well says, they even give brewers a chance to get their products known.

By: E.S. Delia

E.S. Delia — Thu, 24 Apr 2008 15:38:42 +0000

Paradox looks like it’d be a tasty one. I’m a big fan of Scots whisky, and have recently picked up the 12- and 16-yr. Ola Dubh from Harviestoun.

More Scotch-aged beers please!

By: jophan

jophan — Thu, 24 Apr 2008 10:25:26 +0000

That Paradox Islay was really something! Yum!

By: The Beer Nut

The Beer Nut — Wed, 23 Apr 2008 20:32:45 +0000

De Molen in the Netherlands is another microbrewery which takes great pride in its Internet ratings. Does cracking beer, too.

By: Johan A

Johan A — Wed, 23 Apr 2008 16:40:47 +0000

OK, I’ll consider opening one of my Paradoxes tonight. We’ve already drunk up our Punk IPAs…