This is just disappointing. A writer at the Portland Mercury, Patrick Alan Coleman, missed the point of the Beer City USA poll by Charlie Papazian and the Brewers Association and instead took things negative with this missive.
Normally I wouldn’t be concerned about something from the Examiner. But Asheville, NC? We’ve got to take them down. We’ve got more “beer city” in the backwash at the bottom of our pint glasses than can be found in all of their pubs and breweries.
Dude, you should be ashamed of yourself. This is supposed to be fun. It’s supposed to be about civic pride, beer pride, beer community pride and building up support for your hometown. It’s not supposed to be about tearing down the other communities. It’s not about insulting other communities. I’m going to go out on a limb and guess you’ve never even been to Asheville or probably any other beer towns, either, because you come off like a provincial bigot. You’re not helping your community. Both towns have a lot to offer, beer-wise. It goes without saying that I’m a huge fan of Portland and have many, many friends in the Rose City. And I hope they all do the right thing and denounce you for being so antithetical to what makes the broader craft beer community so great: the sense of community that’s bigger than any one town.
Hey Jay,
I agree, this is supposed to be about civic pride, and in defense of Patrick, the Mercury’s food writer, I think for him it is. He’s just talking some smack. If you read his stuff often, he is just that way.
But based on the content of your post, I have to say I do take some offense to the title of it. One person’s comments does not a city make. PORTLAND has not gone negative. Maybe PATRICK has.
With your inflammatory headline, you have, in effect, done the same thing, IMHO.
Lisa,
You make a good point, I was just trying to be short and punchy. I changed it to Portland Food Writer Goes Negative.
J
This is supposed to be fun.
Honestly, that’s how I read it. Sounds a lot like anyone talking smack about an opposing sports team.
Maybe, but I’ve never liked that sort of trash talking, either.
I couldn’t agree more, Jay. That is uncalled for and so counter-productive to what the craft beer movement is trying to accomplish.
“provincial bigot”?
wow.
lighten up “dude”, mr. coleman’s comments read as about tongue-in-cheek as one could get…dial down your omnipotent bigot-ness; a call for denouncement and insinuation to be the broader craft beer community’s moral compass…??!!
you’re a delightful read most of the time jay, and your rants are generally right on and appropriate…not today.
I didn’t see it as a big deal either. Random blogger talking a little smack is all. Looking forward to your next post.
I don’t know, I had a similar reaction when I saw Asheville being that high. I’ve been there a few times and Missoula, Montana blows Asheville out of the water for instance. I just don’t take it seriously at all.
The problem with any online poll–no matter for fun or some sort of serious hunt for opinion–is that with how the internet and social media works. It’s a matter of who runs the best campaign and has people to vote for their local interest the most. No real information is gained from this for sure.
I just want to know why we have to compare two great beer cities, yet again. Instead of another pointless and so reliable internet poll, how about having Portland host and Asheville Beer week and Asheville do the same with Portland beer.
Both cities are amazing “beer meccas.” I lived in Portland for a couple of years, and I’ve visited Asheville for the last five years for their “Brewgrass Festival.” To compare the two is trivial. Both have amazing beer, and both respect beer more than any other places in the nation. Both have delicious, regional beers that the other city doesn’t.
It’s really exciting to see a a Asheville, a city in that area of the nation, to come as far as Portland in embracing craft beer.
In the end, though, it really is about R.D.W.H.A.(h).B.
I personally don’t give a rat’s ass where a beer comes from, as long as it’s good. I’m proud to be from San Francisco, where Anchor was making good beer when Portland was passing off Henry Weinhardt as something special. But I don’t make a big deal about it. Good beer is good beer period. Beer snobbery is for people with unaddressed social inadequacies.
Oaky, I admit I woke up cranky and this just rubbed me the wrong way, causing a more visceral than reasoned reaction, but I still think it was not what we want to see. Many commenters pointed out the poll itself is meaningless, and while that may be true, it’s not the point, really. I still think it shouldn’t devolve into insults. It was also compared to sports trash talking, which I realize many people think is good-natured fun. I guess I just don’t see it that way. Trash talking, which I personally don’t like at all (because it rarely stays good-natured and usually turns mean-spirited and just rude), is still a two-way street and if it does remain “fun,” allows for banter and a back and forth exchange. This was simply one person insulting an entire town to inspire people from his town to vote in a poll. To me, it reminded me more of a political campaign, which is why I used the phrase “goes negative.” When political campaigns go negative, it may work to discredit the opponent but it also tends to taint the person who made the negative statement. I may have made that sentiment too forcefully, but I still think it’s not a good idea for any of us to start insulting one another over something so meaningless as a popularity contest wrapped up in a poll. He could easily have said to his readers that Portland’s such a great beer town — which it is — that we should all vote for it. There was just no need to to say it in such negative terms. If “we’ve got to take them down” is your idea of fun or “no big deal,” I’m sure I won’t be able to convince you otherwise. But I continue to think such ideas have no place in the craft beer world.
No apologies necessary, Jay. This is a common theme in parts of the Portland beer community; “We are the center of the beer universe.” It’s kind of sad that some peoples worlds end at their state (or city) borders. It’s a great big brewing world out there and we should learn to appreciate all of it, not just what’s down the street or across town. I think your statement said it all, “….what makes the broader craft beer community so great: the sense of community that’s bigger than any one town.” You are right, Jay. The beer and brewing community is national and global. There is no room in the national beer community for bloated bravado and/or misplaced arrogance.
First, I agree with the author who disapproves of this kind of smacktalk. It’s stupid and childish.
However, whaddya expect with this kind of poll? The whole concept is stupid. I personally give all online polls absolutely no credence because they havE no scientific value whatsoever. You’re no. 1 because you had enough people with time on their hands to waste it on this “poll”? Wow, good for you, Asheville, Portland or whereever. Does that mean you actually HAVE the best “Beer City”? Ummmm, no. Doesn’t mean you don’t, either.
I’m sure the beer culture in Asheville or Portland or Philly or DC is great — and that’s great for all of us beer lovers. But this stupid poll is just a ploy on the part of Mr. Papazian and his editors to gauge if anyone is reading his column. Mission accomplished.
A little local perspective. The Merc is the alternative, alternative weekly. They always write comic gonzo journalist pieces. This is meant to be pure fun, not taken seriously. If this were serious, you’d have a point, but everyone gets this treatment from the Mercury. And believe it or not, it’s a joy to ready. They’re humane and funny, and this should be taken in that context. All in good fun.
I’d like to give a big shout out to “Beer City 2010” Asheville NC and all its worthy breweries. Keep rockin’ and rollin!! WOOT!
I never liked the poll to begin with because Boston always ends up getting the shaft in these stupid and inaccurate quick polls.
The way I see it, it was supposed to be fun but how could it not spark a little shit talk? Portland, Oregon okay we get it you are the beer city of all beer cities in the US. But Asheville holding ranks with Portland? No way. I mean come on Asheville, NC? That’s how I keep looking at it because my own bitter feelings about Boston not getting proper credit. But then I have to remember Boston’s gritty chip-on-the-shoulder attitude. We already know what we have got going on here so who gives a shit about a meaningless poll? We don’t need beg and plead to get our people out to vote for us. And there you have the other ugly side. Ego. I am not ashamed of my hometown pride, but that’s the kind or reaction this lame poll sparked out of me.
In one respect it’s good to get some buzz generated about some other good beer areas. That’s why Todd and Jason have started that whole thing on BA “Where do you want us to go?” in order to shed some light on other noteworthy cities that are rarely mentioned but totally deserve some proper attention. It’s boring always talking about the same certain cities.
Maybe the poll should have been different. Not which city is the best, but which city should have some light shed on it for all the amazing things they are doing by way of craft beer. Or better yet how do turn other cities that are lacking into great beer meccas?
I just read something about Montana being the biggest beer drinking state in the US. Guess how much craft beer they have? Very little. That would be the ideal place to focus on. Kind of like Jamie Oliver going into the fattest city in the US and trying to change the communities mindset on eating.
Overall some harmless shit talk was bound to have happened and is nothing to get upset about. We don’t all have to agree about who has the best beer city, just as long as everyone has access to good beer at all. The poll is stupid and we shouldn’t be afraid to say it, but the Patrick’s reaction and your reaction to Patrick has sparked some good discussion.
wow, I’m glad Asheville won because I live here in NC … but you would think with a population like Portland and the amount of brewpubs in the area they could of easily won this … they couldn’t even rally their own people to the cause! I mean, if each pub would get their own fans to vote and so on … i guess that’s the power of the internet in NC!