Beer Tasting - February 20, 2003 !!

[Josh Oakes]

Is it really a fair comment for the writer to make? Suppose the writer had said it was shit. If you were the brewery, would you think that was fair? An uninformed positive opinion is no more valid than an uninformed negative one. At least when I say a beer is crap I have a base of knowledge from which that opinion is drawn. It is ridiculous that as long as you're saying positive things nobody cares whether or not you're talking out of your ass, but the minute you say anything negative it's all about your credibility.

The validity of a writer's opinion is left up to the reader, of course, but from where I sit I'm sick and tired of people who don't know about anything beer running around writing articles about it. They perpetuate all manner of absurd myths, lies and half-truths, and undo the efforts of beer-lovers like us with a couple of keystrokes by convincing people of such absurdities like Steamwhistle being a pilsner and Sleeman being a craft brewer. The reason great beer is such a tough sell in this town is because of ignorant writers like this who have helped convince a generation of drinkers that this fizzy water is actually top-quality beer.

Steamwhistle is a good marketing story, yes, but the beer has nothing to do with the success of the brand so why mention it? It's not like Stone or Dogfish Head where success is attributable to both the beer and the marketing machines.

[Kid Presentable]

freaking right! preach it.

kp