My Husband, the Beer Connoisseur

Friday 29 June 2012

My husband is a bit of a beer connoisseur - a sommelier of beers if you will.

Yes, he likes beer (as do most men) but he also knows a lot about it.  He understands the brewing process, he knows what hops are and he can guide you through IPA's, pilsners and ales like no one else I know.  He's tasted hundreds (I'm not exaggerating) of beers from all around the world and if you've ever spent time with him in a beer store, you know he'll spend hours perusing the shelves.

Joe will always forgo the run of the mill beers for a craft brewer and he generally believes that Budweiser, Coors, Kokanee, Canadian, Heineken and other's alike have misguided the general public into thinking that they brew good beer.  I appreciate this as I feel the same about music, books, movies and generally most things in life.  (Just because it's popular doesn't mean it's good!)  Unfortunately, we didn't get a lot of option in Gabon and while we certainly had our fair share of Castel, Heineken & Corona, we always look forward to getting out and tasting something different.

Joe's lifelong dream is to become a brewmaster - to start his own brewery à la "Steamwhistle" or "Dogfish Head."  In the meantime, he perfects his knowledge by visiting breweries and sampling beer.  

This week, while in Aberdeen, we visited the Brewdog Pub and I'm pretty sure Joe fell in love.  They had him from the minute he read the 'Beer School' pamphlet on the table and he was fairly certain that they must have stolen his entire beer philosophy.

"For how much beer we actually drink it is condemningly ironic how little we actually know about it.  Constrained by lack of choice.  Seduced by industrial brewers' huge advertising budgets.  Brain washed by vindictive lies perpetrated with the veracity of pseudo propaganda.  You can't help but be sucked down the fizzy yellow tasteless industrial lager rabbit hole.

There are plenty of bland beers made for people who don't care; dispassionate beer drinkers with no understanding, affinity or respect for what is in their glass.  It could really be anything, made my anyone, anywhere.  In fact, it probably is.

Maybe you want to define yourself with the lowest common denominator beer.  We won't have any part of it."

Yes, Joe was smitten.  And when he went to order and realised they had 6 IPA's on tap, the deal was sealed and I was pushed aside for an afternoon of sampling.  In addition to the myriad of beers on tap, there were their own bottled beers and dozens of imports of all different varieties.  I wondered if I'd ever get the man out of there.  


It's safe to say that we will be visiting Brewdog every single time we come to Aberdeen all in the name of Joe's next profession.


7 comments:

  1. Such a perfect post!! I love trying new beers. I was fortunate enough to be living in Lille, one of the beer capitals in Europe and only a 20 minute drive from Belgium for the school year so i tasted some AMAZING beers this year...now I've moved to Champagne and all I can say is that I am so lucky!

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  2. haha, men and their beer! Looks like an awesome place though, Jurgen would absolutely love it!

    xxx
    Jenna

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  3. I don't know if y'all are just in Aberdeen for work or if you're traveling Scotland, but Oban Brewery has some AMAZING beers, too- I'm really picky (and honestly just didn't drink beer in the States), and I generally like dark ales and stouts, and theirs is great! My husband tried several, and he liked them all.
    If we manage to get back to Aberdeen before we move I'll remember to stop at Brewdog!

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  4. i know nothing about beer and i hate the stuff. HATE IT.

    but my husband loves it too. never found a beer he doesn't like!

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  5. just found your blog and wanted to say hello :) I'm your newest follower!! please come check out my blog some time :D

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  6. I think our hubbys would get on as mine also likes to think he knows a thing or two about good beer.
    I found your blog randomly today and am now following!

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  7. Jenna and I think so much alike! I was about to see "Oh, men and their beer" and then I saw her comment. Great minds think alike!

    I looove tasting new beers, but I didn't like the German beers, they were very sweet compared to our South African bitters.

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