Last month in my Beer 101 column I came to the defence of quiet beer. In the interests of balance I decided this month (which is now officially last month, but don’t sweat the details) to offer equal time to adventurous, “out-there” beer. What I choose to call “edgy”. You can read the column here.

I use that term intentionally to avoid impressions that I am talking only about Imperial this-or-that. Edgy beer is defined by what a brewer does with it. It needs to push a boundary of some kind. That could be making it bigger, as often happens, but it might equally be about a novel ingredient, an innovative process (stein beer, anyone?) or a creative approach to a style. The key is that, in contrast to quiet beer, it is designed to make you take notice of some aspect of the beer.

In a way edgy beer are all the rage these days. There are lots of experiments going on. This is good. I am a big believer the beer world requires all kinds of beer. I did a series on “big” beer a while back in Beer 101, so I didn’t want to repeat myself. So, this time, I focused on how to best appreciate edgy beer. I thought that might be a useful contribution to the ongoing discussion of beer evaluation and appreciation.

I argue it is a multi-layered, multi-stepped process. The drinker needs to get a handle on a few things simultaneously. On one hand, they need to pay attention to the “special” feature of the beer. What is the unique ingredient? Can you tell it is there? If the beer is imperialized does it do so appropriately? Those kind of questions.

But you also can’t lose sight, which so many reviewers do, of the base beer. What was the beer designed to be before it got edge-ified? Anyone can add a bucket of hops or create a smoky character that will invert your cheeks. But where did they start? This matters.

Finally a drinker needs to evaluate the beer wholistically. How well does the special feature meld with the base beer? And, most importantly, is this an enjoyable beer to drink? Would you have another?

That last question usually plays large for me. I can appreciate the most “out-there” beer a brewer can create – and trust me I have sampled my share. But, for me, it comes down to would I want a second one? If the answer is no, there is something wrong with the beer. I am not saying it has to be a beer I would drink every day of the year. Simply, would I have a second if offered it? A edgy beer worth its salt had better aim for a “yes”.

As I say in the column: “Small beer. Quiet beer. Big Beer. Edgy Beer. All have their place. Enjoy them all. Just be sure not to lose sight that it is just beer after all.”

Enough said.