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What You Can Do To Support Craft Beer?
As mentioned in the first part, we don’t want to tell you what to drink or what you should be drinking. What we do want you to do is support the local breweries and the people who work in the industry to help it grow. Here’s a few tips and points about what you can do to let increase the knowledge of craft beer.
1. Teach, don’t criticise.
If someone you know is drinking Kirin Ichiban or Asahi Super Dry, resist the temptation to moan and complain at them, or even smack the can out of their hands. It’s hard but take a gentle approach. Perhaps give them a pale ale or an amber, and explain about it. They may be afraid of trying something new but give them some ideas about what to expect from the beer and they may come back for more.
2. Drink Local Where You Can
Support the local brewery or brewpub in the area, if you can. Not all breweries start out as amazing producers of the delightful liquid that we love. If you find out a problem with the beer, then ask the brewer questions, if you can. If you tasted something unusual, point it out and ask if the flavour is supposed to be there. Some brewers may appreciate your honesty, while some may not.
3. Check What Your Drinking
Is that beer in your hand a craft beer, or a craft(y) beer from one of the big macro companies? They may be tempting with their cheaper prices, but cheaper prices usually mean cheaper ingredients or less of the more expensive ingredients going in. There’s a reason why craft beer is more expensive as the ingredients used tend to be more expensive or in a larger amount than a regular macro beer.
4. Go to Beer Festivals
Seriously, go to a few beer festivals and meet people – meet fellow beer drinkers as craft beer is a very sociable scene. People from all walks of life will bond over beers, but the flavours and differences of styles will always get people talking, and talking is good. Bonds can be made over beers and before you know it, you’ve made some new friends who will help you.
5. Get Out Of Your Zone
So you like IPAs and IPAs are your go-to beer? Well try something different. Try some styles that you haven’t had before? You like a certain brewery? Well they are unlikely to go away anytime soon so try a new one and you may find some new beers to like from a different part of Japan.
