As far as your point about the expense of wine goes, I agree that the barreling adds some cost. However, don’t forget that several things add to the cost of beer that are not true with wine. For instance, wine has a readily available sugar reserve. Beer does not. Energy costs of mashing really add to the cost of the brew. Water volume adds, heating the water adds, sparging adds and boiling that wort also adds. Other things could (and maybe should be added) but I’m illustrating that beer also has production costs that wine doesn’t.

I do appreciate you and Howard interacting. One of the real joys of writing this site is that the people who interact do so substantially…thanks guys.

Agreed about the price increases. I’m simply pointing that there is still a wide cultural view against paying $10-15 six pack but not for one bottle of wine. I agree with bombers notion because the prices have gone up and I’m hoping that the single bottle will definitely give wine some competition (in fame…not price).

I was tempted to include the fact that most of the beer dinners are hosted by craft brewers, which points to the idea that it hasn’t permeated the wider public quite as much.

Last of all, I hate pretentious beer snobs and jerks. It is my fondest hope that beer elite don’t become the norm. The truth is that this is really a small segment of the wine population (the really elite) but it does seem to raise awareness and respect for wine. I think a small segment of beer elite might be a necessary evil in the same way. I hope it doesn’t get out of control, over-price, or replace just hanging with good friends.

As a current home and future commercial brewer, I really hope for the general public to think more highly of beer…that’s the really issue for me.

“Flying all over the country, and sometimes the world, is not unusual. Can you imagine this happening with beer?”

It already is. Didn’t you fly back to Indiana to get some Dark Lord? I know people who flew here for that release, plus a bunch more who are flying in to go to the Great Taste of the Midwest in Madison, WI. Not to mention all of the BeerAdvocate festivals and GABF. True a festival isn’t exactly the same as flying in for a wine dinner, but it’s pretty close.

“My opinion is that the higher end and rarer stuff makes the wider public more willing to pay the prices for decent wine.”

Also already happening. Easily selling out of $20 bottles of beer is encouraging people to raise their prices. Every time I buy beer it seems that the common price point is higher. Bombers were $8 or so for the most part when I first got going, but now most are in the $10-$14 range. Not to mention the silly bomber pricing in the first place. I can buy Goose Island Bourbon County Stout for $22 per 4-pack or $14 per bomber, a roughly 40% price premium!

“When people are seeing vintage or rare beers in the same context in which they see wines, the beer landscape has the ability to be seen very differently.”

Your Hair of the Dog example is good, plus there are bars that sell vintage beer.

The last thing I want for beer is elitism. This is already starting to creep in with the rare and limited releases, people trading for European exclusives, and stuff like this, and it’s a huge turn off. There’s really nothing worse than a smug beer geek, and their numbers are climbing quickly.

There at least one beer dinner every month in Indianapolis. Keep in mind that these are usually over $50 a plate in a very small craft beer market. I can only imagine what goes on in major markets. I know a guy in Texas that goes to pay-to-play tastings on a regular basis, which isn’t all that different from your wine dinner example.

Much of what you’re calling for is already going down, both good and bad. I just hope that the jerks don’t ruin it for us who simply enjoy good beers over good laughs with good friends.