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21-06-2017, 10:15
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Sometimes you just want to watch whatever is being broadcast; other times only a particular film will do, even if costs. Is that also how beer works these days?Last week the cultural and political commentator John Harris (@johnharris1969 (https://twitter.com/johnharris1969)) took a pause from the frenzy of post election analysis to make an observation about beer (https://twitter.com/johnharris1969/status/874342398452785153):
https://i2.wp.com/boakandbailey.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/06/harris_tweet.jpg?resize=600%2C849
Our instinctive reaction to this was, frankly, a bit dickish: ‘Ugh, what is he on about?’ Much as we imagine he might have responded to a Tweet saying, for example:*‘Why buy the expensive new Beatles reissue when Poundland has a perfectly good Best Of Gerry and the Pacemakers for £2?’
But of course, in a sense, he’s right: if you aren’t obsessed with music, wine, clothes, or whatever, you shouldn’t feel obliged to spend loads more money on a version of that thing that is no more enjoyable to you than the readily available, budget version just because of peer pressure or marketing.
The problem is, once you do get into beer, the generic doesn’t always cut it. If you just want something to absentmindedly sup while you socialise or watch TV then whatever is on special offer this week is probably fine, but if you’ve got a particular yen to wallow in the pungency of American hops then LIDL’s Hatherwood Green Gecko (http://boakandbailey.com/2017/06/hatherwood-problems-and-ideas/) just won’t do the job. If you’re really in deep you’ll probably even turn your nose up at about two-thirds of supposedly*‘proper’ craft IPAs, too. And you’ll be willing (every now and then) to pay a bit more for a particular experience — a rare beer, a curiosity, something with a particular cultural or historical significance.
QUICK ONE: Experiences vs. Commodities (http://boakandbailey.com/2017/06/experiences-vs-commodities/) originally posted at Boak & Bailey's Beer Blog (http://boakandbailey.com)


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