Preaching the gospel

LAH-GOO-KNEE-TUSS

As an enlightened member of the craft beer community, one of the solemn duties that I enjoy the most is spreading the word… passing enlightenment to those who are still in the darkness of corn-based yellow beer.

An example of this occurred at the local Wegmans grocery store yesterday as I was trolling around in the craftiness section, looking for something wonderful for the evening’s festivities. I decided on Lagunitas Brewing Company’s Maximus IPA (because it’s delicious) and as I put it onto the conveyor belt at the checkout, it became clear to me that the young lady behind counter had no idea what this was. Maybe it was her gross mispronunciation of Lagunitas, or the inquisitive nature in which she was trying to determine if this product required an ID check, but something told me that I needed to proffer knowledge.

8.2% ABV - Raging mouthfull of hops - May remove enamel from teeth - Yum yum

After correcting her pronunciation (LAH-GOO-KNEE-TUSS), I explained that this was a super-hoppy India Pale Ale made by a brewery in Petaluma, California. She asked me what an IPA was, and why this beer was $10.00 for a six-pack. I told her the story of the British over-hopping their pale ales in order to preserve them for the long sea voyage from London to India and how that translated into a style of beer that grows in popularity every year. I told her about pale malts versus dark roasted malts and how that applies to beer color. I explained to her that the $10.00 price tag was worth it because, as with most things in life, you get what you pay for, and in this case, I was getting 100% malted barley mash as opposed to mash that was filled with corn in order to cut down on cost. Not to mention the fresh quality ingredients and meticulous attention to detail that the Lagunitas brewers put into this brew.

She seemed genuinely interested in what I was saying, even though I admit that I tend to go full-on beer geek in these situations and can get a touch long-winded. In the end, I’m not sure if I converted her, but the simple fact that she is now aware that better alternatives exist is good enough. You can lead a horse (person) to water (craft beer), but you can’t make him (or her) drink.

Here’s to craft-brewed happiness… Cheers!