"People are proud of their brand loyalties in a way that no one is proud of their terrible former crushes". But they're the same thing, says Phil Cook. Photo: Unknown
A bartender for longer than he'd like to admit, Phil Cook has now jumped ship and works at a brewery, as well as being a beer blogger and podcaster.
He says, when it comes to ordering beer, a little bit of knowledge about style, history and breweries goes a very long way.
He suggests beer drinkers should “be open, be informed, and be assertive”.
Cook says even though it seems expensive, for people who want to drink, beer is accessible, and can encourage a different kind of drinking – for flavour, not just to get drunk.
Meanwhile, Wellington has branded itself the “Craft Beer Capital”, although at least one of the city's brewers, Pete Gillespie, says even the term “craft beer” has basically lost all meaning.
And, for a lighter take on the pretension and snobbery that beer sometimes inspires, check out this clip from comedy team Nacho Punch:
