Even annoying beer ‘experts’ help promote the cause

IT SOMETIMES SEEMS that everyone thinks they’re a beer expert these days.

Everyone except me – and people like me – of course. Of course, it’s natural for people to think that someone like me – a guy who has written a beer column for just shy of 20 years – is a beer “expert.” But that word is a bit loaded for me. It’s not a cloak that I’m comfortable wearing.

My old friend Tom Nichols (Chicopee represent!) wrote a great book, “The Death of Expertise,” a few years back. It’s a superb book and you all should read it, even though it’s not about beer. But although I shied away from describing myself as an “expert” long before it was written, that book reinforced my beliefs.

As I’ve mentioned in this column before, I know several people whom I consider real beer experts, so to put myself in their elevated echelon seems both haughty and laughable to me. I certainly know a fair amount about beer – I reckon a lot more than the average person – but “expert” seems to imply an almost arcane depth of acumen that I would never claim.

To use culinarily terms, I’m much more of a gourmand than a gourmet, although neither of those terms really describe my place on the scale.

I was in a pub last week, where a young man was sampling the offerings of the venue (they were small, free samples), and felt the need to describe why he was deciding against certain offerings. His pronunciations were fine, if a little over the top (no one seemed interested, although the patient bartender nodded as the pontificated), but it felt a bit performative. But that’s the way a lot of things are these days,

And, hey, what do I know? Maybe this guy was an actual beer expert. And discussing the nuances of beer is a wonderful pastime, as long as it’s a respectful give and take. But sometimes one party in the chat comes off slightly condescending and/or professorial. And even if they’ve earned that right, it’s rarely fun to deal with if they act like a know-it-all.

On the other hand, it’s encouraging to see so many people engaged with craft beer to the point where they feel comfortable talking about it with some degree of authority.

Even the most insufferable wags who drone on endlessly about their opinions are often knowledgeable enough to allow listeners to learn something. To be honest, I have often gleaned a few nuggets of new information even as I conceal my exasperation with one of these types.

So, in the end, I’m OK with a few bumps in the road as long as that road leads to a place where more people appreciate and drink craft beer.