WEEK 129---of Big fish Small fish & WHALEZ

The big wide world of craft beer can be a black hole with no end in sight---it could also be a deep wide ocean to many with lots of different sizes of fish/sea creatures--among them there's such a creature called WHALEZ.

对啤迷来说，craft beer可以是个无尽头的黑洞，也可以是浩瀚无比的啤海。在这么辽阔无边，由很多很多不同酿坊无数不同类别风格风味酿品构成的啤酒世界中，就像大海那样，有各种各样的海洋生物，除了大鱼小鱼，也有所谓的鲸鱼级别（Whalez)瓶子。

什么是鲸鱼级别啤酒？ 这当然跟鱼没关系，也跟瓶子Size大小没关系（啤酒也有3到9品脱巨型瓶装的），会被叫做鲸鱼的啤酒（或蜜酒）指的是酒所造成/带来的现象级关注程度。

To the uninitiated---a Whalez has nothing to do with brewing using fish or anything like that---it's a reference to the attentions/hype/ commotion a brew created --for whatever reasons.

一支酒会受到现象级关注的原因大致有几个，

Briefly---these are some of the causes a brew is deemed a Whalez:-

1) Deliciousness of a brew

this has got to be the main reason isn't it? that some geeks/drinkers would be so eager to seek out a particular brew---the primary reason why craft beer is attractive is because a really well made beer/mead can bring such big  joy to palate enjoyment--much in the same vein as enjoying really really good food.

1）酒的美味程度

一支啤酒（或蜜酒）能有几好喝？这是没有绝对答案的问题，可以肯定的是，酿的很好的酒绝对有一般人想像不到的美味层次，而且就算风味类似某种或几种食物/水果/甜品/饮料，酿成酒後的味道会变成另一种层次，是跟单纯吃东西很不一样也找不到的味蕾享受。

虽然很抽象，或许可以这样说，啤迷喝到一支绝佳美味酿品时，用心领神会手舞足蹈来形容那种满足感/感恩心情一点不为过。

2)Limited availability

In an ideal world--all the geeks living in different parts of the world would be able to get hold of a beer/mead he or she really wanted to taste but of course reality don't work that way---geography reasons--limited production/releases are reasons enough to create shortage of supply--and when there's over demand there's when rarity created.

2）酒的稀有度/有钱难买到程度

这是有点矛盾的，因为啤迷大多都明白，只因为量少稀罕难寻并不代表一支酒的美味程度一定跟着上升。craft beer是有小量酿造的特质，也有限量酿造甚至只酿一次特别版的玩法，也有一些酿坊采取会员制每年不同时段限量配给一些不公开发售酿品，这些都造成想要但买不到的啤迷/喝酒人想方设法寻酒，需求超大于供应情况下，一些鲸鱼级别瓶子就此形成。

3)Level of attention/talk about on craft social media

Yes--rarity does not automatically mean a brew would be so damn delicious though there's a saying that rarity/hardship in getting a brew might enhance the psychology hint that it must be a nicer one if not the best---the thing is --something not owned already would always trigger imaginations--when there's x amount of attention/talk on social media or among geeks/friends---it would only heighten the situation.

3）啤酒社交媒体讨论追捧热度

很多喜爱craft beer的啤迷/喝酒人都有在社交媒体或个别啤酒群体交流讨论聊天的习惯/经验，这些其实也可以是某个酿坊或某一支酒被讨论，被形容归类为大鱼小鱼或鲸鱼的形成渠道，说到底酿好的酒就是要等人品嚐後才知道水准高下，在这个鼓励分享文化的社区，因为美妙或难喝而被讨论/提起的酿品都是常态。

4)How far one willing to go in chase of a brew

there's of course many many info channels out there about how rare or good or hype a brew can be---this sort of info inevitably invites attention from geeks as well curious drinkers---it's how beer trade started and it's also how active secondary market trade going on---in a way--beer trade in which bottle ABC in exchange for XYZ is understandable since it does not involve profiteering by reselling first release prices bottles at sky high secondary market prices--but if there's curious and loaded guys seeking out brew at whatever prices--then it's quite fxxk up.

4）啤迷（或只是爱炫土豪/好奇喝酒人）的追逐力度

因为听说了好评，甚至比如看了被一些评酒网站贴上“死前一定要喝到”之类的耸动标签，一些人会以此为目标开始想方设法把酒找到，这时候，愿意付出什么代价得到一支可能首卖时候只是不到十美金或说不超过三四十美金的酒就成了关键，啤迷做法来说，很多时候会通过物物交换方式，用双方觉得合理/对等的ABC酒换XYZ酒方式得到大家想要的酒，这做法在高水准酿坊星罗棋布的欧美啤迷之间很惯见，也不会直接抬高黑市二手交易价格，但是，如果追酒的是爱炫或好奇土豪的话，那就不一样了。

5) The secondary/reselling market

when there's a demand--and supply is short---it's obvious there will be a secondary/reselling market--selling bottles at prices many many times higher than what the owner paid for initially---in business term so long there's willing seller willing buyers there's nothing wrong---but in craft beer terms this kind of profiteering leaves a very bad taste in the mouth of not only breweries but also geeks who genuinely wanted a taste but can't/not willing to pay ransom prices.....

5）让啤迷牙痒痒但无可奈何的黑市二手炒卖价程度等因素

黑市交易的出现很大程度上除了因为世界那么大不是每个啤迷都能欧美酿坊到处去首卖日用原价买酒之外，更大的成因是一些爱炫或美金好奇土豪的出现，让原本只是不到十美金或二三十美金左右的一支酒被抬价到过百几百甚至过千美金！虽说没人买就不会出现那么黑的二手价，实际上，网上一直有好些网站专门供二手交易而且完全不乏人问津。

in many ways Whalez are supposed to be delicious brew/ or at least genuinely better brews---but if you need to pay quite  ridiculous price to get one--then the act of Whalez chasing would take on another meaning---one where curiosity seekers paying what greedy re-sellers asking for---at many many times over what it was first sold by the breweries---and that's not how the brewers intended.

或许有人会问，既然说craft beer 是个无边无际的啤酒海，那么多不同酿坊那么多不同类别风格瓶子可选，干嘛要去追逐听起来就像很麻烦又贵价的鲸鱼级别啤酒?说起来，这跟啤迷对美味的追求脱不了关系，也跟物以稀为贵的心理因素相关，虽然有人提出说一支酒美味程度不一定跟难寻程度成正比的观点，而且事实这观点也时不时被实践证明的确如此，但是，鲸鱼级别瓶子一直被各路人马追逐/追捧也是从没消停过的事实。

鲸鱼级别酿品真的就一定绝顶美味吗？虽说一般意见认为能登上这个级别的很大程度上会是佳品，这其实还是个见仁见智的问题，就像去老字号或著名餐厅用餐一样，有的人会认同或赞到天上有地下无，也会有人觉得名过其实或又贵又不好吃。

in fact with thousands of different breweries offering so many different choices--it is really a question of do you really need to chase a Whalez or you are happy  seeking something nice but less hyped or not extremely hard to obtain---end of the day--a Whalez level brew is not certain confirmation of deliciousness--kinda like going to a famous restaurant--some came away really satisfied while some felt disappointed considering the hassle/prices involved for a meal...

在craft beer世界中，酿品创意的自由发挥天马行空是主轴，craft文化也没有什么硬性规定说怎样的啤酒才算大鱼小鱼或鲸鱼，虽说啤迷认同或参与度很高的一些评酒网站或评酒手机程式有各自的《世界最佳啤酒》之类排行榜会对一支酿品的“鱼体型”形成造成影响，不过，鲸鱼级别啤酒的最终成型不会纯粹只是“排行榜”的独力影响，说到底，决定一支酿品会是什么级别鱼的依然是买酒喝酒的大家。

the size of a brew--be it a big or small fish or somehow becoming a Whalez is essentially not down to the quality of the brew alone--there's still the hype/talk/chase/demand supply factors---a Whalez is only relevant to you if you could get to taste one---and only by drinking one can we say if that's a Whalez or just a normal size fish in Whalez size disguise......

WEEK 128----Come swim in the deep wide sea of craft beer

Was chatting with a non-beer geek friend not too long ago--we spoke about things like food and beer and exercises and swimming---and it kinda triggered this article.

As a non-geek, my friend was quite surprised to  say the least with the enthusiasm geeks have for craft beer---he could not quite get his head around on why beer can be so interesting though he is a casual beer drinker.

前几天和朋友闲聊，话题从好奇为什么Craft Beer能有那么大吸引力令一些人变成死忠啤迷到学游泳这件事，突然发觉，原来这两个毫不相干的事情也有类似之处。

这样说是因为很多人都不是一开始就会游泳，就像很多人都知道大厂啤酒但很少人知道或接触过Craft Beer一样，都是需要比较深入了解之后才能领会个中奥妙。就像朋友那样，说以前比较年轻时候有去游泳池玩过一阵子，可是没能真正领会怎么游才正确，倒是因为姿势不对时不时呛到喝了些池水，慢慢的后来就不去了。

朋友的经历听起来跟不少或由于朋友影响或好奇心或已经厌倦大厂啤酒的单调无趣而刚开始接触Craft Beer新朋友的情况不无相似之处，在从完全不认识什么是什么，到开始第一次喝，再到可能是不适应新口味仓促离开重新回到熟悉大厂啤酒怀抱又或是有所领会从此开始在Craft Beer路上探索，一切都有关键时机/契机因素存在。

"I think in many ways--getting to know or getting into the world of craft beer is a little bit like learning how to swim---obviously not everyone knows how to swim or like to swim but if you don't give it a go you will never know." ---i said--relating to his previous experience of trying to learn how to swim/be a competitive swimmer.

In KL where i'm living---promoting craft beer culture can be a matter of double effort than usual sort of thing---because of various limitations imposed upon us---things like unlawful to even home brew---not legally possible to have small breweries---heavy taxes on imported alcoholic beverages including beer---very difficult to obtain necessary permits to hold beer festival and so on so forth---yes it's kinda hard here being a geek but i guess many of us who lives in Asia with limited supply of awesome European/US beers still do the same as what some if not most of the geeks living in Europe/US do---spread the craft culture / share the experiences to friends/newbies/casual drinkers/MACRO drinkers mainly because of one single reason---to let more people know that there are actually plenty of  delicious choices out there in beer....

一般情况来说，绝对大多数人都是从喝普通大厂啤酒开始，然后很可能开始尝试大厂比利时啤酒或德国麦酒，之后才进阶到Craft Beer 的话，这个进程有时候是自然发生，但更多时候是朋友或社交媒体影响/介绍而成。

在亚洲，喝Craft Beer这件事至今还只是局限在很小众的一群人，只依靠手口相传，没有一般商品大打广告作法，加上量少市场上供应有限甚至很多时候有钱买不到的特质，这个啤酒社区的确比较另类，跟大厂啤酒无处不在垂手可得情况相反，Craft Beer更像是一个需要新朋友自己找到并开启的全新啤酒美味世界。

以本地来说，五六年时间过去了，就算加上最近新开业的比利时连锁品牌Delirium Cafe，吉隆坡仍然只有寥寥几家专卖吧/瓶子店，大马的Craft Beer版图非常小，市场供应有限，讯息传递不广情况下，如何有效把Craft Beer 文化介绍给更多喝酒人可能比亚洲邻近城市更加事倍功半，加上一路来官方因为大马国情的重稅政策，整个环境的外在因素并不利于Craft文化的推广。不过，无论情况怎么不利，对认同Craft Beer 文化美妙的啤迷朋友来说，看到原本只会喝单调无趣大厂啤酒或只是追求酒精麻痹感的新朋友开始有所领会转向Craft选择时，把一个全新啤酒世界介绍给新朋友就是乐趣。

把新朋友带进浩瀚啤海没有固定方程式，过程可能是这样：-

There's no cast in stone guidelines on what are the best ways to introduce craft beer to non-craft drinkers/newbies, though the 2 scenario below are quite expected:-

'YAKKKS--what's that ? is this really beer?

the thing about introducing craft beer to newbies/non-craft drinkers is that he or she will always(read 100%) use MACRO beers as yardstick/comparison---and so it's very common to hear those cries of "too weird/too thick/too pungent/too sour...." the list goes on---this is only expected since craft beer is VERY much different kettle of fish than MACRO.

When this happens--expect the non-craft drinkers/newbies to quickly retreat to the safe zone of MACRO ---some might return to try again---though some will forever stuck back onto the comforts of the somewhat boring/at times quite nasty smell/taste of MACRO.

“什么东西。这是啤酒吗?”

很多新朋友一开始喝Craft Beer 时第一反应都是拿一路来喝过的普通大厂啤酒为指标，说白了就是对Craft Beer 会有什么味道层次变化完全没概念，一开始会听到新朋友说“这是什么，那么苦”或者是”这是啤酒吗？味道那么怪”之类的“惊叹号”一点都不足为奇。

某种程度来说，这个初嚐经验可以是关键性的，一些难以接受从来没试过啤酒新口味的可能会觉得Craft Beer酒体过厚或味道浓郁或有点怪，就那样浅尝一次之后从此倒回去喝平时喝惯的大厂啤酒。

OHHHHH-thats quite nice---it's unlike any beer i had before

this would be a pleasant scenario geeks like to see happening more often than not when introducing craft beer to newbies/non-craft drinkers---this is certainly a good sign as the single most important thing for someone new to craft drinking is to be able to feel comfortable with something never encountered before--and if he or she can find something fitting for the palate then it's already half the battle won.

“好特别，好好喝”

遇上一两款合口味，或者让新朋友惊艳的啤酒是决定初嚐者有兴趣在浩瀚啤海中继续探寻的最主要关键因素，就像吃到好吃东西那样，因为发现到原来在啤酒也可以找到像美食那样不同层次的酸甜苦辣鲜等美味，从此就对啤酒只是单调酒精冷饮刻板印象大有改观。

新朋友开始接触并找到自己喜欢/和口味啤酒後，并不一定意味着每个人都会朝向啤迷之路前进，可能有些新朋友会只专注喝两三种类别风格啤酒，或者一直在某个阶段停滞不前，也有新朋友因为遇上对的啤迷朋友而加速了进程，说起来都有点像朋友当年的泳池经验，是成为游泳高手还是不得其所，浩瀚啤海中，大家各适其所也没什么不好的,重点是了解Craft Beer文化是让人知道啤酒也有很多不同类别美味选择，鼓励品嚐（不是牛饮）以及分享。

The road to becoming a geek is a little long--there's such a thing as palate training period where trying out different styles of beers and most importantly some really good benchmark beers would help to improve one's appreciation level ---though in actual fact not everyone would want to do that or might be just happy to stick to a one or two or three familiar styles/breweries through the years---well--there's no right or wrong for wanting to venture further in the deep wide sea of craft beer or not---beer geek or otherwise---the more important thing is to understand that craft beer is about getting choices(many man different choices), ability to appreciate the taste of a brew(not just quick gulping down) and to share(share experiences/share beers)......

WEEK 137--Things beer label did & did not tell us

If last article was about what beer label could tell us--this one is more about certain things which beer label don't/can't tell us.

craft beer特点是大小酿坊星罗棋布，不同风味类型风格啤酒多如繁星，酒标设计更是各有特色。

一瓶（或近年更频密出现的罐装）啤酒的酒标除了是酿坊品牌标志，也可以是酿坊主人的个人设计喜好取向表现（比如摇滚音乐，漫画或者文化信仰影响），当然最主要基本功能在于告诉喝酒人这是款什么类型风格的酒。

一般来说，酒标会告诉我们一些基本讯息，但是，有些更细微的讯息则需要喝酒人自己用点心思去寻找，下面几个例子会告诉我们什么是酒标有但也没有说出来的事：

For examples:-

1) Beer Styles

One of the best things about craft beer is the seemingly endless choices available--not just from thousands of different breweries but more importantly choices for very differing beer styles, i.e. different taste profile of a beer.

So it's very helpful for beer label to inform drinkers what style of beer a particular bottle/can it is ---just like when in a bread shop one would want to know if a bread is savoury or sweet or plain before buying.

But--knowing if a bottle/can of beer is an IPA, a pale ale or a stout is just the first step---you will need to drink it to know if the beer is well made/well taken care of by the bar/bottle shop/tasting good or bad/ to your taste or other wise.....

1）类型风格（beer style ）

craft 的不同风味太多，喝之前当然需要知道这是一瓶/罐什么样的啤酒，道理就像吃面包前知道里面的馅料是红豆甜还是火腿咸那样。

不过，只是知道喝的是什么类型风格并不足够，就像知道面包馅料是什么并不代表一定好吃或够甜够咸或对不对个人口味那样，酒标不能告诉我们的是，这瓶/这罐啤酒到底好不好喝，也不能告诉我们酿的好不好，虽然有些酒标上偶尔会有些自夸自说多么好喝说词，但大家都知道，任何酿品只有细味品嚐过才能领会水准高低。

2) ABV(alcohol by volume)

All beer label will have this info--it's the indication of how 'strong" a beer is( alcohol strength wise)---while it's mostly mandatory by law ----this is also necessary because in craft beer some brew are easily over the 9-10% abv level---and it's not uncommon to see some hitting well over 15-20% abv.

Sometimes it's dangerous to just drink and not knowing what's the actual abv level of a brew----some really well brewed beer/mead can conceal/hide it's alcohol very well where one would be misled to think it's a low abv brew while in actual fact it could be well over 10% abv level.

Hence it is important to know the strength of a particular brew before you started drinking---and if you are planning a bottle sharing session---then both beer styles and abv would play a big role in determining if it would be a palate pleasing session or turning into a palate numbing binge session.

2）酒精含量（ABV) 

这是重要基本讯息之一，不同于一般人概念中的啤酒就介于5度左右，craft不同类型啤酒中高过10度的比比皆是，也有少数是接近或高过20度的。

一些酿得好把酒精感收于无形的不同类型啤酒，单只是靠味蕾感觉来判断喝到的大概有多少酒精度是不准确的，这些把酒精藏得好的酒可以让人误以为是低于真实高度的酒，一不小心是会被酒精力度打败的，所以说，不管是新人还是资深的，喝之前了解下酒标知道酒精度高低是必要动作之余，一支酒酿的够不够均衡，酒精感收的好不好都只能是味蕾感受後才能了解。

3) Ideal Drinking Temperature

Some brewers would tell you through beer label info about what temperature he/she think would be best to express the full flavours of  their brew---in some rare cases there's even advice to decant a beer for certain period of time before drinking....

But NOT all beer label would contain 'ideal drinking temperature" info---while it depends on beer styles---the common understanding is that:-

1) craft beer DON'T NEED ice-cold or even worse FROSTED glasses---those are big no no---only bad beer need ice to conceal it's bad taste or tastelessness( though some can be so bad that even ICE can't help to hide)---a room temperature glass is generally good for any craft beer which would allow the flavours to open up is the right thing to do.

2) in some styles---the likes of barley wine/lambic/porter /stouts/ or mead---it's a given that these are slow sippers---these are the brew which require time to "wake up and open up"---the nuances/different layers a brew could generate while temperature changes is certainly a process to enjoy.

3)适饮“冷度”（ideal temperature) 

这是酿酒师觉得最能表现这瓶/罐啤酒风味的适当温/冷度，喝craft beer需要稍微讲究温/冷度不是绝对大多数喝啤酒人的认知，但确是必要动作，只有那样才能真正享受不同类型风格啤酒不同层次味道。

实际上，并不是所有酿坊都会在酒标中表明这个提示，如果你懒得上网找相关啤酒的适饮冷度，或许可以遵循以下简单准则，比如：-

第一，不管喝什么类型风格啤酒，绝对不要用冷到结霜的杯子（太过冷会让啤酒“不能呼吸”，展现不出应有风味），实际上，喝craft beer用室温杯子就可以。

第二，喝黑啤或大麦酒或天然发酵果酸啤酒或蜜酒这些比较“重”类型酒时，因为啤酒本身已经冷藏，除了要使用室温杯子，绝对不要快快喝，要给点时间让啤酒在杯中逐步回温，可以是开瓶後十多到四十分钟内慢慢喝，酿得好的能喝出不同温度带出的不同层次美味。

4) Adjunct / Barrel Aging

Adding food items/fruits/spices to enhance/change the basic taste of a brew is a common practice in the craft beer scene---and aging using various types of used barrel(you name it--from bourbon, calvados to wine barrel to most recently mead barrel) to impact complexity to a beer---sometimes there's seemingly no end to what craft brewer would try to experiment to try and find that unique flavours/nuances a brew could bring.

While beer label would usually reveal info about adjunct or which barrels a brew went through---some label even tell drinkers how those process has impacted the brew---but end of the day it is still up to the drinkers to feel for themselves if those changes/additions are a welcome one or seen to be more of a disruption than betterment to the base beer---while there are many good ones after adding adjunct or after BA process quite some examples did showed that more don't always make a brew better---but at times less is more---where a base beer instead taste more balance/better than the adjunct or barrel aged version.

4）酿酒用料或用什么桶熟陈（Adjunt /Barrel Aging) 

除了告诉喝酒人这是一款什么类型风格的啤酒，酿坊很多时候都会在酒标上说明用了什么食材或水果或香料增添风味，比如黑啤中的咖啡豆，香草，枫糖之类，或比如酸啤酒中加了什么水果草本植物等等。

当然很多啤酒也利用之前装过不同类型烈酒或葡萄酒或葡萄牙波特酒桶来让啤酒熟成增添风味，知道有关酒桶既有风味的可以大概猜想桶陈後啤酒呈现出来的最后酿品味道层次变化。

的确，利用不同食材或桶陈方式为啤酒增添风味层次听起来会让酿品更加精彩，不过，就像烹煮食物一样，有时候不是越多不同食材香料集在一起就一定更好味，同样的，不是所有桶陈版本啤酒就一定会比原版的更美味，酿酒不一定是加法就胜，跟世上很多不同事情一样，有时候用减法反而效果更好。

WEEK 136---What beer label can tell us

One of the most common scenario faced by newbies when newly entering the world of craft beer is always the seemingly endless/ somewhat confusing(intimidating even some say) choices available, not just the thousands of different breweries out there but also the many different styles of brew available....

To the newbies---it's actually not that hard to get oneself slowly acquainted with  the world of craft beer---finding info on internet is one way---having a seasoned drinker giving some guidance is another---or--starts reading beer labels.

Yes---beer labels---more than being the brand identity of a craft brewery--or somehow telling us via the label/logo designs what sort of culture influences( music/comics/movies/ or whatever sub culture or even faith) the owner/s been hit on---beer label is also giving us quite some basic/info about the brew( at times even personal info about brewery owner/s)  apart from just ever differing styles of designs.

here's some Random Pick on a few brew's labeling:-

Black Tuesday by The Bruery

this is undoubtedly a "big beer"---a barrel aged imperial stout that's not shy on ABV though it's usually well hidden---hence that obvious line saying " contains alcohol" right in the middle of beer label is always amusing to read.( for a big beer always with around 18% to at times over 20% ABV --of course it contains alcohol)

reading the label---one of the most noticeable info is that the brewery is telling drinkers at which temperature the bottle should be kept at ---as well what shape of glass best recommended when enjoying this big dark brew.

The Breury 是美国加州一家以酿造将高酒精度收得非常好的“大酒/黑啤”受啤迷认可酿坊，Black Tuesday 就是盛名鼎鼎的周日系列其中一款。

The Bruery酒标非常显眼的将“含有酒精”字眼摆中间，这是个有趣的标志性做法，对像是Black Tuesday这款酒精度介于18-20多度的“大酒”来说，说“含有酒精”根本就像是黑色幽默。

细看瓶子前后酒标，除了告诉我们这是款经过波本烈酒桶陈的黑啤，也说明最好储存在摄氏13度阴暗处，开瓶喝的话最佳“冷度”也是13度，而且还说明最好用什么形状杯子品嚐。

Golden Blend by 3Fonteinen

For the uninitiated---this one is an old label---the new bottles of 3Fonteinen are a lot more simple/slick looking nowadays.

Looking at the label--it says this is a blended brew with different years of lambic( hence different complexity/nuances)---another interesting point to note is that if one is willing to or wanted to wait---it's good to consume 20 years later (provided the bottle is well kept).

对喜爱天然发酵果酸啤酒的啤迷来说，虽然不久前换了比较简约的酒标，这家比利时大师级酿坊作品水准毋庸置疑。

这支类香槟酸啤的旧酒标告诉我们，这是一支混合了一年，两年，三年不同年份酸啤（意味着不同层次不同复杂度）桶陈而成。另外，作为一支天然发酵啤酒，酒标也告诉我们，如果想的话，这支啤酒可以收20年才喝。

Blueberry Spaceship Box by Superstition Meadery

This is a blueberry cider but certainly a lot more than just any usual impression people might get from the word "cider".

As the name suggested--space is the theme of the design--hence the corresponding design---one interesting part of the design shows a line "Logan, time to wrap this space harvest back to base"(which is  in direct reference to one of owners( jeff and jen)sons)---showing this movie like scenario on the label is not something alien to the craft community--after all free styles/free flowing creativity is an important part of what craft community is about.

这是一款混合了蓝莓苹果的轻度蜜酒，虽然英文用的是Cider，一般中译为苹果酒，但是，这很显然不止苹果酒那么简单。

酒名以太空为题材，酒标设计除了有基本资讯比如是款什么酒，酒精度5.5度之外，也加插酿坊主人儿子罗根上太空采摘梅果的情节对白，让整个酒标感觉更个人化，某种程度上也显现craft文化的天马行空。

Yorocco BA Saison

Personally i thought saison is one beer styles which at times get confused by some drinkers---often being dismissed as "small beer"/not much flavours and so on....which of course is a wrong perception.

Looking at the label of this brew from the town of Zhusi, Japan--the label reminds drinkers to always keep it cold stored--apart from brewing ingredients used---indication is that it's a beer brewed a year ago--and waited for barrel aging then only bottled for release. To a certain extent---this explained why craft beer is at times the labour of passion as more often than not--besides using real food items/spices to add flavours to a certain brew--time factor is also crucial for some styles of brew to get better before being released to the market( now you know why craft beer is more precious).

某种程度来说，Saison是款有时候让人

误解为“平平无奇/淡而无味”的啤酒类型，这当然是错误偏见。

像这款日本酿坊经过白葡萄酒木桶陈放作品就相当好喝，完全不会淡无味，看酒标的话会看到，除了有日文说明使用什么酿造原料之外，也提醒大家一定要冷藏保持啤酒的状态，另一个重要讯息是，这支酒是17年三月酿好，经过桶陈时间熟成後，于18年三月才装瓶。（这多少可以解释为什么除了真材实料酿造，很多时候也需要更长时间成本酝酿的craft beer比较矜贵）

IPA

being one of the most popular beer styles--it is not inaccurate/a little surprising to say that many drinkers actually do not care or don't even know about the importance of how freshness issue can make or break an IPA.

As IPA is a style showcasing flavours of hops---and the fact that time(which leads to oxidation of the beer) is the worse enemy of an IPA(even if the beer is well kept in cold-chain transport/cold stored)---IPA is generally a type of beer which is always at it's best when fresh---kinda like eating freshly baked bread---the deliciousness will go down as time goes by( generally speaking probably around 3-6 months time depending on transport/storage condition)--and of course eventually the beer will "die off" to become almost like a Barleywine which is NOT what it supposed to taste like. The next time when you drink an IPA--it's best to check when it's bottled/canned.

知道的人都知道，这是需要新鲜喝的酒款，因为是展现啤酒花特性的啤酒类型，一旦时间久了（一般来说超过三到六个月），酒花新鲜度减退度会大大影响IPA的好喝程度，这是自然定律，虽然全程冷藏得好有帮助，但时间依然是这类型啤酒最大敌人，所以在比如Tired Hands 的key lime ipa 罐子酒标上有非常显眼的字眼提醒大家要尽可能尽快（ASAP) 把酒喝掉。

下一次，不管你喝是罐装或瓶装IPA （或pale ale) ，记得要做的第一件事就是查看装罐/装瓶日期，这样你就会知道喝到的酒会是新鲜还是已经氧化到变成类似Barley Wine 的老化大麦酒。

WEEK 135---Actual or Cyber---there is such a thing as Craft Community

"There's is no such thing as the craft beer community"---this is the title of an article by a famous British blogger/author dismissing the "noises" by geeks( in particular those from the UK craft beer forum) in response to the sale of Beavertown shares to Heineken as quote"multiple nonsenses".

This is of course both sensational"click-bait" approach title as well a shallow/laughable one in the eyes of many beer geeks---be it in actual or cyber---to many beer geeks around different cities/corners of the globe---there is certainly such a thing as craft beer community/ craft culture and it's alive and kicking.

说喝craft beer可以是一件有点讲究有点特色文化的事很有可能被人笑，咋听之下好像是在扮高深又或者只是找个自以为有型的理由来美化简单不过的喝啤酒行为，

不错，尽管喝craft跟喝一般大厂啤酒在“为什么要喝啤酒”这个最根本基点上可以有天渊之别（比如说有人经常大厂啤酒随意喝只为解渴或者进食时当酒精冷饮，至于只为感受酒精上头感觉而喝的那就没什么好说了） （又比如有的人平时绝少喝酒又或者不会随便只要是啤酒就可以，喝craft时为的是不同风味啤酒蕴含的美味），可是，再怎么看，要说喝craft是比较有特色文化这件事还能只是懂的人才会懂。

对许多啤迷来说，喝craft这件事很多时候并不只是纯粹的喝酒社交行为，因为对不同类别啤酒美味层次的认同/追求，因为全球成几千千上万万家不同craft酿坊的独立运作存在（特别是个别啤迷心目中的好些大师级酿坊），加上绝大多数啤迷都认同的美味分享/传播精神，自然而然的就有了所谓的craft社区。

For the uninitiated---perhaps it's funny/laughable even to hear that the simple act of beer drinking can go as far as talking craft culture/ craft community---the truth is---for many geeks, drinking beer at times is no longer a simple act of socializing---it's more about spreading the message of beer can have many different choices--that beer drinking can be likened to an act of exploration of deliciousness--that it is no longer about quick gulp but rather about savouring the different nuances of what a good brew could bring to the palate enjoyment....

While all of those mentioned above might sound a little complicated or even pretentious to some---in it's most simplest form--craft beer drinking is nothing complicated---perhaps the single biggest difference when compared to casual Macro BEER drinking is that beer geeks are very particular about the quality of the beer they drink---same way as foodie would for deliciousness in what they eat.

或许有人会问”什么是craft beer社区/文化？“是不是像摄影爱好协会或世界武术协会那样有规有章，甚至是有会员制的群体？

说起craft社区这个概念跟我们一般了解的生活社区有点不一样，这里指的是，啤迷们并不一定是生活在一个地区/城市或者是生活中已经认识的朋友，更多时候这个社区是由互不认识的啤迷们组成，能把那么多陌生人连起来的主因很简单，因为大家喜爱有着数不清有趣美味的选择，分享美味/细味品尝都是craft文化共识。

其实，craft 社区有点像是介于实体和虚无之间的结合，说实体是比如说有些酿坊有会员制，而且还可能是分不同阶段可以买到不同限量版酿品的会员制。说虚无是因为这个社区内的啤迷来自五湖四海，互不相识，或只是网络啤友，不过这些现实生活中并不相干的陌生人都会做一件事，那就是自发自动的推广/分享/维护craft文化，当然有时候这些陌生人会在某个城市的啤酒庆典碰面共饮或只是短暂交换几句，对啤迷来说这些时光都是让人愉快的，也是这个社区文化的体现。

And it is exactly that common beliefs/objective of seeking for deliciousness in a beer which naturally connected the thousands upon thousands of beer geeks and craft breweries--be it in actual locality based communities or somewhat floating cyber style existence---in many ways---beer geeks are generally a bunch of drinkers who believe in high quality of a beer(or mead or hard cider)--who believe in sharing/spreading the craft culture of drink better brew--and many beer geeks are the staunch supporters of the independence of craft breweries.

说起来，跟社会认知的社区概念一样，craft社区这个无边界的“团体”的活动还不少：

In different corners of the globe--there are activities/groups/forums/ bars/taprooms/bottle shops--be it in actual form or cyber spaces--which connects the craft community:-

Beer Fest

If you love craft beer festivals--there's a lot of such activities to attend to year in year out though some of the best ones are mainly in Europe/US---take for examples MBCC in Copenhagen--this is one event where many awesome breweries from the States/Europe plus some outside of US/Europe come together for 2 days of absolute craft beer feast---geeks would flew in from far and wide(Asia---Brazil) just for that week---the annual pilgrimage is certainly a showcase of what geeks and craft breweries can achieve as a community( of course there's many more such beer fest from Asia to Europe to US).

啤酒庆典

大家习惯称为啤酒节的这个活动跟一般商业啤酒节最大的不同点就是，参与的酿坊都只会是独立自主的craft酿坊，意思是，在这样的啤酒节你不会看到比如老虎狮子等大厂啤酒参与。然后，你会发现，以鼓励喝少嚐多为出发点的啤酒节很多时候都有特制玻璃小杯子（而不是即用即丢塑料大杯子），来出席的啤迷们可以是来自不同城市也互不认识，但是大家的目标基本是一致的，都因为美味啤酒聚在一起。

BJCP & Cicerone

If a more formal qualification/examination body is what a social community needs then you have it right there---you can go through the necessary steps to be a beer judge by taking exams from BJCP or you can go on to be a certified beer server under the Cicerone program.

啤酒认证考试

在craft的世界也有类似球类运动或武术协会那样有专业认证课程，比如说啤酒认证裁判(BJCP) 或认证伺酒师(Cicerone) 这两种比较专业级别的资格课程给任何有兴趣深入了解的啤迷，

Craft Beer Groups/Forums

It is true many beer geeks never met/yet to meet face to face or sit down and share a few beers----but some of them are beer buddies already in cyber space via various chat group/focus group/forums--in a way, it's the same as any other social/interest groups/bodies---you might not have met in person everyone in the community but you bound to know some from the cyber space chat group. where common beliefs/topics can be shared.

网络群组

有时候，要说这个社区是有点虚无的也没错，很多啤迷其实在现实生活中没有关联也不认识，不过，在网络世界中，通过不同的craft群组/论坛，啤迷们有可以共聚的平台，有不少啤迷也因为那样从虚拟成为生活中见过面分享过几杯酒聊过天的朋友，这样说事情并不只是在同城啤迷之间发生，更可能是世界不同城市之间。

It's true beer drinking can mean different things to many people---to the beer geeks who believe in the craft culture and craft community--it is about drinking high quality brew---it is about sharing some brew  as well as spreading the info/ encouraging non-craft drinkers to give craft beer a try and so on----and at times to stand together to voice up against any encroaching MACRO giants who buy up craft breweries or anyone who try to ridicule the craft community by dismissing/proclaiming "there's no such thing as craft community".

*There's no such thing as craft beer community *，这是英国某知名部落客不久前批评啤迷表明唾弃卖给大厂啤酒公司craft酿坊写的一篇博文标题，这标题看在不少超级啤迷眼里，除了哗众取宠以偏概全之余也让人发笑，不管实体存在还是虚无相连，对很多啤迷来说，craft社区的存在是毋庸置疑的，而且还五湖四海互通互联。

The thing about craft community is that---be it actual or cyber( or you might want to call it fiction)---there is such a thing as craft beer community on this planet called earth and it's very much in existence to most if not all of us beer geeks/brewers.