The Beer Geek Timeline
The world of craft beer is rather interesting, specifically the people. Some have been drinking craft beer for 20 years or more, while others are recent converts, thirsty to learn everything. In a way, these two types of people represent different stages in the life of the beer drinker.
Whether you’re that new convert or a grizzled veteran, in my experience, beer drinkers seem to follow a certain path in their experience with craft beer. See if you can identify yourself or others you drink with.
- The Newborn – This beer drinker doesn’t know what they’re drinking, but they know they like it. Sometimes they have a parental figure to tell them what’s going on, but it’s ok if they learn on their own. Enthusiasm is generally high, but expect them to look for that familiar beer when faced with an option.
- The Adolescent – The Newborn has discovered what it is they like about beer. It could be hops, it could be malt, it could be alcohol. Either way, they have learned how to venture away from the safe haven of their favorite beer. As with any adolescent, they will dive into this head first. This is also when they discover the word “Imperial” and will cling to it like an old blanket. They’ve discovered a beer itch and will scratch it raw.
- The Young Adult – At the end of the previous stage, the Adolescent began venturing away from their specific beers into neighboring territory. Hop lovers tried malty/hoppy beers. The Young Adult has identified their favorite aspect of beer in more styles. They experiment, they continue the race to the top, looking for bigger, bolder and more intense experiences in a pint glass. Young Adults drive the “extreme” beer scene with passion and excitement.
- Mid-Life – “I just want a beer I can drink.” The chase for bigger beers has left this beer drinker a little worn out. Their taste for big beer is still alive, but they have enough experience to appreciate more session-able styles. This beer drinker can pick out the subtleties of beer. Also, this beer drinker is more comfortable with their own beer tastes. Well informed, and aware of what they want, this beer drinker has definitely hit their stride.
- The Veteran – Been there, done that. This beer drinker is hard to phase. Special bottles may excite this person, but don’t be offended if they decide to pass on your cherry-infused bourbon barrel-aged imperial stout brewed by gnomes in Greenland. This person refuses to compromise their tastes or their mood. Want to know more about beer? This is the person to talk to.
Now these are basic stage of a beer drinker, but they can always be modified by other factors. Regardless of where you fall in the timeline, the beer drinker will still be the deciding factor in how the person interacts with others. A snob can be drinking a Heineken in a frosted glass wrapped in a napkin or berating the bartender for not carrying anything more than Sierra Nevada on draft.
Where do you see yourself on this list? Where do others see you? Do you disagree?
6 Comments to “The Beer Geek Timeline”
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very good post and certainly very true. Me and my fellow Irish homebrewers meet up monthly for a tasting session and I could certainly fit a few of the guys into those categories. I think I am probably a Young Adult
Being on Ratebeer is definitely one of those “other factors”
I’ll never pass on your cherry-boubon-barrel IS, at least not the first time. But if I like it, I may only have a small sip of your pale ale for the tick, and then have another pint of the IS.
Or if I’m in that mood, I’ll drink two pints of your pilsner and just have a sip of the IS. So I’m a Veteran-like Young Mid-lifer, who has his own ideas, but hasn’t stopped being curious.
Anyway, your Mid-lifer is too simplistic. Even when you out-grow the young adult phase, extreme beers always have their time and place.
Very nice read, I’ve definitely made my way through the procession, I believe I’m currently a mid-lifer.
Is that photo meant to look like ‘The Last Supper?’ Great post, I’d say I’m fumbling around just under Young Adult myself.
I’m having a mid-life crisis! You pegged me exactly!
Re: Veterans. I don’t think it’s true that all veterans are hard to please. Some don’t pass on things such as beer brewed by Greenlandish gnomes (who would?).
Never meant to imply that the right beer doesn’t have its right time and place. Some time that right time is “now” because later you might not have the chance to try the beer.
As for the photo, I chose it because there are people of many ages sitting together, but Dave Hopwood is kind of like Jesus.