Language can be twisted and turned into a semantic nightmare to the point that a negative term can be manipulated and utilized for positive purposes and vice-versa.  For example.  BAD ASS (sorry…I really don’t curse…this just came to mind).  Two negative terms twisted by pop culture to mean COOL.  “That car is BAD ASS” actually hails praise for the automobile.  On the other side, a positive term can alter meaning to disguise that which otherwise would sound reprehensible.  I think of Bill Clinton, who, while addressing a tax weary nation informed them that his fiscal legislation was the American people’s opportunity to make an investment (unwilling) into their nation.  In this case the positive term, investment, cleverly sugar coated the more harsh, new taxes. No offense to Bill…he plays a heck of a sax!

Such is the case, in my opinion with the terms beer geek and beer snob. Beer snob has become a desirable label within the beer community.  Typically, beer snob, is a self applied label a person with an insignificant self esteem applies to themselves.  Beer snobs tend to be more about about the label than the beer.  They tend to think of themselves as more sophisticated than the average consumer.  Beer snobs enjoy the opportunity at making the uneducated beer drinker feel silly.  Keep in mind a beer snob may or may not be a beer connoisseur.  My working definition is:

Beer Snob:  One who believes that his/her beer choice entitles himself/herself to elevated esoteric status over his/her fellow beer consuming citizen.

The slightly less known term, beer geek, similarly employs the use of a well known, at time repulsive term, geek, and couples it with beer to characterize a particular type of beer drinker.  Like a beer snob, a beer geek may or may not be a connoisseur, depending on how far they are in their beer journey.  It is my opinion, that given time, every beer geek will eventually arrive at beer savant-hood whether they intend to or not.  So why the term geek?  Think about every so called geek you came across in high school.  Geeks are typified by possessing an unusual obsession.  Whether it be Star Trek the Next Generation, Comic Books, or algorithms, geeks have nobly found their passion, and are committed to it.  Thus it is with you and I…beer geeks.  My working definition is:

Beer Geek:  One who devotes himself to life long learning and loving of all thing beer related; one who attempts to try every beer regardless of the significance or insignificance of the price tag.

Sure this is a humorous post…but I believe it to be truthfully humorous!  What are you?  A beer geek or a beer snob?