Throngs of “hipsters” stream into the Great American Beer Festival, apparently.
In a well-reasoned and otherwise smart article about beer on Deadspin last week, The Sporkful host Dan Pashman slipped into using a phrase to describe craft beer drinkers that really grinds my gears:
Indeed, there are few more objectionable varieties of hipster than the craft beer enthusiast who claims the mantle of the commoner while displaying the affectation of the snob.
Boiling down passionate craft beer drinkers into a “hipster” stereotype makes my blood boil, because it’s simply not the case. Yes, while Pashman is making a larger point about beer snobbery – a bad habit of craft beer drinkers that I’ve harped on before – portraying the über-est of beer drinkers as “hipsters” is lazy. Worse, it alienates potential craft beer drinkers who see a negative connotation with the term. And the reality is that the demographics just don’t jive with craft beer consumers being anything resembling “hipster.”
Blind Tiger regular, beer writer, and apparent “hipster” Warren Monteiro (center) celebrates his victory as Wynkoop Brewing’s Beer Drinker of the Year in 2013 (Photo: Wynkoop Brewing)
The problem begins start with the term itself. To be quite honest, the word “hipster” has lost all meaning. In its earliest days, it was vaguely associated with Williamsburg when it was a desolate neighborhood populated by 20-somethings wearing trucker hats, living in illegal lofts, and drinking cheap Pabst Blue Ribbon at bars like The Abbey. Yet now that Williamsburg is populated by parents wearing J. Crew, living in $3,000/month 1-bedroom apartments, and shopping at overpriced specialty shops, it somehow still retains the “hipster” label. The “hipster” label is just as regularly applied these days to a struggling artist as a gentrifier who makes a six-figure salary.
Let’s be honest: when used in a negative connotation, “hipster” essentially means “a person who adopts a lifestyle, trend, or habit that I don’t understand.” Yes, there are “hipster” stereotypes that add fuel to the fire: wearing skinny jeans, living in rapidly-gentrifying neighborhoods, or adopting other habits that the observer finds unusual. But by itself, drinking a craft beer is not “hipster.”
The demographics of craft beer don’t jive with most “hipster” stereotypes. Adults ages 35-54 are more likely to drink craft beer than their younger counterparts – hardly the age group you see in skinny jeans. And while a craft beer-drinking “hipster” appears on paper to be a male stereotype, Millennial women are a growing segment of the craft beer universe, now accounting for 15% of craft beer volume, according to the Brewers Association. Even homebrewing, another oft-labeled “hipster” hobby, is quite popular among middle-aged Americans; the average homebrewer is married and 40 years old.
The popularity of craft beer among Hispanics is growing rapidly, too. Hispanic Americans are now more likely than average to drink a craft beer at a bar once a week. Hispanic-influenced brewers like Dyckman Beer Co. and 5 Rabbit Cervecería are seeing success. And geographically, craft beer isn’t confined to gentrifying neighborhoods anymore; over 75% of the US population now lives within ten miles of a craft brewery.
Anecdotal evidence seems to jive with those hard figures. Look at the the clientele of New York City beer bars. The most popular beer bars in the city among the geekiest of beer geeks are Pony Bar, Ginger Man, Rattle-N-Hum, and Blind Tiger. These aren’t exactly “hipster” hangouts. You’re more likely to find a Brooks Brothers suit than skinny jeans at these places. Number 5 on the list, Tørst, has an adjoining restaurant that charges $140 for a fixed-price meal with beer pairings – hardly the realm of people who are stereotyped as subsisting on PBR.
The fathers of American craft beer. Look at these fucking “hipsters.” (Photo: Sierra Nevada)
Some “hipsters” may drink craft beer, but they make up a small portion of a wide set of craft beer drinkers. As craft beer becomes more widespread and its drinkers more diverse, those who simply resist the industry’s influence on beer for whatever reason will still try to label it as a “hipster” trend, but the reality is that craft beer is increasingly mainstream. Drinking a craft beer at your local bar is about as hip as drinking a Latte at Dunkin’ Donuts. And that’s a good thing. So let’s put this nonsense to rest: craft beer is not a “hipster” trend.
And really, it’s time to put the word “hipster” to rest, too. I’ve put “hipster” in quotes throughout this piece simply because nobody seems to know what the hell it means anymore.