In his concise Kindle Single “Why Beer Matters,” beer expert and world-renowned food and beverage writer Even Rail points toward beer’s unique “terroir” as among the most significant reasons. For those of you who know a thing or two about wine, you’ll recognize the term. But as rail contends, beer’s terroir does not relate to its unique earth – the ingredients or where and how it’s made –  but rather, to its “sense of immediacy and place.”

The Belle of the Beverage Ball

Beer is a local drink, often best served relatively soon after it’s brewed – a contention anyone with a significant growler habit can attest. But the excitement surrounding craft beer in the United States at present is exhilarating in a way that all things are prior to being overanalyzed and hyper culturalized; when that high-water mark reveals a movement is nothing more than a fad in sheep’s clothing.

But the current excitement around beer, and specifically craft beer feels palpable and important. It is contemporary, but conscious and respectful of the beverage’s rich history.  We’re using older methods and recipes and simpler, local ingredients. We’re reinterpreting what it means and why it’s important in our in time, all the while conscious and respectful of its rich history.

Fresh beer made locally in our communities, by brewers near our homes tugs at the heart strings of anyone who longs for a greater connection to time and place and a repudiation of all in the world that hold us at arm’s length form that experience. It is a noble democratic exercise of individuality and choice – contemporary notions made all the more relevant after the economic collapse of the last half decade.

As Rail articulates,

“To say no to the flavorless sameness is a vote against the dull grayness of a world where everything tastes the same.”

Beer therefore isn’t just a beverage, it is a celebration of the democratic spirit to which Rail’s vote refers. It’s also an acknolwedgement of beer’s special relevance to time and place and community – the everyday stories of the march against the “dull grayness” of homogenized experience.

Just Drink It Already

But, as Rail ultimately says, beyond the great pontifications of beer’s importance in our contemporary world, what matters most about beer is the drinking of it. Through this statement, he draws the line between celebrating something special, and beating it to death with the dull club of academia. Cheer’s to that.

Rail’s Kindle Single is long enough to be stimulating yet  short enough to enjoy over a delicious pint (or two).

Check it out.

While this might seem like a panacea for beer lovers, our puritanical interstate shipping laws for alcohol, and the top heavy, sometimes heavy-handed distributions systems in some states add a few hurdles to the process (you can find out more about those issues on the Beer Jobbers blog). Thankfully, Beer Jobber has done a solid job of reducing the confusing and taking much of the guess work out of the process for consumers

On first visit to the website, you’re asked to set up a profile based on taste and style preference. Beer Jobber then uses profile information, purchase history (if applicable) and community ratings to recommend individual and mixed case beers you might like.  The website where users establish a profile based on their taste, beerjobber then uses the profile to source recommended beers based on individual taste.

And while the prices seem steep at glance, many of the case shipments are 22oz bottles. And, as Beer Jobber claims, less expensive than in retail stores. Add in that benefit to the reduced cost of shipping your booze direct from the brewer, and BeerJobber claims that they actually may lose money on some orders. How’s that for a group of dedicated craft beer evangelists. According to their blog, they are also cool about taking recommendations from customers – so if there is a beer you love, but that you can’t find near you, drop them a line and Demand It?

If you’ve tried Beer Jobber, let us know about your experience in the comments below.