This blog is a guest post by noted beer historian Maureen Ogle, but first a quick intro and rant of my own:
There’s an article being passed around the craft beer community a lot lately called 8 Beers That You Should Stop Drinking Immediately. At first glance it appears to be a Buzzfeed-style “listicle” complete with easy-to-read short paragraphs and big, colorful pictures. However, upon closer inspection it’s quite clear that this article is pure hokum.
I’m not familiar with this website, but if you click on the author’s name “mr.z”, you’ll see he writes almost exclusively about the evils of GMOs, Monsanto, fluoride, etc. This is the kind of pseudo-scientific fluff you’ll often find in the bowels of conspiracy websites and anonymous forums. And while I’m not a fan of these things, I don’t rely on articles that cite no sources for accurate information on these types of issues (false information on the internet – what the….!?).
The fact this article exists doesn’t bother me. What has irked me to no end is the fact people within the craft beer community are spreading this drivel around and believing it! I can’t count the number of people that have sent me a link to this as if they’ve just taken the red pill and awoken to reality, when they’ve just been duped by some huckster.
And while pseudo-scientific propaganda is bad enough, this particular article is made worse by the fact it’s essentially a rip-off of another blog that dates back to August of 2013 – The Shocking Ingredients In Beer by “Food Babe.”
Folks, here’s a tip: if you see something that looks like Earth-shattering news, but the byline is some generic username and not a real person’s name, you know it’s garbage. A real journalist would put their real name on it. Someone looking to make a quick buck or a publicity whore would hide behind an avatar.
Thankfully, there’s a legitimate rebuttal to this pack of lies. Beer historian Maureen Ogle contacted several professional brewers who respond to the claims with actual science, as well as explaining brewing industry processes and regulations. Please share this article with anyone suckered by the propaganda. Technically, it’s a rebuttal to the “Food Babe” post, but since “mr.z” basically plagiarized that piece, the points are equally valid.
I'll pass along the same advice a kind bartender at Jack in the Wood in Asheville gave us. When you enter Wicked Weed, make an immediate left turn and proceed toward the stairs. Then take the stairs down to the taproom. I imagine the food upstairs is really good, but all the 24 or so taps are downstairs. Flights are a freaking bargain.
Excellent. I know a couple of people associated with the pub operation. Hoping to go up and play the harmonica with friends sometime this spring...
I'll pass along the same advice a kind bartender at Jack in the Wood in Asheville gave us. When you enter Wicked Weed, make an immediate left turn and proceed toward the stairs. Then take the stairs down to the taproom. I imagine the food upstairs is really good, but all the 24 or so taps are downstairs. Flights are a freaking bargain.
They have already started limited bottle distribution. Small batches of their barrel-aged sours. One each Saturday for the past three or four weekends.
Excellent. I know a couple of people associated with the pub operation. Hoping to go up and play the harmonica with friends sometime this spring...
They have already started limited bottle distribution. Small batches of their barrel-aged sours. One each Saturday for the past three or four weekends.
Wicked Weed is such a great brewery. Spent a very enjoyable few hours there back in November. I understand they are opening a second brewery/tap room in Asheville which will be dedicated to their wild ales.
Oddly, the original German Purity Law of 1516 only allowed water, barley, and hops. Apparently, yeast was used until later on.
Back then, beer was inoculated by wild yeasts in the air. Many breweries are getting back to that. Personally, I hate funky, sour, beers, but many people like that sort of thing.
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Apr 11, 2014 - 6:30am
n4ku wrote:
I love these breathless headlines from websites like that. The headlines are like the melodramatic headlines on link bait sites like Buzzfeed and Upworthy. Full of emotionally charged assertions of things that are rarely true.
The reason I would avoid those beers is not because of the harmful ingredients, which aren't necessarily harmful, but because they taste shitty, and they aren't really beer. Beer contains four ingredients. Water, yeast, malted grain, and hops. Judicious use of some adjunct grains (wheat, rice, corn) might be one thing, but any of that listed stuff, and I am not interested. But not because it's going to kill me.
Oddly, the original German Purity Law of 1516 only allowed water, barley, and hops. Apparently, yeast was used until later on.
That link goes to a "Forbidden" page, but several of those ingredients listed above are not "harmful'. I saw a similar article somewhere several months ago - not sure if it was the same one - but their "research" was pretty vague.
I love these breathless headlines from websites like that. The headlines are like the melodramatic headlines on link bait sites like Buzzfeed and Upworthy. Full of emotionally charged assertions of things that are rarely true.
The reason I would avoid those beers is not because of the harmful ingredients, which aren't necessarily harmful, but because they taste shitty, and they aren't really beer. Beer contains four ingredients. Water, yeast, malted grain, and hops. Judicious use of some adjunct grains (wheat, rice, corn) might be one thing, but any of that listed stuff, and I am not interested. But not because it's going to kill me.
after reading the link b3 posted i fired an email (with the link) to full sail's BM...
Hey Jeff,
All Full Sail Beers, including the Session Beers, are brewed with only water, malt, hops, and yeast, and all our beers are naturally carbonated and sterile filtered. No stimulants, additives, sugars, HFCS, preservatives, fluoride, or animal products are used in any of the beers that we brew or in any of our brewing processes - this even includes the packaging! As far as GMO goes, our suppliers have assured us that they are not using any GMO seed in any of our malts or grains…..specifically that the varieties grown and used are non-GMO varieties.
