In my job I get asked an awful lot “what is your favourite beer?” And while I have perfected the non-answer, every time it leaves me wondering about peoples’ need to have “the best”. Usually the asker is a moderate beer explorer – they like flavourful beer and are agog at the range of options available but have not yet settled into a comfortable pattern of appreciating each beer for what it is. Instead, they are on a quest for the greatest beer. There are many of these people.

While this is a search I abandoned years ago, I must admit I, too, was there at one time. I spent way too much energy (and money) seeking out Thomas Hardy’s Ale, convinced, I was, that it was the most delectable beer ever. I truly love TH’s Ale, and in fact it takes up more space in my cellar than any other beer. But I no longer force onto it the weight of my beer expectations. It is a fantastically crafted barley wine, and that is all.

And as I reflect upon beer appreciation and the inevitable questions of “what is best”, I become aware of the power of “best” or “favourite”. None of us can escape it. I still fall into it (as do you).

The importance of this observation is where it takes me next – and that is to a place of empathy and solidarity with the questioner. It is easy to be dismissive and suggest that “best” is a bourgeois concept. But it is both natural and well-intentioned. The question usually comes from people who genuinely want to taste great beer so that they can better understand beer. Quite frankly, they are not asking me for a list of the best beer in the world (are you listening Ratebeer and BeerAdvocate?). They are asking for a guide to better understand beer. If they can get a reference point, they will feel more confident in their own judgement about beer.

This is understandable, but the energy behind it needs to be gently re-directed. Which is what I try to do. They don’t need to know what the best beer in the world is. They need to know what are some good examples of their favourite kind of beer. And THAT is what creates beer appreciation. Tasting the best stout you ever tasted and having it confirm that it is your favourite style. Trying an Oktoberfest for the first time and knowing that you like malty beer. It is there where real beer insight comes.

Why do I write this, aside from the fact that someone just asked me that question? I do it because I worry that the best of the beer geeks can become too snobbish to give this question the time of day (and again I include myself in this scene). When in reality it is the question that should tell you this person deserves some focused attention because they are paying attention and already know that beer has lots to offer. They are next year’s homebrewer or beer advocate.

So treat them well. Don’t answer the question directly, but respond to their real question. And if you do so, you will be contributing to the world of beer appreciation, and for that you will deserve a refreshing beer.