Answers to two common questions

EVERY SO OFTEN, I gather up a handful of questions I get repeatedly about this column and try to answer them. It’s basically a “what I do and why/ how I do it” sort of column.

I always seem to be getting new readers, and I don’t think I’ve done one of these FAQtype columns in a few years, so I’ll take the opportunity to do so today. Many readers have probably read some iteration of this over the years, but I always try to address new angles to questions that pop up.

(I also try to answer most emails that I get, but when they’re just repeated questions that can be addressed here, I employ this more efficient approach.)

One of two main questions people seem to have centers on why I haven’t covered this or that certain brewery that just opened, or which brews great beer or has some other quality that the reader in question appreciates. (Sometimes these readers simply like a brewery because it’s new or the only one in their town — or, I suspect, is run by a family member.)

Those are all fine reasons to want to see a column about a brewery. But, (and I’ll be saying this again later in this column), I only have 52 columns a year. These days, it seems that a new brewery is opening up every few weeks or so. There is no way to fairly keep up with all of them.

There is also the old unwritten journalism rule about not covering a new business the day it opens. Running a business is a tough row to hoe and new ventures go out of business quite a bit. Now, this isn’t a hard and fast rule for reporters, but it’s just a common-sense approach to covering this sort of thing.

Of course, new businesses get covered all the time, especially if they have great cultural or historical significance to a community. And to be fair, a few years before I became a beer columnist, my editor let me do a news story about The People’s Pint opening in Greenfield. But I had to convince him that the story was worthwhile. I did this by telling him that it was only the third brewery to have opened in Western Massachusetts.

I felt that was a big deal and was able to convince him.

But these days, most editors would not be swayed.

The second topic that comes up is about why I don’t do beer reviews. This goes way back to when I was first asked to write this column. I obviously immediately agreed to do so, but with one caveat: I didn’t want to review or rate beers.

You know, “this beer gets five stars” or whatever.

I will describe a beer and even what I like or don’t like about it. I will also talk about how closely it may adhere to whatever style it’s purporting to be. But as far as rating a beer, I think it’s pointless (pun intended). Your opinion is as good as mine.

That doesn’t mean I am against online forums such as Beer Advocate or Rate Beer.

Those sites can be very educational. I just didn’t want my column to be just another beer review platform. And again, I only have 52 columns a year.

If you have any questions for me, however, you can always write to me at geolenker@ yahoo.com.