First newspaper column post of 2017--went a little retro here--a few Chinese Proverbs/Idioms to look at what's happening with some of the craft scenario--especially with newbies/ curious drinkers...
It basically means someone who endured hardship/bitterness trying to achieve something would eventually taste the fruits of their labour/sweetness of success...
To use such "motivating" phrase for beer tasting is a little playful but it also kinda reflect the very real scenario happening all over any craft beer places in the world when first time drinker/very new newbies trying out beers heavily influenced by use of HOPS.
这句话听起来怪老土的。
用在不习惯craftbeer味道变化新世界的新朋友，还蛮贴切的。
喝惯普通大厂啤酒的大多数人不会知道啤酒花（HOPS）是什么一回事，第一次接触craftbeer，无论是易喝的Pilsner或Pale Ale 都会感受到啤酒花作用，有人会说“比一般大厂啤酒香”，再来"好像有点苦"，当然，要是喝IPA的话，会第一口就"好苦"。
每个人对不同食物味道喜好厌恶是不一样的，苦涩味普遍来说最不讨好，不少人会选择避开，所以，当大多数人开始喝到用较大量真材实料啤酒花酿造类别风格啤酒时会觉得难以接受，甚至还“味蕾震撼”是容易理解的事。
其实，喝较偏向啤酒花苦涩味啤酒就像吃东西一样，所谓苦涩难接受，有时只因为自己预先心理设限闹别扭而扩大了初接触的排斥感。
已过当初“受不了苦”阶段的朋友会了解什么是啤酒味道层次带来的“苦尽甘来”，这是很贴切的形容词，只要味蕾适应了啤酒花最初带来的苦涩，就能领略到什么是啤酒花的甘香，还有融和酿造过程中所有材料的甘甜。
The truth is --majority of so called beer drinkers/beer lovers who just gulp on their big factory monotonous-lager have NOT A CLUE WHAT HOPS is.
It is so common to hear cries of "bitter" "too bitter" "yakks" when new people have their first sip of "bitter beers"--it can be a American Pale Ale, even a hopped up version of Pilsner--and if it's an IPA--expect all hell to break loose in that poor guy/girl's palate...
But all of us who've been through that initial "palate shake" would know--that so called bitterness is just very initial reaction of the poorly advised palate( first pounded by big beer commercial ad campaign/then dull senseless by the tasteless actual brew)
If you think craft beer is bitter--that's very likely not true--it's only a temporary stage where your palate is still raw/green/uninformed or misled--you will eventually taste the "sweetness" of beers you once considered too bitter to swallow--if you keep trying the right beers and varieties in the WWW of craft beer.
This is quite an ancient story--when a bad guy try to be king himself--to find out which are the guys on his side--he brought a DEER to the palace and showed the young king--pointing to the deer saying its a HORSE....
so what has deer or horse got to do with craft beer?
It's simple--as we live in a quick finger world now--anyone and everyone can just post on social media whatever crap it might be whenever they like--or dislike a certain beer.
大家基本都知道这句话意思。
在craftbeer的世界，不同风格类别啤酒很多，不过，这里要说的不是喝着A类型啤酒然后错指为B类型。
要说的是一个比较常发生在一些新朋友或“好奇宝宝”的现象。
有时候常会听看到某些人在酒吧或社交媒体发表类似这样评语\意见:-
“IPA? 很苦的，有什么好喝？”
“STOUT--比黑咖啡难喝，好像喝药材汤那样，怪怪的。”
“CRAFT BEER 又贵又不好喝，喝啤酒罢了嘛，还是大厂啤酒便宜好喝。”
“MEAD？蜜糖酿的，一定甜死人不赔命。”
The point is--it's all right to say anything you like/might among friends--but once comments is on social media--and it's a wrong one or misguided one or simply brainless one--then it affects the craft community, however small it might be.
how many times have we seen/heard these:-
"ohh--so bitter--why people like IPA?"
"stout is like drinking chinese herbs--so thick and bitter"
"craft beer is expensive and weird--i prefer my usual big factory lager"
"mead is brewed with Honey? ohh...cannot--must be sweet til die"
Those words--some came from people who have actually took a few sip or drank a glass--some came from people who NEVER had it but only assuming or from hearsay.
虽都是个人意见，也可能是所谓消费者喝后感，不过，一旦这些个人意见变成社交媒体讨论点，就不只是朋友间随便说那么简单了。
Craftbeer不像大厂啤酒那样直截了当，就算同一类啤酒也有风味层次区别的酿品。这种情况下，只是喝过一两瓶可能自己都不太清楚什么啤酒类别风格就随意下负面定论的"消费者"其实跟指鹿为马的乱说没区别。
举一个实际发生例子，之前在一个美国啤酒论坛内看到几个人因为对某支啤酒意见不同，在FB对上了，其中一句话是这样的 "当你像我那样喝过超过4万各种不同类别啤酒之後，那时才来讨论吧。" 当然，这句话可能是炫耀，夸大或气话，虽然喝的多不代表一定懂的比较多，不过，肯定会比只粗略或好奇喝过三五瓶就随便下定论的人懂得多。
喝craftbeer的确有味蕾训练这回事，那是无论怎么上网看资料或看书都没办法替代的。
下次，如果你想在社交媒体打负面定论时，或许应该深呼吸十次後再想想，自己的味蕾真的对那支啤酒的味道层次/类别风格有所领会？
The problem with these group of newbies/curious drinkers or "opinion leaders" is that--what they are saying or commenting on social media is NOT THE TRUTH--it's almost like pointing to a deer and saying it's a horse.
These people should learn how to calm down--not trigger happy on social media--learn how to appreciate varieties of beers--get to the basic of things--and just enjoy the "palate shake" process--because palate training is needed to better the appreciation level--and that's NOT a process where any amount of reading up on internet or books can replace--you need to drink and taste and feel--that's the best way to train up palate( though reading can help but only so much if you don't actually drink).
Remember--the next time when you "think" a certain beer style is not for you , or a certain beer would taste wrong--don't say it loud on social media--go have a few taste first --then sip it again say a year or two later--see what your palate tell you....
Which bring us to this old saying--"one can always find something new in an old subject matter/otherwise very familiar matter".
Personally i find this quite interesting--the same beer--drink it now and few years ago/ few years later can taste vastly different( not because of brewing changes--strictly about palate matter only)--or it would still taste familiar, with maybe some new nuances to be discovered.
有时候，同一支啤酒，今天喝，跟相隔一二三年後再喝，可能会有截然不同感受。
那种感受可以是绝对两极化，也可能是曾经熟悉味道中有新感受。
这样的经验，不少啤迷朋友都经历过。
抛开不同时候酿酒造成差异不说，在酒质一样情况下，相隔一段时间喝会感觉不同的原因很简单，个人味蕾功力，啤酒鉴赏力，对啤酒不同类别风格或同一风格但不同酿坊啤酒都有更进一步认识，因为那样，很可能会对某一支以前觉得“好喝到不行”的平庸啤酒哑然失笑，也可能对以前觉得“很难喝”的啤酒有全新认识而对自己当时的无知觉得不好意思之余也庆幸没有在品酒路上停滞不前。
温故知新听起来就是老土，也可能是一些致力追逐UNTAPPD勋章需要不断尝新酒朋友不会做的事，不过，从新发掘一支已喝过啤酒的美好或不足之处，会是有趣动作。
It is quite humbling to find out certain beers taste much better than when first tasted--due to lack of knowledge/appreciation level/ untrained palate or simply being ignorant.
At the same time feeling funny/slightly embarrassed to think so highly of certain beers drank in early days--"ohh--that's the fxxking best IPA i ever had"--and then you discover the level of beers like Focal Banger or Pilny the Elder( just saying)
What would be some of the beers you felt horrible at first but tasting so good now? and some which you thought so highly/heavenly of that it's "down to earth" now( i kinda wanted to say down the drain:)....
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