WEEK 228--It's Beer It's Not Beer

I was asked quite a few times about what's the biggest lure of craft beer--what makes it so interesting for one to go the distance in becoming a beer geek? The answer to that is "CHOICES"--there are so many varieties of beer styles with very different taste profile--that's what makes craft beer so different from the stereotype BEER perception many consumers have/had.....

craft beer世界中，不同类型风格啤酒很多，当中有些作品不管是酒体颜色，浓郁程度到风味呈现对不少新朋友来说无论观感或口感上都会让人感觉不是啤酒，特别是如果以传统大厂啤酒“风味”来做对比的话更会显得落差巨大无比，是接触craft beer 之前无法想象的啤酒风味表现。

简单例子来说，近年流行的类果汁印度淡啤(neipa)还有果泥酸啤(fruited sour)浓郁一如果泥奶昔的酒体，还有不同水果带来的鲜艳酒色，再到完全颠覆一般人对啤酒风味认知的味觉口感领会都会造成“说是啤酒但却不像啤酒”的混淆/错乱式趣味体验。

Indeed for anyone who only been drinking or thought MACRO LAGER BEER is the WHOLE Truth of beer world then he/she will be in for big surprises when entering the world of craft beer with the types of different beer styles available--from beer body to color to taste profile will be so so different from those long standing stereotype/ perception public has had when it comes to beer. It would be interesting to watch the reactions of first-time drinkers when encountering say a Hazy IPA or Fruited Sour with their milk-shake like thick body and fruit puree like color & taste--giving newbies the somewhat confusing doubts of "is this beer?"..

实际上，craft beer世界中有些酿坊除了啤酒，有时也会“不务正业”干点其他的，意思是会做啤酒以外的其他酒类作品或是诸如果酱，枫糖，芝士之类的食品，比如比利时天然发酵小作坊Bokke之前的限量果酱，美国大师级别酿坊Hill Farmstead偶尔出现的桶陈枫糖，比利时修道院啤酒酿坊的芝士等等。此外，比利时小型酿坊Antidoot也会酿造自家自然葡萄酒和苹果酒，英国酿坊Mills以及Little Earth Project也有苹果酒和混合式作品等等不是一般认知中“只是啤酒”作品出现。

In fact at times it's not all about beer in the world of craft brewing--there were occasions where brewer/s would do things other than beer brewing--for examples Bokke did some fruited jam--Hill Farmstead did barrel-aged Maple Syrup--also the Trappist breweries making own cheese--Antidoot make their own natural wine/cider--UK breweries Mills & Little Earth Project do some cider/blended brew & so on....

And it's rather fascinating to know that a few Non-beer alcoholic beverages are somehow closely knitted with craft beer world, for examples:-

啤酒之外，craft beer界其实有不少或酿坊自行衍生的其他酒类作品，也有完全不关啤酒但与craft beer界关系密切友好的酒类，比如：-

Hard Seltzer

In short--this is sparkling water with alcohol--and depending on how the brewer intended it to be--adjuncts such as fruits or food items or spices will be added to make it even more flavourful or close to what the brewers wanting to recreate.

Hard Seltzer became popular in the craft beer world & among beer geeks during the dark days of Covid--when Homes brewery started a sub-brand "Smooj" in 2020 to make Pina Colada & Strawberry Banana hard seltzer as some kind of "side-project"--the response those 2 new creations received was quite overwhelming--the popularity spreaded & some other craft beer breweries did joined in to make their versions of hard seltzer.

酒精气泡水（hard seltzer ）

简单来说，这不是啤酒，而是像字面意思那样含酒精的气泡水，视乎酿造者意图，这是可以有非常多不同水果，食材或香料口味选择的气泡水。

酒精气泡水在90年代就有，不过在craft beer界带起风潮的话可说是由密芝根酿坊Homes Brewing掀起，以果味啤酒，类果汁印度淡啤（也有黑啤作品）著称的这家酿坊2020年时兴起了酿造酒精气泡水的念头并以Smooj为名设立副品牌，首批以鸡尾酒Pina Colada以及草莓香蕉为风味概念的新作品一推出就很快售罄，作品风味表现让不少啤迷激赏，口碑传开後第二批作品更是在一小时内被抢光，也让一些其他craft beer酿坊仿效加入酿造自家版本酒精气泡水行列。

Cider

As many would know--this is alcoholic apple juice though in fact many other fruits can be used to make a cider too. Indeed some breweries who have their own small farms with apples or other suitable fruits do make their own versions of cider or barrel-aged cider--there are also some breweries who collab-brew with cider houses who specialises in making cider.

苹果酒（Cider）

字面上非常直接明了，就是把苹果压碎/榨汁酿造而成的酒精饮料（实际上也有使用其他水果比如梨，桃，杏，蓝莓，李子，覆盆子等等）。craft beer酿坊中有一些特别是有自家农场或注重水果入酒的酿酒师会或酿造桶陈版本苹果酒或用苹果酒和啤酒勾兑出混合型作品。另一种情况是自己没有酿造苹果酒的啤酒酿坊会跟专门酿造苹果酒的友好作坊合酿，发挥各自所长造出混合型作品。

 

Natural Wine

The name says it all--while wine making is viewed as another domain which is unrelated to beer brewing--but there are quite a few beer breweries who do make their own wine--for examples Antidoot of Belgium who have their own small farms cultivating fruits suitable for wine as well cider making--those who have tasted their beer would know there are indeed blend of beer+wine.

自然葡萄酒（natural wine ）

虽然酿造啤酒同时也酿造自家葡萄酒的craft beer酿坊为数不多但还是有的，比如比利时天然发酵小酿坊Antidoot就是。拥有自己小型农场，这家主要酿造以蔬果草本入酒的作品，除了不同类型啤酒，也酿制少量苹果酒和自然葡萄酒，至今喝过好些作品中就包括混合葡萄酒的桶陈啤酒。

Mead

Mead are essentially fermented natural honey so NOT beer but somehow been very closely knitted with craft beer festivals where beer geeks do chase after some top tier mead makers bottles.

A mead is made with at least 50% natural honey--it can be a traditional mead- a sparkling mead- a fruited mead & so on--of course adjuncts such as fruits-food items-spices would come into play depending on what the brewers intended--as well barrel aging process--if anything--perhaps the closest link to beer is a Braggot( mix of beer & mead)--which perhaps can be considered a lighter- sessionable mead.

While some of the top mead makers from the States are concentrating only in making mead--there was this Gose from Sahtipaja of Sweden many years ago which left an impression--along with their top notch "meadme" series.

蜜酒（mead）

不是啤酒但和craft beer界走得很近，经常在重要的啤酒庆典活动中出现，啤迷中也有好些是蜜酒迷，可说是个人早期啤酒探索路程上最先接触到就印象深刻的非啤酒类型作品。

蜜酒的定义是酿造原料至少50%必须是高质天然蜂蜜，可以是传统式只有蜂蜜风味作品，也可以加入各种水果，食材或香料提味，当然也会有不同其他酒类旧桶陈放版本。

酿造啤酒同时也酿蜜酒的酿坊不多，虽说当今最被推崇的几家美国顶级蜜酒酿坊都是只专注蜜酒，不过早期个人喝过来自瑞典小酿坊Sahtipaja的高质蜜酒作品同时也对这家的德式风格酸啤作品印象犹新。

 

WEEK 227--The Cognition of Beer

 

What is beer?

seemingly a silly question which needs no explanations whatsoever--yet this is a question with an answer far exceeding most consumers idea of what beer really is or can be.

啤酒是什么，这是个似乎完全不需要问或思考的问题，但与此同时又是个涵盖内容超乎大多数人认知中“啤酒”两个字纯字面意思的酒精饮料。

在啤酒世界中，是有不同认知存在的，意思是不同人对啤酒的认知或既有印象可以是天差地别截然不同的。

In the world of beer--there are very different cognition/perception/understanding of what beer is from different people--the most commonly found idea is that "beer is just beer--basically just the same--not much differences to talk about"--that idea has long been rooted in the minds of most consumers who been given that stereotypical idea by MACRO BEER's "taste profile" & beer must be drank ICE-COLD. Most of these consumers never knew there's another beer world out there called craft beer & that beer do need to get warm & "wake up" for better enjoyment of flavours.

在啤酒世界中，最常见的大众认知就是“啤酒都是一样”或“大同小异”，没什么所谓迥异有趣风味可言，但这只是非常刻板，很大程度上可以说是被误导的认知，因为绝大多数消费者并不知道啤酒世界其实有两个截然不同的区域，其一是大众认知中的大厂啤酒（Macro Beer)而另一个则是以酿造各种不同类型风格啤酒为啤迷喜爱的craft beer（中港台惯称精酿啤酒）。

In it's most basic & simple form--beer are made with 4 natural ingredients, i.e. Malts-Water-Yeast-Hops--but if we were to push further--even with ONLY these 4--the taste profile or beer styles can be very very different--for examples a brewer can make a Lager or a Pilsner--or an IPA--or Stouts--or Sour--all by utilising those 4 ingredients alone. It's kind of like here in Asia where RICE can be turned into various form of food items--not just being steamed rice.

最基本层面来说，啤酒是使用水，麦芽，酵母，啤酒花四种酿造而成的酒精饮料，是啤酒最基本风貌。不过，再深一步说的话，单只是使用这四种酿造原料做出来的啤酒风味表现可以千差万别，就像同一种白米可能被变成各种不同食物或辅料那样，啤酒也可以在使用相同酿造原材料情况下变出不同类型风格并具有迥异风味表现的作品。

 

It is very understandable that beer drinking is a form of socializing activities--and the choice of beer( be it MACRO or craft) is very subjective & no right or wrong. If we were to talk about the ease of finding a place with beer then undoubtedly MACRO BEER places will always prevail since there are so many bars/restaurants or convenience stores/supermarket selling those.

The not so commonly known fact is that--in the other side of the beer world--beer can be much more than just socializing tools--craft beer can be something which needs appreciation of taste much like coffee or tea lovers do--in the world of craft beer--"YUM SENG"(loud cheers & toast before gulping down in 1 quick throat movement) is not wrong but obviously not condone by geeks as a well made beer need some minutes to warm up--open up it's full flavours & best apreciated by slow sips.

对不少人来说，啤酒是社交生活一部份，至于喝的是大厂啤酒还是craft beer完全因人而异也没有对错之别，毕竟市场上无论是酒吧餐厅咖啡店还是超市便利店都是大厂啤酒最随处可看到也最容易买到，所以一般大众认知中的啤酒其实就是大厂啤酒中最常见的浅金黄色拉格(Lager)类型啤酒以及被称为黑啤的Stout。

不过，在做为社交酒精饮料之余，啤酒在另一个世界中也可以是类似咖啡迷品味不同风味咖啡豆或喜欢喝茶人欣赏不同茶类风味那样，可以是需要被细味慢啜的液体美味，换句话说有别于一般人印象中喝啤酒就只是拿起杯子咕噜咕噜喝下去，而是像享受美食多层次风味表现那样以品酒方式慢尝细品啤酒的风貌。

To drink MACRO or craft--that's always a choice for consumers--here in Asia generally speaking the cognition of beer within the public is one which is stereotypical hence the choices are mostly non-existing as most consumers would choose ease of buying or likely never heard of the word craft beer. On that score, craft beer operators & beer geeks alike still got much work to do...

喝大厂啤酒或craft beer是选择题，但在大众认知普遍不足或有误区情况下，亚洲城市来说这个选择题其实有时候并不存在，因为一般大众消费习惯上都会选择能随处买到的便利而不会特意花时间去寻找craft beer专卖吧/瓶子店，实际上怎么让更多人知道啤酒世界中其实还有另一个更多风味迥异的美味液体宇宙存在是所有craft beer业者及啤迷们需要面对的习题。

 

The lack of cognition about what beer can be--or rather not knowing there's another much more interesting & flavourful craft beer world out there amongst  majority consumers is part of the reasons why craft beer culture is limited to small group of craft drinkers in this part of the world.And then of course there are other factors in play--for examples here in Malaysia--alcoholic beverages will be taxed rather heavily & under  "sin tax"(A sin tax is a tax on goods and services deemed harmful to society) category. From legal point of view--there is NO local craft beer breweries licences--NO home brew allowed--hand carried beer luggage IF stopped by customs at airport might get confiscated or need to pay fine/taxes. With MACRO BEER given licenses to set up plants & brew locally--and basically all over the market here in Malaysia--it's quite understandable why beer cognition here is mostly if not only about MACRO BEER.

The situation down south in Singapore as well up north in Thailand is rather different--in Singapore local breweries/ brewpubs are allowed--beer geeks seeking to sent in beer mails from overseas can do so by the laws with clear indications on what to do and how much taxes to pay. Up north in Thailand--even though laws pertaining to local small/craft brewing is unfriendly but the scenario is a little different than Malaysia where the local brewers do find their own ways of going around--with seemingly more varied & at times quite exciting small batch imports there--Thailand's craft beer scene is rather active.

It is no doubt that craft beer market in places like Japan/Korea/China/Hong Kong/Taiwan are helped by the existence of local breweries--with even more varied imports available to choose from--these are the forefront of craft beer scene in Asia.

大众对啤酒的普遍认知不足或自带误区一定程度上是craft beer文化没能更加普及化的其中一个因素，当然亚洲不同城市也有各自不同客观条件和政策等因素影响，以大马市场来说，在政策对酒类饮料不友善（重税/不能自酿/不准设立本地小型酿坊/邮寄或自行带酒回国可能会被罚款或没收等等）情况下，大多数大众对啤酒认知只停留在大厂啤酒阶段是无奈但能理解的事。无论是对比南边的新加坡还是北边的曼谷，虽然也当然都是被大厂啤酒包围市场的城市，但新加坡是允许在地酿坊或酿吧（brewpub) 的，自行海外找酒邮寄进来也有明文规定条例可循。曼谷虽然也面对一定程度不友善政策限制但“下有对策”所以当地自酿品牌加上多年来好些很不错的进口啤酒选择带动起来的craft beer文化相对活跃，至于中港台日韩等地都有在地酿坊，加上更多选择的欧美酿坊进口酿坊作品，可说是亚洲craft beer文化认知程度相对较高的区域。

As for choosing to drink craft or MACRO--much like A only like to drink instant coffe/dip bag coffee while B choose to drink pour over speciality coffee--it's very much a matter of personal taste preference & to a certain extent the cognition of beer(or the lack of it)--that's all--no wrong no right.

某种程度来说，选择喝大厂啤酒或craft beer是个人口味决定，就像有人只喜欢喝三合一包装咖啡，有人则不介意贵价些选择喝以特定方式烘培而成特定咖啡豆冲泡的咖啡，其实也无关其他，大致上只是口味倾向和个人认知的体现。

WEEK 226--Newbies Do & Don't

This was published in Sept--as the year is coming to a close--will try to catch up a little bit on some backlog articles already published--with new ones coming in too....

This was written after a casual chat with a newbie who was curious about what might be the do(s) & don't(s) when drinking craft beer--while generally speaking beer drinking is nothing but a way to chill or quence thirst for most people--in the world of craft beer--there are indeed a few "unspoken" do(s) & don't(s) especially among geeks--it's good if newbies could pick up a pointer or two early on to make the craft discovering process a smoother one....

和刚接触craft beer新朋友聊天继续，这期来聊聊新人比较好奇的Do & Don't (该做不该做），换句话说就是有什么需要注意的初入门准则之类。

或许喝啤酒用“准则”这样的字眼听起来有点过了，毕竟喝啤酒不就是放轻松享受一下嘛，哪来什么规矩需要遵循？话虽那样说，站在啤迷角度来看，喝craft beer是有基本概念需要了解的，这样可以让新人比较清楚一些基本状况而不至于走进误区不自知。

DO

learn to taste(not just drink) & train up palate appreciation ability

Every beer geeks started from somewhere--most probably started with MACRO BEER just like many newbies do--in another words--likely started from zero as far as beer palate appreciation ability is concern.

The first thing a newbie should understand is that there will be a certain time period of 'palate training days"(it might actually take years for some)needed before one can get to grips with what is what in the big vast world of craft beer with many different beer styles & flavours profile--this is only natural especially one been only drinking MACRO BEER before & thought that

1.beer to be drank COLD ONLY & Fast while its cold.

2.beer MUST be served with pre-chilled to dead glasses ONLY.

3.ice cube is a NICE WAY to compliment a beer...

Well--craft beer is of course also beer--can also be drank cold & fast if one wishes to do so--but if you want to better appreciate beer flavours profile then take it slow--let the beer slowly warm up is the way to go.

It's always good to just use a room temp clean glass when enjoying a craft beer--regardless of what beer styles--a clean glass is all the beer need.

Knowing some of these basics and then slowly build up one's palate appreciation ability concerning different beer styles/various flavours profile is the way to becoming more acquainted with the at times overwhelming choices available in the world of craft beer. It is only after one can slowly understand the characteristics of different beer styles & learn how to appreciate then will one's palate appreciation ability improve accordingly.

DO

慢啜细品--提升鉴赏力

凡事都会有过程，从craft beer小白晋阶到能品嚐出不同类型风格啤酒之间风味表现的啤迷是需要一些时间摸索和品饮经验累积而成的，新人朋友要明白的第一个基本概念就是味蕾是需要一段时间训练的，而且开始喝craft beer时要摒弃一些之前喝大厂啤酒(Macro Beer)的习惯做法，比如开瓶入杯後很快就趁冷大口大口喝完，比如觉得喝啤酒一定要用事先冷冻好的杯子，或比如喝啤酒要加冰块才够冷等等误区。

简单说一下为什么：-

craft beer确实也是啤酒，也可以大口喝，但更贴切的方式是慢啜细品以便更好的领略作品逐渐回温开展的风味呈现。

啤酒入杯後需要一些时间回温来带出更丰富饱满的风味变化所以不需要冷冻杯子更不需要加冰块，实际上冷冻过的杯子特别是出现结霜状态的杯子很大可能会自带不良风味或其他会影响啤酒原有风味的隐藏污垢，所以喝craft beer 只需干净室温杯子就可。

认识到上述基本概念後下一步就是学会如何慢啜细品不同类型风格啤酒之间风味区别，只有懂得如何品嚐个别特定类型风格啤酒风味表现後味蕾品鉴能力才会逐步提升。

DON'T

too quick to conclude

craft beer flavours profile can be very distinctively different from one's palate memory of drinking say a MACRO LAGER--in another word--a newbie's palate might be given a big shock when drinking say an IPA or a Stout or a Sour.

Just like when eating food--people tend to go with flavours he or she like--or at least familiar with--but in the world of craft beer there are chances where one might encounter a beer with a "strange" ,"unfamiliar" or "dislike" flavours profile--if so don't be too quick to conclude that "disgusting/awful", "craft beer is not for me".

For newbie who encountered a "strange beer" or a beer with flavours which is not to his/her liking--it's actually not so bad--take it as a new experience to yur beer palate--and the interesting part is that when palate appreciation level is up say 1 or 2 years fom now--that same "strange beer" might taste different/tasty. In another words--sometimes it's not the beer is strange or to a newbie's liking but it's about timing--meaning newbie's palate still cannot appreciate that particular beer now--but given time & elevation of appreciation ability--the same beer can be appreciated better.

A newbie might want to ask this question--" do i just want to keep drinking the same 1 or 2 beer styles or do i want to explore varieties of styles available?"--no doubt the biggest fun factor about craft beer is the varieties of beer styles with wide choices available--keeping to 1 or 2 favourite beer styles is understandable and no right or wrong though exploring further than that would make one's craft beer exploring journey that much more interesting.

DON'T 

别太快下定论

不同类型风格啤酒选择众多是喝craft beer的乐趣，就像美食那样，在啤酒风味中也能找到各种不同味道口感的呈现，对新朋友来说，要注意的是有时候自己喝到嘴里的啤酒风味呈现出来感觉很陌生，不是自己想象中或熟悉食物/食材味道时别当时就下定论说“不好喝”， “好难喝”或“这不适合我”。

确实，喝craft beer某方面来说跟吃东西一样，每个人都会有自己喜欢和不喜欢的味道倾向，也会有偏食挑食情况，所以一般来说人们都会选对正自己口味避开不喜欢的风味，这是完全可以理解的。 

不过，从啤迷角度来说，第一次喝到自己不习惯的啤酒风味，或是陌生奇怪觉得接受不来甚至感觉难以下咽啤酒时，新朋友其实可以问下自己是只想一直重复喝同一（或同二）口味的啤酒，还是说有想要探索更多啤酒中自己味蕾还未尝试过的风味？必须说的是在craft beer世界中有时候觉得酒不好喝或风味呈现感觉陌生或怪怪的并不是因为啤酒不好，更多时候可能是喝的时候自己味蕾鉴赏力还没有达到能有效鉴赏水平导致。在啤酒真的不是因为感染坏掉或运输等因素导致已走味前提下，有时候现在感觉不对味或喝不来的作品等过若干时日当味蕾鉴赏力有所提升後再喝时就能领略当时和现在喝到的风味感受差异之处。同样的，也别因为喝到某款自己喜欢的作品就觉得这是最好的，因为浩瀚啤海中很可能还有没遇到的更好作品，实际上现在觉得非常好的可以等一两年过去鉴赏力有所提升後再喝一次来判断是不是还感觉那么好。

小结

喝craft beer是有趣的，不过在能好好领略各类不同风格作品的风味特点之前确实有些基本概念/功课需要先做好，以上提及的DO & DON’T只是非常浅显的基本概念，当然还有好些其他需要注意的基本要点，篇幅所限就留待以后。

 

WEEK 225---Benchmark Beer

 

Was talking to a newbie about craft beer in general & the topic of "benchmark beer" pop out, here's what was discussed:-

近日和刚接触craft beer不久的新朋友聊天，话题离不开一些新人想了解基本概念，以下是一些对话概括，由于新朋友对“指标性作品”这点有着较大好奇所以稍微集中讨论一下：-

Q1: seems newbie need to go through a certain period of "palate training", what's that in a nutshell?

to put it in the simplest form--as most (if not all) newbies started from the other side of the beer world, i.e. MACRO BEER--there's a very big possibility that one's palate would be shaken up considerably during the initial stage of craft drinking since the varieties of flavour profiles available in the world of craft beer can be overwhelming for some in the early stages of trying out craft beer--hence a certain period of "palate training" would be needed for newbie to slowly discover/getting used to the varieties of beer styles.

During that period of time--whether one have had any "benchmark beer" would in a certian way impact on one's palate appreciation level going forward.

问1：-据说喝craft beer是需要一段时间训练味蕾的，具体情况是什么？

喝craft beer是有味蕾适应/训练过程的，这是有点资历啤迷们都经历过也明白的事。

什么是味蕾适应/训练过程？就字面意思那样，指的是让之前从没喝过风味变化多端不同类别craft beer的新人们味蕾有一段时间的适应期/训练期以逐渐学会如何欣赏啤酒中带来的各种风味表现。

 在适应期/训练期间，喝什么样水平的作品是会对个人味蕾鉴赏力带来直接影响的，有鉴于味蕾训练的最终目标是要提高个人对不同类型风格啤酒的接受度/欣赏和审美能力，过程中有没有喝过不同类型风格啤酒中的指标性作品（Benchmark Beer） 会对个人味蕾鉴赏力形成期带来相对大程度的影响。

Q2: what about? what is a "benchmark beer"?

just as the word suggested--a benchmark beer is a beer which stand out amongst many others same style beer in a particular beer styles.

问2：- 指标性作品（Benchmark Beer）是什麽？

就像字面意思那样，指的是同类型风格啤酒中具有指标意义的作品，可以说是众多酿坊的同类型作品中出色的具有标杆意味的作品。

Q3: so many same style beers out there from so many different breweries--how to know which is benchmark beer?

this is the question newbie most intrigue to know since there are hundreds of same style beers out there--how to determine/what's the criteria needed to decide that a beer is benchmark or otherwise?

the answer to that is that there is no definitive or authoritaive answer to determine what constitute a benchmark beer--perhaps BJCP guidelines do have some form of more formal suggestions of which are some outstanding "benchmark beer"of a particular beer styles.

in fact some highly regarded "benchmark beer" are more of the "unoffical" opinions gathered from various sources--i.e. opinions from beer geeks/brewers/beer rating sites/apps--in another word one could say that it's all "others opinions".

though there seems like no "official" or lack of "authoritative" guidelines as to what render a beer as "benchmark"--but 1 thing is clear--only an outstanding brew would stand a chance of coming into contention.

问3：要怎样在那么多不同酿坊同类型作品中找出指标性作品（Benchmark Beer）？

要如何找出指标性作品是新朋友最好奇的，毕竟同一类型风格啤酒范畴内可以有来自几百几千家不同酿坊同类型作品，具体要如何确定什么才是指标性作品？ 是以什么标准来界定呢？

从一定程度来说，啤酒裁判认证课程（BJCP） 对不同类型风格啤酒的风格范畴区别描述中会举例一些特定酿坊的指标性作品作为风格表现样本推荐，这或许是比较接近既有观念中的“官方/权威”说法。

不过，换个角度来看，更多时候答案很可能是“并没有一致正式认可指标性作品”，换句话说，指标性作品很大程度上是多数啤迷认可的“非正式”意见或口碑，这些可以是集合啤迷社区/论坛意见以至评酒APP中针对不同作品的风评而来。

确实，指标性作品并没有明文规定的入围准则，一切似乎都以个人口味/别人意见/口碑为基础，但这并不意味着随便什么酒都能成为指标性作品，事实上没有一定高水平作品是绝不可能被认可的。

Q4: what's the point? why need a "benchmark"?

in a not so similar way--a benchmark is like the guide--if you are trying to qualify for the Olympics for 100m sprint--you need to first know what's the qualifying time then only know how to prepare or what it takes to qualify.

Of course craft beer drinking is not a competition--but a benhcmark beer wil help 1 to understand a beer style better--knowing if you are drinking a nice or bad brew better as benchmark beer will provide some form of taste profile guidelines if your palate knows how to appreciate/understand the nuances/flavours.

问4：-指标性作品（Benchmark Beer）的重要性在哪里？

或许可以这么说，就像跑一百米选手那样，需要知道奥运入围标准才能知道自己需要如何准备才能跑出符合入选资格成绩。当然，喝craft beer不是比赛，不过指标性作品起的作用某种程度上来说是相似的，只有味蕾具备一定程度鉴赏力後喝过後才会明白不同类型风格啤酒的高水平作品指标范畴大致上是怎样的，和低水准作品区别在哪里，重点是只有通过自己品饮体会後，味蕾才能逐步更好的领略不同水平作品风味呈现。

 

Q5: highly rated beer = benchmark beer? 

many geeks as well newbies are very familair with beer rating sites as well APP such as Untappd which probably is the most popular--as we all know Untappd do provide  beer ratings/scores which many use as some form of "guide"--so the question naturally arises--Does a high scoring beer in Untappd automatically become a "benchmark beer"? the answer to that is probably NO but that's also very subjective--because a high scoring beer might not be necessarily the better examples of a particular beer styles--a lower scoring beer might be better representation of a particular beer styles so solely basing on Untappd scoring is not the way--  Think of a certain Michelin guide--especially regarding street food--ask the locals if they all agree with the list?

问5：-高评分作品就一定是指标性作品（Benchmark Beer）？

当今很多啤迷/新朋友都会使用诸如Untappd这样的评酒APP来记录或点评自己喝过的啤酒，这是类似大众点评的网上评酒社交媒体，本身也会根据算法排列出不同类型风格作品的各式“排行榜”，既然是排行榜那就会有排名高低，不过要说某款高评分作品一定是某类型风格啤酒指标性作品的话那就见仁见智，因为有可能评分较低或所谓排名没有那么靠前甚至前十不入的作品才是啤迷/酿酒师们公认的指标性作品。情况或许有点像是跑跑人街头美食指南那样，有人捧为美食圣旨，有人则不置可否。

WEEK 224---Beer is Delicious?

 

"is craft beer really that special? would it be like eating Durian for the first time that it's either love it or hate it sort of reaction?"

"what type of craft beer is special but at the same time easier to drink for total newbie?"

I was asked these questions sometime ago by someone rather curious about craft beer but clearly has some "concerns" before drinking any.

最近被对craft beer感觉好奇的朋友问了两个问题：-

一是啤酒真有那么好喝吗? 会不会像吃榴莲那样反应两极化没有中间点？

二是有什么比较适合第一次接触craft beer的易喝型啤酒，或者说比较特别但让人接受度高类型？

第一个问题相对有趣，因为这是个实际上没有一致答案的问题，往较极端角度来说感觉喝craft beer是有可能像吃榴莲那样第一次接触反应很大机率会两极化的不是很喜欢就是接受不来。

不过，这样说其实也将craft beer过于简单化，实际情况是这个另类美味啤酒世界中不同类型风格/风味选择很多，虽然有比较独特不是那么平易近人口味作品但也有不少易喝类型可以选择，换个角度来说并不会像吃榴莲那么反应两极化因为从之前只喝大厂啤酒到开始接触craft beer之间，易喝类型作品确实能为另类啤酒风味带来的味蕾冲击提供一定程度缓冲空间，只要不是第一次喝被吓到落荒而逃就可以更好的逐步领会这个啤酒世界的特别。

It's quite interesting to hear someone curious about craft beer would link eating Durian(commonly accepted that it can be either love it or run away from it for first-timer) to drinking craft beer for the first time--though I was tempted to say certain types of craft beer have the potential to trigger that reaction from first-time drinker--on a wider note--considering the different types of craft beer styles available for newbies--it is only fair to say that craft beer is no where near Durian to trigger "run away" reaction simply because there are some "newbie friendly"styles of beer available.

以下是一些比较平易近人或相对特别但仍易喝型啤酒类别：-

Here are some:-

1) Lager

It's not far-fetched to say most ( if not all) who are beer geeks now started from drinking Macro Lager--and most certainly that's how "taste of beer" was established/ingrained in most people's impression of BEER.

But then that's not the whole truth about beer--in the world of craft beer--taste of beer can come in many different forms--even Lager would taste so different from what most people think a LAGER taste like.Try a well made craft version lager and your beer perception will be changed forever.

1）Lager(拉格浅啤）

说几乎所有（就算不是也会是绝对大多数）消费者第一次喝到的啤酒味道就是拉格啤酒听起来武断但也八九不离十，因为市场上绝大部份大厂啤酒都只是拉格类型，也可以说就是一般人印象中“啤酒味道”来源，当然这并不是啤酒风味全部真相，因为在craft beer世界中啤酒风味完全不单一相反的非常多样化，而且就只是拉格类型来说，高手酿坊做出来的拉格跟大厂作品有截然不同风味层次表现，不能同日而语。

2)Pilsner

To put it simply--a Pilsner is a "richer" version of lager in terms of body & hop influence but still very much on the easy drinking & refreshing category.

2）Pilsner（皮尔森浅啤）

酿造技术观点上其实是拉格分支类型啤酒，酒类型名称与捷克有关而且可以再分为捷克式，德式，美式等等分流，但整体简言之是不同水质，麦芽（或粟米/大米），酵母和啤酒花等四大酿造原料区别带来的酒体风味差异，虽然也还是很清爽易喝类型不过对比拉格而言会有较明显啤酒花风味影响痕迹。

 

3)Pale Ale

Whenever the term "ale" comes into play, it would mean that the beer is a thicker/bigger type of beer than a lager or a pilsner( generally speaking but there are exceptions depending on beer styles)--there are many different beer styles under the "ale" category--pale ale is one of them & can taste lighter or "heavier" in terms of hops influence depending on which areas it comes from but perhaps most definitely depending on the mood of the brewers.

3）Pale Ale（淡啤）

举凡Ale类型啤酒都是比Lager类型酒体更厚实风味表现更浓郁的啤酒类型，差异主要来自酿造温度和酵母选择，Ale类型很多不同风格作品中，Pale Ale特别是美式风格具有相当明显啤酒花甘香风味表现但仍是相对易喝类型啤酒。

 

4) Table Beer

From tradition point of view this is a style of beer with very low ABV that it's usually on the table during lunch/dinner time where children can be allowed to sip on some of this easy drinking low alcohol content beer as some form of fit for all beverages. With abv as low as 2% to around 4%, table beer is a style deemed by some as "plain water" beer but a well made one can be of layers and tasty it would surprise you.

4）Table Beer（餐桌啤酒）

在欧洲传统中这是会在用餐时出现的非常低度啤酒，由于酒精度很低会让一起用餐的家中孩子一起享用。这类型啤酒至今还是一些欧美高手酿坊的常态款作品，是可以在酒精度介于2-4%的“淡如水”作品中喝出层次感易喝美味啤酒。

 

5) Fruited Sour

Don't take the word "sour" too mater-of-factly--it's not just about sourness but rather most of the time it's either sweet/sour, or very much on the sweet side. Quite a popular beer styles these days--it can look and taste more like a milkshake or even a blended sundae than your typical beer--can be rather pleasing as wel as misleading at times with it's "nothing like beer" look & taste.

5）Fruited Sour（果泥啤酒）

近年很流行，无论酒体浑厚程度，颜色外观甚至口感都像是喝着水果奶昔，好多时候喝起来感觉完全不像啤酒的啤酒类型，跟英文酒名称字面意思不一样的是，啤酒类型并不是只有酸味呈现，更多时候是甜味水果或酸甜味水果风味。

6) Cold IPA

IPA is the most commonly seen/available beer styles in a bar/bottle shop--be it the now mainstream NEIPA or the slightly "forgotten" old school traditional IPA--these are IPA which could caused some palate shock to first time drinker due to either the thickness/cloying sweetness/back end hop influence of NEIPA or straight in your face traditional IPA pungent burst of hops "attack". 

Is there a milder IPA available? Cold IPA is the answer--designed to drink like a lager style IPA--meaning lighter/easier to drink but still an IPA--probably something more suited to a newbie wanting an IPA for the first time with lower risk of being scared away by either of NEIPA or Old School IPA.

6）Cold IPA（清爽型印度淡啤）

印度淡啤（IPA）是专卖吧/瓶子店中一定会看到的类型风格，强调甘苦味的传统IPA有可能会吓到第一次接触新朋友，而几年前风行一时至今的类果汁NEIPA也可能过于浓郁或过甜腻口让人喝不惯，Cold IPA概念是喝起来像拉格的清爽型印度淡啤，当然还是会有啤酒花鲜香甘苦风味但相对比较轻盈，想一嚐啤酒花风味又想喝较清爽酒体作品的可以试试。