"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:-
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。
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。
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。
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。
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。
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。