I’ve Got it BADD
Now, that isn’t to say that life isn’t great. Rather, I’m trying to say I’ve got a case of B.A.D.D. – Beer Attention Deficit Disorder.
BADD isn’t anything you’ll find on the DSM-IV, although most beer geeks are probably already familiar with it. It is a problem I’ve struggled with more and more as I’ve moved into the world of beer enthusiasts. If you aren’t yet aware of BADD, it is essentially an aversion to drinking a beer – especially a beer you’re familiar with – for too long. Symptoms include an overwhelming thirst for the unknown and untasted, a wanderlust to get new brews, and, distressingly, a lack of interest in familiar brews.
I won’t lie – I’m writing this post because, this weekend, all three of the symptoms hit me pretty hard. First off, the overwhelming thirst for beer I haven’t tried yet. After a weekend of skiing in the western mountains here in Maine, I was passing the Sunday River Brewing Company on my way out of Newry. Sunday River’s beers don’t have the greatest reputation here on RateBeer – most of their brews struggle to get a score over 3, and the beers on tap on Sunday weren’t particularly well-regarded. But – and this is the important part – I haven’t had much from Sunday River. While I knew that I could pick up a growler at Bray’s or a six-pack at RSVP on my way home, I went for the unknown, despite not knowing if the beer was any good.
This happens to me again and again. On Monday, I got hit with symptom number two – wanderlust. Portland is a city that doesn’t lack great brewers, beer bars or beer distribution. There are more than a few local beers I haven’t had a chance to try yet, and plenty of beers distributed in Maine I’ve never tasted. Why, then, did I find myself driving to Portsmouth, NH on Monday afternoon? The answer, my friends, is again the unknown. New Hampshire doesn’t have beer distribution that is terribly different from Maine, but it has the Portsmouth Brewery and a handful of beers from Manchester Brewing, White Birch, and Blue Point that we can’t get here. I’m sure some people would think I’m nutty for taking a weekday trip to grab some beer in a different state, but it’s just another symptom of BADD.
Finally, the most distressing symptom – alack of interest in familiar brews. If I’ve had a beer before, I almost always pass it by to try something new or different; something unknown. When I go to my local bottle shop in the mood for a double IPA, for example, I know that I can’t go wrong with a Dogfish Head 90 Minute or a Stone Ruination, two of my all-time favorites. But if there’s a new DIPA I’ve never had before on the shelf, game over man. I’ll pick it up almost every time. Why have an old favorite when there’s a new beer that probably isn’t as good but has the potential to be a new favorite? It’s the same thing that drives me to New Hampshire, to Sunday River Brewing, to new beers on tap and to trade for unknown local gems instead of the big white whale beers.
Am I the only person like this? If it comes down to a beer you know is good and something you’ve never had (that might be considered worse by popular opinion), which do you tend to go for? Do you have it BADD, or do you have more self-control than yours truly?
6 Comments to “I’ve Got it BADD”
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Ha! I know what you mean! But I do a pretty good job of staving off episodes of B.A.D.D. Though I also will seek out and try new brews, I am always (and The Rock means ALWAYS) stocked with proven favorites “just in case” the new beer sucks. Also, my overall laziness wins and sometimes I want to come home and chill and not even bother with exerting any effort to analyze and critique an unfamiliar beer. Sometimes the enjoyment of beer is having something you know you’ll love and saving the adventure for another day. Cheers!
I made a commitment to myself this year, not to forget about the beers I love. I have been making a point of ordering those old standbys rather than always searching for the new and untried.
[...] can read about my weekend battle with BADD on the Hop Press. Posted by Josh Beer, View All Posts Subscribe to RSS [...]
this is stupid
@elmo
Yeah, that was kind of the point.
I have to say I think BADD is the reason why big brewers will never “replace” craft beers. I don’t know a lot of craft beer drinkers that have the same beer twice, even in a month, so its not like we’ll all start drinking Bud American Ale and abandon our curiosities.