What does beer mean to you?

This past week I got a chance to go spend some time with my good friend Josh Pfriem, a brewer at the Utah Brewers Cooperative. What an interesting experience I had at the brewery.

UBC (brewers of Wasatch and Squatters beers) is the 48th largest craft brewery in the US. As a standard, they brew clean, well balanced, 4% alc. beer. Through my interaction with their brewing staff, I was struck by the contrasting vision of how they see beer and how I (and Josh, probably) see beer.

Where they like clear, brightly filtered beer, I go for the unfiltered, rustic side. They prefer the tingly, sharpness of an artificially carbonated beer, I like the textured, roundness of naturally bottle condition beer. Where they strive for rigorous consistency, I lean toward an artisanal, farmhouse inconsistency.

My point? Our visions of what beer is are different, and it's beautiful. Some people want their hops to make your mouth numb, some only strive for balance and consistency, and yet others want a lip puckering acidity in every sip. The great thing is...nobodies wrong. Beer and the enjoyment you get from it is wholly yours. The diversity in discerning palates is what makes this beer culture so interesting, fun, and burgeoning.