WEEK 172---Don't be Alarmed---craft beer is indeed beer

When it comes to drinking craft beer for the first time (or the first few time) ---newbies always would have different question marks ranging from technical point of view as well as from the angle of perceptions/stereotype :-

有人问，刚开始喝craft beer有什么需注意的入门要点，真要说起来是有的，包括很浅显易懂技术层面的，比如不要牛饮比如给时间让酒回温，同时也有个人对啤酒刻板印象喝酒习惯/观点层面的，比如啤酒是不是就只有/只能是大家传统观念中那种黄澄澄要一干而尽的冷冻爽口冷饮。

上期聊了新朋友刚喝craft beer时关于喝酒方式，用杯，冷度温度等几个需要注意的入门基础浅显技术层面要点，今天来聊些观点看法层面的：-

1) Don't resist / Don't be alarmed

One thing is quite clear---with the long ingrained perception of how beer "SHOULD" taste or even look like in a glass( no thanks to the relentless marketing campaign by MACRO BEER giants since the dawn of mankind)---it is understandable how shaken up a newbie's palate might be during his/her first or first few glasses of craft beer as the taste profile would be so different from what they have used to/ come to expect of basing on MACRO BEER experiences.

Though no official/definitive statistics to show--it is believed that more often than not a newbie would "run away" rather than fall in love with craft beer after the first encounter---mainly due to one key factor---familiarity. Generally human being are against changes---meaning people would almost always stick to familiar comfort zone---no different when it comes to food&beverages. Imagine when a beer is so different in taste profile than the "expected familiarity' of a MACRO LAGER--the shock of something so 'Strange" would put some people off and likely never return---that would be a shame because those initial "shaken up" moments are just temporary resistance due to unfamiliarity---once adjusted---going forward a newbie will be able to appreciate better how different craft beer can be.

1）别抗拒也不需被吓到

虽然没有具体正式统计数字，但有个普遍现象是，一般人第一次喝完後会即刻接受或爱上craft beer的比例其实并不高，更多时候来说会是偏低，有鉴于消费群众长久以来对啤酒“应有口味”的刻板印象，第一次接触到口味多样化，一点也不像印象中那种易喝解渴冰凉“味道口感”大厂啤酒时，对已经习惯大厂啤酒刻板印象味蕾带来的动摇或震撼可以是强烈/巨大的。

心理学家告诉我们，人很多时候基本是抗拒陌生变化的，这当然包括饮食习惯在内，人本能的会先排斥陌生的味道，不少人刚开始喝craft beer时因为感受到完全不熟悉的味道“攻击”会感觉别扭所以本能的抗拒/敬而远之，某方面来说，有点类似第一次尝试吃榴莲那样，有人的大脑味蕾会第一时间被吓到是可以理解状态。但这都只是由于陌生带来的震撼，其实喝craft beer的重点在于通过啤酒尝试不同味道层次，一开始就算被吓到其实也没什么，只要调整一下心态很快就能逐渐领会个中乐趣。

2) Unfamiliar or Strange taste profile is NORMAL

People have their first encounter with craft beer under different circumstances--some because they have beer geek friends/some went on their own due to curiosity/ some though not really sure how but they somehow end up having some craft beer for the first time.....

The world of craft beer is full of different beer styles with very different taste profile---perhaps the one style most newbies/first time drinkers wanted which is easy drinking and remotely close to what they used to in a MACRO BEER is a craft version of Pilsner or Lager(which in truth can be far better/delicious than a macro)---this is a beer universe which will enable newbies to explore taste profile in beer form he/she could never imagine before---the basic taste profile found in food items can be discovered in a beer---from bitter sweet sour savoury umami to smoky roasty or even the strange Funky profile---you name it you will find it.

2）陌生或奇怪口味是正常的

新朋友第一次接触craft beer情况不一而足，有被已入坑朋友带去推坑的，有自己好奇想试的，也有莫名其妙喝了但不知道什么是什么的。无论什么情况下第一次喝到craft beer，或感到新奇惊喜或感觉不合口味甚至感觉惊吓，看在啤迷眼中都是正常反应。

craft beer之所以精彩在于不同风味类别选择非常多，而这其中能让只是喝过大厂啤酒感觉不那么完全抗拒陌生的基本不多（Pilsner/Lager这类口感比较清爽类型是典型例子但其实会比一般大厂啤酒好喝很多），更多时候craft beer不同风味啤酒会让第一次喝的新朋友感受到从没能在啤酒中感受过或想象的多样化味道可能性，简单来说，举凡我们日常食物中能嚐到的酸甜苦辣鲜或是烟熏烘烤甚至LAMBIC特有的发酵发霉腐香（FUNK）等等比较另类味道都能通过酿造过程在啤酒中呈现出来（而且有时比食材原味更丰富多变）。

3)  Exploring deliciousness is the only motive

Of course there can be 101 reasons why people would want to drink a beer( or perhaps no reason needed)---to say the main reason or only objective to drink is to explore deliciousness in a beer can be quite strange a reason/motive to many who are unfamiliar with the world of craft beer.

To many beer geeks--exploring different types of deliciousness in a beer is the main driving factor for some who don't mind the hassle of seeking out beers not easily available locally--or trying to arrange for bottle sharing sessions whenever possible. It's true seeking out deliciousness in a beer might sound like lame excuse---but once you understand where that's coming from---then drinking beer to seek for deliciousness will come naturally.

3）喝酒只为探索美味

每个人喝啤酒的理由动机（或其实根本没有任何理由动机）不尽相同，最普通大概离不开为了解渴或为了兴致情绪需求而喝，但如果说喝啤酒动机只为探索美味的话，听在一般消费人耳中应该会觉得很奇怪或只是酒鬼编出来的藉口。

事实是，对不少啤迷来说，会喜欢上喝craft beer主要或唯一原因就是因为啤酒中各种不同美味可能性是值得探索充满吸引力的。或许，把喝啤酒当做探索美味切入点或者说是最终唯一目标对一些人（包括才刚接触新朋友）来说可能是难以理解的事，不过一旦认识理解接受这个理念，喝啤酒是为了探索不同美味层次这件事就会变得理所当然，自然不过。

4) Split it/ Share it

One common question most newbies would ask is ' with so many different breweries so many different beer styles to drink--how long does it take for one to cover as many as wide range possible? "

The answer is simple--don't drink all by yourself---always try to split up the beers or share with a few friends whenever possible--in a way---<Drink Less Taste More> is the way to go--meaning always try to lessen the drinking volume but do try to drink more varieties possible----Remember, craft beer drinking is about tasting how a beer would taste after the process of how it was conceived/brewed/handled logistically from brewery to your glass--though you can if you wanted to---but craft beer is never about gulping or binge drinking.

4）分着喝更轻松

刚接触craft beer新朋友其中一个疑惑是，不同类型风味啤酒选择那么多，除开个人消费力问题，基本来说自己一个人酒精收受力有一定限度，要喝多久怎么喝才能嚐到更多不同类型风格不同酿坊作品？ 

问题不难解决，找几个同好一起分着喝就可以，这也是为什么不少啤迷之间不时会有瓶子分享会出现，个人来说其实很鼓励新朋友朝向『喝少嚐多』（DRINK LESS TASTE MORE）方向探索啤酒美味，意思是可以多品嚐不同类型啤酒但每款酒都选择只喝少量，重点在于尝味，不在于喝多少品脱。