WEEK 46--Born of a Beer Geek

Just like being mesmerized by any other things in life--getting hooked on the idea of craft beer has got it's own process..which sort of goes like this:-

像迷上任何事物一样，迷上撞意啤酒会有过程。虽然每个人过程时间长短不一，不过，整个过程大概可以这样描述：-

the Blurry stage:-

"beer? must be ice cold--and drink in big beer mug as fast one could manage.."

"taste of beer? not much idea---important is there's drinking buddies--even better if drinking at the hottest bar/club in town.."

the Light-Bulb moment:-

"oh--there's such thing called Craft Beer..."

"ok--beer is more than just to drink ice cold--there's much more to beer than just drinking fast or cold..."

the Exploring stage:-

"started to know the varieties of craft beer---started checking out beers on ratebeer or beeradvocate--getting more curious about beers others having or the next beer to try..."

"more of a MINUS method drinker---would minus out beer with taste profile that is similar/close to food item you don't like...like no Lambic if you dislike sour..."

懵懂期

对啤酒的认知？很简单，啤酒要够冷够大杯，最好杯子也雪冷似的，然后，大口大口痛快喝就对了。（有谁不是从喝大厂啤酒开始的？）

啤酒什么味道，什么口感，没什么概念，最重要有一起喝的酒伴，喜欢热闹的，在城中热门夜店喝就更美妙了。

萌芽期

突然发现，噢，世上原来有种玩意儿叫CRAFT BEER，原来啤酒不只黑啤白啤罢了。

还有，原来撞意啤酒不应该只是大口大口喝，或越冷越好喝的，有些啤酒不同温度会有不同层次，慢慢尝味才是享受。

探索期

开始知道IPA，PORTER， IMPERIAL STOUT，BARREL AGED是什么概念，会跟同好们讨论某支啤酒，或者经常上网查看RATEBEER.COM或BEER ADVOCATE其他人对某支酒意见。

对没喝过的啤酒，特别是网上评价不错，或者是朋友喝过推荐瓶子具有好奇心，会记录下来，准备下次看到就试。

这时期，比较多是使用“减法”，先移除自己不太喜欢的食物相关味道啤酒，说白了就是挑食。比如不爱吃酸就不会尝试LAMBIC，不爱咖啡会避开浓咖啡STOUT，不吃苦瓜之类的可能就不会选喝DOUBLE/TRIPLE IPA。。

the Molding stage:-

"would want to try more varieties than just sticking to the regulars----tendency of becoming a ADD ON drinker--looking to try more varieties--unfamiliar beer styles included..." 

the Fixed stage:-

"typically would have a BENCHMARK beer of your own--for whatever beer styles--like for an IPA some might just use Stone or Ballast Point( i hear you say Heady Topper/Pliny the Elder)...or stout with Mikkeller/Alesmith.....the thing about Benchmark beer is that it is very personal--it's all about one's taste/preferences...not much of an objective view here..."

雕塑期

不再满足于只喝惯常几款顺口啤酒，会想逐步尝试更多不同类型，比如只喝IPA的会想尝试SMOKE BEER，BARLEY WINE或是IMPERIAL STOUT，LAMBIC等较复杂/另类口感啤酒。

这是“减法”逐渐转换成“加法”期，已经知道自己大概喜欢啤酒类型，反而会尽量在个人口味能接受范围内多尝试平时不喝的类别，让味蕾口感更多“训练”。

成型期

会有自己的BENCHMARK BEER（个人指标性啤酒），会以指标来衡量同类型其它酿品的优劣高低。举例说，喝低度黑啤的可能会以MIKKELLER啤迷早餐当指标，喝IPA的会以STONE或BALLAST POINT作指标(或者更高标的HEADY TOPPER/PLINY THE ELDER)，喝高度黑啤的以ALESMITH SPEEDWAY STOUT当指标等等。当然，指标只是个人口味为准，没多大客观性可言。

进入成型期的啤迷，一是会继续不停尝试其他不同类型啤酒，想在浩瀚啤海中寻宝。另一个可能性是逐步减少喝低指标同类型啤酒，只专注喝“好酒”，或者说，变成一个更大的BEER SNOB（鼻子更朝上，质感口感要求更挑剔的啤傲）。

各自修行

成型期之后，基本就是各自修行了。这时候的你，不管是喝过几百，过千或几千杯都好，量不是重点，更注重的是味蕾享受。当然，喝过一定质量啤酒的好处是，至少清楚知道什么是什么，个人口味成型，不固步自封的话，相对的也可以比较客观看待什么是好啤酒这回事。

不管是专注某类型啤酒，或继续探寻各种新瓶子，可以肯定的是，CRAFT BEER路上精彩不断，总会有新酿坊，新瓶子，新朋友冒出来。

after all those small different stages?--well--it's each man/woman going his/her own way---you could become more of a quality seeker and cut down on quantity, become a beer snob---or continue to seek for even wider range of beer styles/breweries....

It's all good---we all do what suits our taste/preferences.... 

  

WEEK 45--of Head, Face & Body

Head, Face & Body--that's one way of saying if we were to put craft beer in a human form, then we have Brewer as head, Brand as face and Body...as body..:)

如果用人形态描述撞意啤酒的话，啤酒可以是有头有脸有身材。

头是酿酒师（BREWER）,脸是品牌（BRAND），身材指的是酒体（BODY）。

BODY

就像厨师下手轻重一样，酿酒师可以决定酿成品酒体是轻盈，中等，还是厚重。

不同酒体啤酒，会让饮客感受到不同“轻重”，不同“厚实”度，这就是酒体。

在大厂啤酒世界中，酒体轻重好像很简单，用颜色辨别就可，金黄的就是轻，黑色的一定比较厚重。

不过，这推断在撞意啤酒世界并不适用。

不同酿酒师天马行空想法会让金黄色啤酒有轻有重，也可也让黑色啤酒感觉轻盈。如果以1到5分作区别的话，无论是金黄还是黑色不同类别撞意啤酒，都可感受不同程度酒体。

酒体可以影响口感，某些程度上也决定酿品是易喝还是需要慢尝。

quotes:

'just like what a chef is doing in the kitchen, a brewer would decides if a beer is of light/medium or heavy BODY.."

"it is very simple in the non-craft beer circle--you go by color of the beer to determine if a beer is light or heavy----but nope--in the world of craft beer---a golden color beer can be Heavy---while a dark color beer can be Light body...."

BREWER

在最纯粹的撞意啤酒世界，主创酿酒师是决定市场有什么酒喝的人。

就像厨师决定煮什么菜那样，酿酒师的想法可以完全主宰酿品的呈现。

酿酒师当然是跟品牌息息相关的关键人物，他们的酿品很大程度上决定品牌成败，有趣的是，个人性格好像也影响品牌和业务的发展方向。

举例说，来自苏格兰的“酿狗”，灵魂人物JAMES和DICKIE都是比较高调的酿酒师，是有真人电视秀那种。此外，对业务发展也比较有野心，所以全世界不同城市发展较快，除了有连锁式酒吧，几款固定啤酒也常期有供应。

相比之下，本地也比较能喝到的丹麦TO OL品牌的两位酿酒师TOBIAS和TORE就比较低调，对业务发展想法也比较随性。TOBIAS年前受访时候说过，只根据自己步伐，不会因为应对市场需求而酿。（可能因为那样，一些喝过很喜欢的酒，已经好久没在本地出现过）

quotes:

"Brewer is very much intertwine with the Brand of the beer he or she is brewing--their brew very much influence/dictate the success or failure of a brand--interestingly--personality seems to also play a big part in the direction of the brand--and business direction...."

"For examples--Brewdog duo of James & Dickie-- high profile public images via TV shows and such is closely linked with the rapid and constant flow of their regular beers....in contrast--the duo of TO OL seems far more low profile and  laid back--hence the slower pace of production--business expansion..."

BRAND

有人说，品牌是攻下消费者最管用的武器。同样商品，决定消费者买C不买B的就是品牌区别。

在撞意啤酒世界，多尝试不同酿坊，不同类别啤酒是备受提倡精神，不过，品牌力量还是造成区别，也让好些酿酒师站上了名气金字塔的上端。

有资深啤酒人说过，真正享受撞意啤酒的态度应该是“完全不理会网上或朋友或“专家”对某支酒评论，更不可在没喝过之前就以品牌风评下定论要不要喝，要像白纸那样公平对待每一支酒，毫无预设想法/定论的品尝。”

在很多资讯垂手可得的今天，品牌对饮客选择影响是明显的。比如说，不久前在美国限量推出的合酿大黑啤---BEEER GEEK SPEEDWAY， 去年底一宣布就引起话题和热切期盼，因为合作双方是美国有“劳斯莱斯”瓶子号称的ALESMITH和丹麦名牌MIKKELLER。是以ALESMITH SPEEDWAY STOUT和MIKKELLER BEER GEEK系列为合作主轴的重量级黑啤。

尽管经验告诉我们，有时候名牌+名牌不等于一定更好，可是，喜欢这两支黑啤/两大品牌的肯定会想方设法弄一支尝味。

能说完全不理品牌效应吗？

quotes:

"many have opined that the purest way of tasting a beer is to throw away any preconceptions or bring with you the formed opinions by others( ratebeer/beeradvocate--friend's or expert's opinion)---and taste the beer as it is...like a piece of white paper..."

"in an era where all sorts of information are so easily accessible, what BRAND can do to drinkers is very obvious---take for examples the ripples created among fans of both Mikkeller & Alesmith--when the collab brew where announced late last year.."

" though we know from some other previous cases that--BRANDED + BRANDED don't always guarantee a much better than original version brew---but--can the power of Brand be ignored totally?"

NEXT UP---Born of a BEER GEEK.....