WEEK 70---BACK TO BASICS 102

we spoke about 101 in Week 68 --this is 102:-
Everyone starts from ZERO

The beauty of craft beer is --everyone--including those big name/ super star brewers which you drink their brew from--all started from drinking "shitty beers" once upon a time---that's kinda how lots of brewers came about--not happy with what's being offered in the market--and literally took matters into their own hands and started brewing....

So--if you've just started--just had your first IPA last night--fret not--you are not alone---there's nothing to worry about that you started later than everyone else--on the road to discovering more awesome beers--there's just no limitation where one could end up.--everyone started equally--the rest is up to you really...

大家都从零开始

可以这么说，几乎所有人，包括很出名的一些品牌主创酿酒师都是从喝普通大厂啤酒开始，换句话说，在CRAFTBEER的起跑点上，大家基本都是平行的。一个比较常见现象是，从最初的一般大厂啤酒到开始接触德国/比利时啤酒会是转折点开始，对喝惯普通大厂啤酒的饮客味蕾还是会带来新感受。

就像吃到好吃食物一样，人的味蕾是会有记忆的，一旦味蕾有了新的体会，就会有比较，一旦觉得没试过的啤酒比之前一直喝惯的大厂啤酒有趣好喝，寻找CRAFTBEER的路就自然开展。

Craft Beer is NOT ONLY about HOPS or IBU

it's probably quite cool for some of the newer friends to ask/joke or "challenge"other friends who are only into big factory commercial lagers with this question---" my bottle of IPA says the IBU is 60---what's on your bottle? what's the IBU? NOT printed? NONE?//"

But--be careful--don't fall into the trap of believing HOPS is king or IBU is the only criteria to determining the awesomeness of a beer.

That is certainly NOT THE CASE---craft beer is about varieties of beer styles--not just bitterness of a beer.

*IBU(international bitterness unit--the bigger the number--the bitter the beer)

不是只有苦才算CRAFTBEER

最初喝CAFTBEER时，很多新人最开始接触到的会是强调啤酒花苦味的美式PALE ALE或IPA，这是最容易找到，也是对比单调口味大厂啤酒最强的例子，有时候一些新人朋友会以国际苦味指标（IBU）来对大厂啤酒做比较（这支啤酒IBU指数有多高，你的大厂啤酒有说明多少IBU吗？--没有吧）。

不过，也有不少人因此有了错误观念，以为CRAFTBEER就是要越苦越强，啤酒花用的越多，IBU指数越高，就越是代表“好料”。

这是错的。苦味只是CRAFTBEER众多不同类别风格中的一个，不代表全部，苦味之外有更多不同有趣选择，只有逐步试试其他类别风格，让味蕾嗅觉有更多不同风味体验才是。

To GAIN is to LET GO

We all know, out of so many Chicken rice, Bakuteh, Wantonmee, Burger sellers out there--NOT EVERYONE taste as good as the other.

Same for Craft Beer---the fact that it is a craft beer does not automatically makes the beer tasty--there's quite a lot of below average--even shitty craft beer out there.

So--if you bump into a beer that taste way below expectation--what do you do?  I would suggest go do a "drain pour"--yeah--just pour it down the drain.

Yes--pouring away beer sounds kinda snobbish--and certainly not something most people would do--after all beer money is not that easy to earn(especially if you live in South East Asia with high import taxes imposed on alcoholic beverages)---but--if the beer is really a below average brew--instead of forcing yourself to drink something you totally don't enjoy--or to give it away to someone knowing it taste unpleasant--just pour it away---that simple action--in some way is another form of palate building process--just take it as a fee to pay on your way to drinking better ones next time...

有舍才有得

喝CRAFTBEER的其中一个重要认知是，不是所有冠上CRAFTBEER名称的啤酒都同样好喝的，就像不是所有云吞面/卤肉饭/肉骨茶/汉堡包都肯定好吃那样，有不少酿坊的啤酒其实是在水准以下，甚至很下的。

在尝味不同啤酒的路上，遇到一些水准差，很不对味的CRAFTBEER是正常现象，遇到这样的啤酒时，你会怎么做？

有些朋友会觉得既然都给钱买了，或许可以把酒分给身旁人喝，或不如勉为其难自己把酒喝完，这也没错，啤酒钱不容易赚。不过，要是可以的话，建议直接把酒倒掉算了，这动作有个名词叫DRAIN POUR（倒水沟）---是的，如果遇到这样水准的啤酒，与其勉强喝，不如倒掉，也算是品味修炼过程必经之路。

MIX it up

with so many different styles of beers--each with varying taste profile--why not try blending some beers sometimes--especially if you are with a few friends in a bar--or having a tasting session.

It's kinda like beer cocktails--just mix a small portion of beer A with B or ABC together and see how it changes in flavors and taste--there's no rules really--just have fun mixing them--sometimes the mix can be wonderful--sometimes the result is a failure--but that's all cool--the more you mix--the more surprises could be awaiting...

a 3beer mix--with Boon foeder #120 in the mix

Blending can be of same styles( stout+stout) or totally different styles--it's up to you.

Oh--if you are face with a Drain Pour situation--maybe the beer could be saved by mixing with other beers--you never know--it could just work...

玩下混合

CRAFTBEER不同口味风格类别那么多，有时候可以试玩一下混合（BLENDING），特别是跟朋友一起试不同啤酒时。玩啤酒混合没有一定方程式，可以根据自己喜好或当时感觉随意。个人经验，混合不同品牌的同类别或不同类别啤酒（比如黑啤混黑啤，比如IPA混SAISON，比如STOUT混SCOTTISH ALE等等）可以有互补，甚至负负得正的效果，当然不是每次都有惊喜，不过，偶尔玩一下也不错，偶尔如果遇到有想“倒水沟”的啤酒，可以尝试看看混合其他啤酒是不是能够补救。

SOUR beers--can drink ah?

there's quite some sour beers out there--like GOSE. BERLINER WEISSE, SOUR ALE or the most sought after LAMBIC.

it is true that most drinkers who are new to sour beers can't fathom the idea of beer being sour--especially if they have started and accustomed to the Cirtusy/Grassy influences of IPA/APA or the coffee/chocolaty/richer flavors of STOUT/PORTER--most first time drinkers would find/think very Negatively about sour beers.

However--one thing is for sure--there's always excellent brew in each and every beer styles--and if you don't like certain beer style--sometimes it's not just your palate issue--it could be a case where what you had is a below average brew of that style.

In simple words--you have just have to find a better brew from that particular style the next time you decided to give it another go....

酸啤酒能喝吗？

酸味啤酒比如GOSE 比如BEILINER WEISSE比如SOUR ALE，或备受推崇的LAMBIC，喝惯PALE ALE和IPA啤酒花香或黑啤惯有咖啡巧克力味的朋友初次接触会感觉怪怪或难喝死了。（有时候，第一次接触的啤酒让你觉得难喝，不是因为那个啤酒类别不适合你或类别本身有问题—所有不同啤酒类别都有绝对好喝的，问题可能是你喝到了一支水准以下的酿品而已）

的确，酸啤酒不是每个人都会喜欢的类型，不过，一旦克服了最初的“味蕾震撼”後，你会发现，开拓自己熟悉范围之外的啤酒类别是有趣的事。（个人经验来说，接受或喜欢上酸啤酒後，对提升鉴赏力蛮有帮助，可以更客观细腻的赏味各类别啤酒---当然这只是个别感觉，别人未必认同）

It is true that SOUR beers are not for everyone--but it's also true that once you have overcome that initial "palate shock"--you will realize that stepping out of your usual comfort beer zone can be so much more fun....( personally i found sour beers help to enhance one's palate/ability to savor/appreciate even better other beer styles once your palate is used to the sour influences--but of course--this is just personal view point)