The great debate of craft beer vs. manufactured beer has raged on for the good part of four years or since One Fifty Lashes was released into the market in 2011. Once upon a time, pubs and bottle-os only stocked the great goodness of tins red, gold and blue and bottles with unique caps containing questions that will forever remain unanswered. Next came the lure of exotic imports and beers with a fourth ingredient.
Along with the invention of the modern beard and the topknot came enthusiasts who as they will tell you won’t drink anything that tastes remotely like water. This remains craft beers main selling point; ‘it doesn’t taste like water’. The beer enthusiast can’t stand the taste of water and will often opt for scotch or cider in the absence of craft beer before they settle for a beer from a factory.
Admittedly both types of beer have positives and negatives; craft beer delights the drinker with something different but traditional brews have the reliability of knowing what you’re getting and price. The craft beer deserves a premium; at least they’ll tell you that, with all the extra ingredients added for flavour and drinkability, but not digestibility. The craft beer is renowned for hanging around inside you longer than the cat on your couch.
Punching through a box of gold has long been standard practice at BBQs and parties across the country; however, drinkers are now applying what is known as ‘etiquette’ to their drinking. Craft beer drinkers will ‘sip’ their beer over a period of time and find they’re consuming only a six-pack (one quarter).
This isn’t always because of savouring taste but more coping with it. Craft beer features creative labels with witty names, but a seasoned drinker always remembers never judge a brew by its bottle. If you are unlucky enough to pick up a carton of something that tastes like it should be coming out, not going in, then the always favourite bring and ditch is for you. If it’s not in your fridge it’s not your problem, or so sayeth the drinking laws.
Manufactured beer offers reliability and price and are often conveyed as crowd pleasers unlike imported brews where your body will tell you first if you like it or not. They do require less thought process and consistency as in Australia manufactured beer is always in season.
Both brews have their pros and cons, one offering consistency and the other something new. The fact they are both beer rarely enters the train of thought of some drinkers bringing into mind the famous verse, “There is neither ale nor larger, there is neither sweet nor bitter, there is no craft and manufactured, for they are all one in alcohol.”
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