Monday, August 17, 2020

WEEK 174-----Fine Brew or Hand Made?

So what is the "official" Chinese term for craft beer?

This is a question some newbies would ask---it was a much more simpler world of beer before one encountered the world of craft beer when BEER would either be "that yellow bubbly cold drink" or "that brownish dark drink"--no confusing beer styles, beer names. beer terms needed.

有人问,craft beer中文名词以哪个为准,是精酿啤酒还是手工啤酒?craft beer近些年较大范围被人们认识/知道/听说之前,啤酒世界是很简单的,大众认知中的啤酒基本就只有或黄澄澄或黑中带棕的大厂啤酒(MACRO BEER),那些听起来有点像是外星人中文的各种不同类型风格啤酒名词根本不存在于大众视线之中。拉格,艾尔,世涛,赛松,波特,兰比克,印度艾尔都是craft beer不同类型啤酒外星人中文名词,问题是真正接触craft beer之前会有多少人知道什么是什么?

From China to Hong Kong to Taiwan, as well some parts of South East Asia where Mandarin is widely spoken & written---the commonly used Chinese terms for "craft beer" is 精酿啤酒(Jing Niang Pijiu--literally meaning Fine Brew) or 手工啤酒(Shou Gong Pijiu---meaning Hand Made) *Note the word Pijiu is by itself meaning beer.
If we break up the word Jing Niang(精酿)--the first word can be meaning "Fine" or "Refined" or "Essence" while the 2nd word Niang means "brewing" "making". As for Shou Gong(手工)--its fairly straight forward as the two words combined to mean Hand Made where Shou means hands--and Gong means work---while the intention is clear to showcase how small scale/hand crafted craft beer can be--but technology advancement has also meaning some work at the craft breweries can be done by machines rather than all by hands--for examples the bottling of beers. 
在中国香港台湾或一些使用中文的东南亚地区,craft beer并没有所谓的正式中文名词,这些年来大家习惯了用《精酿啤酒》,较小程度上也有用《手工啤酒》 一词的,两个名词虽不是官方正式名词,但在中文世界流传通用着,算是啤迷们或默认或有共识或普遍接受的用词。精酿啤酒这名词,从字面意思上或许可理解为<精心酿造的啤酒>*<精益求精的啤酒>,而手工啤酒一词就更直白的想表达出craft beer一手一脚小型酿造的精神面貌,两者在一定程度上都有表达出英文craft的意味,但也没能完全把craft beer的形神全貌释出。

These two Chinese terms for craft beer is not by any means the "official" versions--and perhaps does not fully reflect what the term "craft beer" represents---nonetheless these two are widely used or accepted in the Chinese speaking communities as referring to craft beer.
Regardless if it's JingNiang or ShouGong---the single most important thing about craft beer is to brew something tasty/delicious where brewers would aim to get things right by dedicating heart and soul--time and energy--using high quality ingredients--not afraid to invest time when necessary-- and most importantly never cutting any short corners out of cost/profit concern---all done in the pure spirits of craft beer while chasing after deliciousness.
比如说手工一词,随着工艺科技的进步,一些酿坊工作已可以使用更有效率的机器来替代人工,举个例子,很久以前可能会以人力将酿好啤酒一瓶瓶手装的方式已能交由机器处理,一定程度上,手工啤酒一词无论是实际操作或字面意义上来说其实并不太能完全展现所谓纯手工跟大型流水线生产大厂啤酒有什么美味上的鲜明区别。
无论是称呼为精酿或手工,craft beer的真正目标是只求酿出好喝美味的啤酒,过程中酿酒师心态基本是只求酿好啤酒,用心用料时间工序一样都减不得,换言之会有一种不惜工本,一心求好的态度,这是一种纯粹的求好心态,是不少自我要求严谨酿酒师会遵循的精神面貌/酿酒原则,这也是为什么craft beer会吸引啤迷愿意花钱花时间只想要更深入了解这个新兴起的另类啤酒文化。

Regardless if a beer is called JingNiang or ShouGong--and with assumption that a beer was brewed with utter most respect to steps needed---the truth is there would always be beers which:-
a) taste so delicious it blow your mind
b) really good but stop short of mind blowing
c) good but nothing outstanding
d) average---drinkable---but that's about it
e) bad beers--period
Speaking of bad beers--newbies do need to take note that while craft beer is by and large supposed to be at the very least "good beer"--the fact is that there are some who are either yet to fully comprehend the basics of beer brewing or those who only wanted to make some quick money by making use of "craft beer"--- these people would bring damage to the craft culture by selling really bad beers which might make some people who are drinking craft beer at very early stage to misunderstand that "ohh craft beer is nothing special--no better or in fact worse than my usual MACRO BEER"---this is one scenario all craft beer lovers really hate to see--when something so NOT craft-worthy is chasing away potential future craft drinkers....
“不惜工本,一心求好”的craft beer文化精神是一种态度,但未必每位酿酒师都会对自己能酿出什么水平的啤酒有着同样高度的严谨自我要求,虽然craft beer精神文化的最原始元素是以酿出好喝可口或趣味美味兼备的好啤酒为追求目标,但现实中总会有一些想浑水摸鱼或学艺不精或一心只想打着精酿手工旗号偷工减料卖平庸或劣质啤酒的人,这当然是啤迷们所不耻不乐见的,但更多时候是需要新人朋友们多留意以避免让这类会对craft beer文化面貌带来损害的劣啤让不知道所以然的喝酒人以为所谓精酿或手工啤酒原来不过只是听起来厉害但喝起来让人反感的难喝啤酒。
其实,无论是叫做精酿还是手工,啤酒讲究的是酿造品质以及啤酒能带来的美味好喝程度,一个很现实的情况是,就像手指有长短那样,就算是认真酿造的craft beer也是有水平高低之分的,抛开长途运输或品管不良等外导致啤酒品质下跌的外在人为因数不说,单只是酿酒师想法/功力/用料/时间工序等酿酒元素就会出现让人惊艳好喝啤酒,很不错啤酒,中规中矩啤酒,非常平庸啤酒以及难喝劣酒之分。
刚接触craft beer的新朋友们一定要知道,啤酒不是一旦贴上精酿或手工标签就代表肯定是佳酿,无论是大名鼎鼎酿坊还是寂寂无名的新酿坊作品,说到底,啤酒的美味层次才是决定关键,任何标签代号都是虚的,啤酒只能是喝进嘴里好好细味品嚐之后才能见真章。(当然,在亚洲如果喝的是进口的欧美纽澳或亚洲其他城市酿坊作品的话,首要条件必须是运输保存因素都保持良好情况下为准)

In a way--every time when a beer is tasted--it is a way for the drinkers to understand the thoughts/ability of the brewers---it is also a test to the palate/appreciation ability of the drinkers---it's kinda like a two way communication process through beers.  So it does not matter if your first few beers were called JingNiang or ShouGong--the more important thing is about understanding what went through your palate---that's how newbies can slowly step up the search for more varieties of deliciousness in a brew. 
对新朋友们来说,无论第一次喝的是称作精酿啤酒还是手工啤酒其实都不重要,逐步了解自己喝到了什么水平的啤酒才是探索craft beer美味路上的重点功课,一定程度上,每次喝一款不同风味酿品的时候,啤酒所呈现出来的味道层次就是对酿酒师思路/功力的了解/验证,同时也为是对喝酒人自身味蕾鉴赏力/眼界/接收能力的一种考验和提升,这跟单纯只为酒精而喝是不可同日而语的区别。至于说craft beer中文名词如果不叫精酿或手工的话应该叫什么可能是个有趣或没什么实质意义的讨论,答案是正是负就留待有兴趣的啤迷们去研究研究。
As for the "debate" of should it be called JingNiang or ShouGong--it could be an interesting one or it might be a totally meaningless topic--let's leave it to the craft community to see if anyone pick this up.

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