Oh, you use Untappd and think you’re a beer aficionado? Nice…

We don’t need no stinking Badges

Untappd is a popular app that many craft beer drinkers use. I think it’s great because it helps connect people to the craft beer experience, providing both the customer and the brewers with an opportunity to gather information.

Unfortunately, it seems like people get caught up in amassing their online portfolio of beers sampled, and collecting the subsequent badges. This is unfortunate, because it deprives the consumer of the true experience of craft beer, and the brewers of a fair shake, especially if they are brewing a beer outside of the box.

A sample of an ounce or two isn’t sufficient to appreciate a beer. This is why most beer festivals involve pours of four to five ounces. You need to set up your palate with a good pull of a beer, before examining the nuances with a delicate sip that you swish around. Even then, you still don’t have a handle on just how a beer will drink over the course of a pint or two. All things considered, you probably have no business reviewing a beer, until you’ve had at least a pint. That way you get to evaluate it after it’s fully connected with your senses, and has opened up in the glass. Please don’t judge a beer unless it’s in a glass.

That doesn’t mean you should shut down your account, but if you don’t particularly like a sample, hold off on the one star review until you’ve had more. Just stop and make sure that you’re not the one who is faulty.

You should also take a break from the Untappd frenzy. This isn’t Pokemon, it’s beer. Relax, and spend a week or two enjoying a particular brewery. Pick a couple of their beers, and stick with them for a while. Let them grow on you. Doing this makes it so much more exciting when you try something new. Our brains respond to repetition, which is why you always have a soft spot in your heart for momma’s chili, or her peanut butter pie. Let your brain fall in love with a beer and see how your perception changes when you go to a beer tasting.

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