And I do get Sam’s argument, but I think it only holds so much water. Comparatively, you can actually find quality wine for 15-20 bucks a bottle. It may be a few more bucks for a bottle of wine than beer, but it’s not the same liquid, and I think it’d be somewhat unfair to expect prices to be on the level with each other, especially considering the variety in both beer and wine. Not only that, but a lot of rare beer can be $20 and up. I just recently paid that for a bottle of Cantillon Kriek, just to finally be able to give that stuff a try. Some of the hard-to-find Italian offerings that have come into Richmond are on par with that, if not more, sometimes for even less volume than a bottle of wine.

Be that as it may, I can’t automatically assume that these pricier beer options will be good, or better than many others that are cheaper. I’ve tried some $10 beers that I’ve been less than impressed with, and kicked myself for not picking up the $4 one. I’ve taken the same chances on beer that a wine-drinking novice would on their tipple, but have also relied on guideposts that have helped light the way and learned more as I went along.

When it comes to beer or wine, I like to take jabs at that whole “superiority” facade that snobs hide behind. Wine could be just as accessible as beer, and often times is, in a roundabout way. People going the pompous route assume that they’re the only ones drinking wine.

Beer doesn’t seem to have fully taken on these qualities yet, which is a good thing, but it could be headed in the complete opposite direction. I’m sure many beer lovers can agree that flavor is what should be judged, not alcohol content.

Besides, true connoisseurs drink Scotch!

However, I can see you points at some of the issues here.

First, the “premium” name… I wish I knew where that came from, too. I was confused by it for a while. At first I thought it was a new brand from BMC that was going to actually be premium, but then I realized it’s just a meaningless designation that seems to mean “not light”.

The other comment I would like to contribute is my view on the beer vs. wine pricing issue. I get what Sam is saying. I don’t know enough about wine to say what’s the best. I think of it this way, though: for $10 you can get one of the best beers in the world, or you can take your chances on a bottle of wine. If you’re dropping $10 on a beer, you are sure to have a beer that those in the know would consider a great find and a treat. As far as I can tell, for $10 in the wine aisles, you get something that might be good, but might not.