An Open Letter To Joe Queenan

Dear Mr. Queenan,

Can I call you Joe? I’m assuming so since you seem like a very intelligent man and someone that I probably would enjoy speaking with over a pint. Unfortunately it seems that where we would want to have that pint or what exactly would be in the pint would be different places/beverages. At least I think. After reading your recent article in the Wall Street Journal, “Foaming at the Mouth About Craft Beer” , I have become confused at what your intentions were when deciding to write the article. You appear to be very knowledgeable about popular brands of craft beer and about the industry itself, but spoke about it with disdain and contempt; as if people enjoying craft beer bothered you incessantly. Don’t get me wrong I have met people who are insufferable when it comes to what they are passionate about. They drone on and on about how the iPhone has to be better than Android, or in the case of your article how the beer they like is better than the one that I like.

Now back to what confused me about your article. I couldn’t decide whether or not I thought you were trash talking the craft beer industry or underhandedly trying to promote it. In your diatribe on the craft beer scene you managed to mention some fantastic beers for no apparent reason; almost giving these beers free advertising in the WSJ. That is like me pointing out the great things about Brooklyn in an article about how insufferable hipsters are; it will still draw people to Brooklyn. But throughout your editorial you sound bitter that everyone else knows about craft beer but you. Frankly, I was completely unaware of what Barry Bond’s on base percentage was, but that doesn’t mean I want baseball to go away. It’s just not something that I am passionate about. I also dislike NASCAR, fast food, and Walmart; but I understand that a ton of Americans (literally and figuratively) enjoy those things. If someone choses to talk constantly about NASCAR, we probably aren’t hanging out so much anymore. Maybe you should do the same if your buddies bother you so much about craft beer.

At the end of your article you claim that your buddy who drinks Bud Light is your hero. Is he your hero because he goes against this newfangled trend that is sweeping the world, standing up against the tides of change? Or is he your hero because he still buys into the marketing that tells Americans that light beer is the only beer worth drinking? Funny thing about the former reason. Many craft brewery owners probably felt the same way when they were first starting their new breweries. Unfortunately, if he is your hero due to the second reason, there are a lot of those heroes left in the US.

Luckily for everyone, the way people talk about beer (or anything for that matter) does not change the product itself. I hope that you come around to craft beer, unless I was completely fooled by your article and you secretly love full flavored beer. I still believe, though, that having a beer with you would be an interesting endeavor and even though I write for a beer website I promise I am not frustrating to talk to over a pint.

Sincerely,

Blake Winchell

AmericanCraftBeer.com