Intelligent debate

It's ironic that many in the American craft beer community, which prides itself on innovation and new ideas, should be so conservative when it comes to alternative ways of classifying beer styles. In my recent set of pointless arguments, my opponents were clinging to definitions coined in the 1970's. Our knowledge has moved on since then. It's about time they did, too.

New ideas, that's how humanity progresses. Not every new idea is correct or useful. But not to even consider them is just being pigheaded. Intellectual debate is about proposing new ideas and then defending them while others try to pick them apart.

Little of this went on in the Kölsch debate. No, that's not quite accurate, there was no intellectual debate. "Top-fermenting means Ale, you idiot." was about as far as the arguments got. "we're right, so you must be wrong." No-one bothered to consider questions like:

• "Why do we classify all top-fermenting beers as Ales?."
• "When did we start doing this?"
• "Who started doing this?"
• "Why did we start doing this?"
• "What connection is there between German top-fermenting beers and British Ales"
• "Should the name of a specific group of British beers be used as a general term for top-fermenting beers?"
• "Is this an accurate and helpful method of classification?"
• "What alternative systems of classification are possible and would any of these be more historically accurate and less confusing?"

I don't know all the answers. Which is how it should be. Once you have no unanswered questions, you're an intellectual corpse. Here are my attempts to answer my own questions:

"Why do we classify all top-fermenting beers as Ales."
- Because the word Ale has a single syllable.
- Because the definitions were coined by English speakers.

"When did we start doing this?"
- I believe in the 1970's, but I'm not certain. Older British brewing texts don't use Ale as an all-encompassing term. Wahl & Henius, wrting just after 1900, didn't either. I need to check some more recent technical books.

"Who started doing this?"
- Zythophile suggested it was Michael Jackson who initiated it. I'm not sure if this is true or not. More research is needed.

"Why did we start doing this?"
- Not sure about this one. Laziness is my best guess.

"What connection is there between German top-fermenting beers and British Ales"
- Very little, if any. Beers like Berliner Weisse or Kölsch developped over centuries in Germany and were not directly inspired or influenced by British Ales, something which isn't true of all Belgian beers.

"Should the name of a specific group of British beers be used as a general term for top-fermenting beers?"
- I would argue no, because it destroys the original, well-defined usage of the word.

"Is this an accurate and helpful method of classification?"
- Again, I would argue no, as it lumps together beers which have none but the vaguest and most general connection. It implies a relationship which does not exist. In that respect, it's confusing and unhelpful.

"What alternative systems of classification are possible and would any of these be more historically accurate and less confusing?"
- I would say yes. But then I would do. See my earlier post proposing a classification of German top-fermenting styles.


Feel free to answer any of these questions yourself. Unlike some others, I am open to persuasion by reasoned argument.