WEEK 211---to choose or not to--craft beer basics for Newbies

 

Someone new to craft beer had this to ask "should i be somewhat choosy or don't care much just drink?"

有刚接触craft beer的新人朋友问“喝craft beer是应该有所要求还是不管那么多有什么喝什么就对了？”这是个相当有趣的问题，从新人朋友角度来说，这问题可能有以下几个意思：-

其一，craft beer不同类型风格啤酒选择很多，既然有选择就意味着可以有要求。

其二，既是craft beer就意味着水平都会不错或很好吧，那随便喝就可以了。

其三，craft beer到底是什么一回事？一开始怎么知道该要求什么？

It's quite an interesting question with a few indications:-

a) craft beer comes with so many different choices-indicating the right to pick.

b) since it's craft beer, simply drink any also good right?

c) how do i know where to start what to demand?

个人来说，这问题的答案完全因人而异，关键是新人朋友要自己决定喝craft beer只是随便喝喝开心就好还是说可能需要花时间精神去探索多些的事，决定了才知道到底是要往哪个方向走。从嚐味角度来说，基本要求是一定要有的。换个角度看，喝craft beer就像吃美食，需要有所要求才能喝到酿品应有风味，就像去吃云吞面或海南鸡饭或烧腊那样，都会有自己心目中几家，不会随便就吃吧？

 新朋友对啤酒有要求并慢慢知道自己要什么的话，以下是有帮助的基本动作：-

The answer to this question is very much depending on individual's decision--to be choosy/to make certain demand Or just go with the flow drink whatever that comes your way. From tasting perspective there is no doubt one should have some form of demand--the same way when one go out for a bowl/plate of Wanton Noodle/Chicken Rice or Charsiew/Roast Duck--you won't just simply go to any shop but only those meet your requested standards for taste & flavour.

How do newbie know what to expect/demand? here's some basics which can help:-

1) Read the Label

The first step is a simple one--pay attention to what's printed/written on the labels--it will tell you quite a lot of informations such as what style this beer is, canning/bottling date(important info for style like IPA--no date indication can mean red flag), any adjunct added ( if so what was added), was it barrel aged( if so what barrel/s & for how long), is it a single batch brew or a blend( if blended what mix what), to drink fresh or suggested to keep for a while longer before opening, suggested drinking temperature---so on so forth.

It's a good start for newbie to at least know what you are drinking.

1）注意酒标资料

酿坊瓶子或罐子上会说明是什么类型风格啤酒，装瓶/装罐日期（IPA类型鲜味表现关键之一，没日期是警讯），是不是加入水果/食材（如有是什么），有没有经过不同酒类酒桶陈放（如有会说明什么桶放多久），是单一原酒还是同类型不同桶陈酒又或是不同类型酒混合勾兑而成，需趁新鲜喝还是可放置一段时间後才喝，赏味温度（冷度）建议等重要资讯。通过酒标知道自己在喝着什么风味啤酒是好的起步。

2) The way of Minusing

Drinking craft beer can be very similar to eating food--there will be the factor of personal taste /flavour preferences for sure--meaning one will authomatically lean towards favourable taste profile & shy away from unfavourable ones.

It's very important for people who drink craft beer for the very first time to avoid those unfavourable taste profile from food---by minusing out taste profile one dislike or likely won't like is a way of minimizing chances of a newbie being scared off from the very beginning and never to seek out more craft beer in the future.

2）删减法

只从个人口味角度出发而言，喝craft beer和吃东西是非常相似的，意思是大家都会自然而然倾向选择自己喜欢的味道，避开自己不喜欢的味道，删减法对才刚接触craft beer新朋友是很有用的，一开始先把自己觉得不会喜欢的啤酒风味选择排除在外的话可避免“才开始就结束”的无语局面，要避免因为一开始就喝到自己平时吃东西时原本就不喜欢类型风味而觉得craft beer一点都不好喝，试一下後即刻下定论觉得不过如此或不适合自己口味从此不再主动接触从而错失真正了解craft beer世界的机会。

3) Do some homework

A lot of useful informations can be seek out with a click of the keyboard--from beer styles guide of BJCP to the more tourists/foodie comments style of sites/app like Untappd or Beer Advocate are some useful ones which can help newbies to do some homework of their own according to own need.

One word of caution though--Don't dive too deeply and treat beer ratings by others as your only guiding light. Doing home work helps but only way palate can improve is drinking/tasting and understanding different flavour profile.

3）做点功课

这是手机电脑点开就资讯爆炸的时代，很多craft beer相关信息都能查询，无论是哪一家酿坊基本资料还是酒款类型风格，比较权威知识型的比如BJCP啤酒类型风格定义指南，类似美食旅游评论型的Untappd或Beer Advocate评酒APP/网站等都是新朋友可根据自己需求去搜寻了解的，虽然啤酒一定要自己喝过才会对风味表现有所知，看过读过的基本功课会有一定程度助益，只是一定要注意避免被网上其他个人评酒结论或评分高低牵着鼻子走。

4) The way of Adding

If "the way of Minusing" when very new to craft beer is meant to play safe - minimizing chances of newbie running away after first encounter with craft beer--then this is the way forward especially if a newbie been introduced to craft beer for a certain period of time( say a year or longer--depending on individual)--it's time to expand one's drinking horizon--meaning don't just stick to 1 or 2 favourite beer styles(nothing wrong though) but try to venture into other beer styles too--even if that beer style can be of unfavourable taste profile from food experience--expanding beer styles horizon is a good way to palate training for sure.

4）递增法

这是重要一步，如果一开始采取删减法是为了减低“一开始就结束”的概率，那喝上一段时间後（可以是一年或更长，看个人），就轮到递增法了，只有试过多种不同类型风格啤酒後才会知道各自不同风味表现，对提升自身味蕾鉴赏力过程也会有所帮助，虽然有的啤酒类型风格听起来或许不是自己会喜欢风味，但没喝过也就只是自个想象排斥，唯有喝过才能有所知，好玩的是就算喝到不是自己喜欢味道，也是对开拓味蕾训练过程有帮助的。虽说独沽一二味没有对错，多类型风格嚐味是更有助提升味蕾鉴赏力方式。

5) Palate Training

Yes--there is a such a thing as palate training in craft beer drinking(recently saw clips of someone who is a known RAMEN-Geek said the same about ramen eating)--meaning one would/might/will have different understanding/palate enjoyment about a SAME beer when drink during newbie period & after palate appreciation ability/experiences goes up several notches.

Do note that sometimes when a perfectly fine beer "taste bad" it can be a case where it's because you are at a stage where your palate still cannot appreciate/understand the beer better.

Also--if a beer taste like heaven or worth a 100 out of 100--it can be a case where your palate have set a low entry rather than the beer being so fantastic--drink the same one a few years later and see if you still think the same ( the end results can be quite interesting).

5）味蕾鉴赏力

喝craft beer是有味蕾训练过程的，意思是不同阶段会对同一款酒有或更进一步或完全不同的认知感受。新朋友要记得的是，除非酒因为感染或运输或储存因素坏掉变味了，有时候自己觉得不好喝的某款酒不是因为酒不好，而是因为现阶段的你还不会欣赏。同样的，现阶段觉得好喝到不得了的酒也可能是因为个人味蕾门槛低所致。