“Hipsters Love Beer,” YouTube Sensation
Elle Smiley
Hipsters have reached the pinnacle of Cool, or at least that’s what their critics sarcastically claim. This ironic subculture has been increasingly mocked in the mainstream, much to their despair. Hipsters, as a rule, try to remove themselves as much as possible from the mainstream, creating a unique niche for themselves. In fact, even being called a “Hipster” is considered derogatory to them, since the term is so popularized. According to Michael Greif, Hipsters are essentially “rebel consumers” who use their purchases and self-presentation to express their political, social, and economic discontent with the mainstream. Jokingly, this translates to a well-educated, well-dressed, young, mustachioed, thin, progressive, and aloof persons. Oftentimes they can be seen at bars drinking craft beers. This is why the niche industry of craft beer is often connected with Hipsterism. The craft beer industry arose out of a dissatisfaction with the watered-down beverages that dominated American beer culture for decades, also known as “Big Beer”: Budweiser, Coors, and Miller (Williams 14:21). The rejection of all mainstream beer and subsequent creation of a kitsch artisan drink selection piqued the Hipster’s interest: craft beers basically attempt to model what Hipsters do as individuals. Therefore, when the popular YouTube Video “Hipsters Love Beer” emerged, the mainstream finally achieved a masterful critique of Hipsterism as a whole. This video mocks Hipsterism in two ways: first, it synthesizes the Hipster and craft beer subcultures into one in order to poke fun at their respective failures to remain outside of the mainstream; second, it has the Hipsters who order drinks pollute their individualistic ideas by incorporating mainstream references into their drink descriptions.
The short video opens with the non-Hipster bartender nonchalantly polishing a glass, looking at the camera, and jokingly citing a trend he’s noticed: “these people are really into their craft beers” (Nacho Punch 0:08). Then he throws his bar towel over his shoulder, and adding a quick hand gesture of welcome, he invites the audience to step into his shoes. The video rapidly cuts to different Hipsters leaning over the bar toward the camera, which is set up from the bartender’s perspective, allowing the viewer to see the trend from his point of view. This opening clip begins the mockery, since the bartender does not appear to be a Hipster: he has no beard, mustache, fedora, or 40s-style fashion. At first glance, the viewer might be tempted to label him as the “passive observer,” especially since he only speaks at the beginning to introduce the Hipsters, and at the end to kick out a “Bro.” But a closer analysis proves this to be incorrect. Instead, the bartender represents the “Average Joe” of the mainstream, watching the Hipsters practically mock themselves. The bartender, in effect, is a stand-in for the mainstream’s perspectives on the Hipster and craft beer subcultures in general.
The setting of Hipster culture shown in “Hipsters Love Beer” depicts the ideal Hipster venue: a chill bar with an atmosphere that resonates with obscure acoustic music and aloofness. Competition for “coolness” is key. The patrons all dress in 40s-style vintage with fedoras, facial hair, and suspenders. Each one looks just as artsy and homogenous as the others, since Hipsters, according to Urban Dictionary, are technically conformists within their own subculture. The acoustic music in the background demonstrates the iconic music genre of Hipsters. Likewise, the aloofness of each patron caricatures the desired indifference of a Hipster. So, when each Hipster in the center of the frame orders his or her drink, the surrounding patrons must appear unenthused because they have to pretend as if they are somehow better than that Hipster.
Each of the Hipsters’ drink presentations caricatures their arrogance. Hipsters shout across the bar to no one in particular, look around to ensure that their order is heard by the other bar patrons, lean in towards the barkeep with the “secret” of their order, or even proclaim the uniqueness of their drink to their fellow Hipster. When three different Hipsters order an “Arrogant Bastard,” a “Pompous Asshole,” and a “Dickhead Neighbor who doesn’t respect property lines…” (Nacho Punch 0:24), the names of the beers serve as a sort of character development, painting a clear picture of arrogant youths who want to maintain independence and autonomy over others, including fellow Hipster “neighbors.” Also, the Hipsters in the video never order the same beers. This competition to be original characterizes the elitism of Hipsters, who “go out of their way to thwart societal expectations and buck norms” (Hendlin, Anderson and Glantz) so that they appear more knowledgeable or progressive than others. The arrogance of and competition between the Hipsters is a large part of their interaction. Each wants to be the most individual and knowledgeable, so they try to upstage one another.
The Hipsters’ desire to know more about individual beers than their friends does not translate to the craft beer lover. Though it may be true for some, not all craft beer lovers are Hipsters, despite media portrayals like the Nacho Punch video. In fact, two different demographic studies of the consumers of craft beer do not use the term “Hipster.” Instead, each discusses the niche market of craft beer that has developed due to the push of young, wealthy, and demanding consumers (Murray and O’Neill; Baginski and Bell). Each study marks important differences in the demographic. The Murray and O’Neill study comments on the competitiveness of the “expertise” required to discuss obscure beers, which “provide[s] the credibility and ‘first in’ recognition” that Hipsters seek. The “‘first in’ recognition” equates itself to the Hipster mantra: “I knew about this before it was cool.” In the Baginski and Bell study, craft beer consumers are described as having earned a university degree, living in areas with higher costs of living, employed in “creative” professions, within the young adult age range of 25-34, and in areas cited as tolerant toward homosexuality, diversity, and immigrants. This demographic seems to be well- educated, young, artsy, progressive, and have higher socioeconomic status.
The niche market for craft beer can be seen as a countercultural market to the “Big Beer,” like Coors, Miller, and Budweiser. This is often where the link between Hipster countercultural movements and craft beer is found. Baginski and Bell reference “flavor notes,” glassware, neolocalism, and other unique qualities that allow consumers to “actualize tastes that may not be considered ‘mainstream’” (168). The mainstream of beer is run by Big Beer companies, who produce watered-down, “tasteless fizzy yellow beverage” according to craft beer entrepreneurs (“Arrogant Bastard Ale”). The desire to avoid tastelessness is exactly what the artisan beers strive for. Since prohibition ended, the culture of beer in America was dominated by the mainstream Big Three, which permeated society and gave Americans a cheap source of watered- down alcohol (Williams). The rise in the craft beer industry is often discussed as a cultural shift among producers, who often collaborate about flavors, recipes, and sales ideas (Williams 14:12). Though brewers could make similar beers and enter into a competitive, profit-seeking battle, they choose not to, unlike the Big Three who spend more money on advertisement than the development of new products (Williams). Essentially, the craft beer industry wants to work cohesively so that they can introduce people to the possibilities that beer has to offer.
There are widely noted differences between Hipsters and craft beer enthusiasts. One in particular is the lack of competition between brewers. While there is competition between individual consumers, the artisan industry as a whole has a friendly reputation noted for its overwhelming amount of collaboration (Tuttle). The craft beer industry and enthusiasts as a whole want to come up with the best brews for each meal, person, and occasion, which yields a huge variety. They band together against Big Beer, eliminating any “discernible tension or hint of competitiveness” with other craft brewing companies (Reaves). Craft beer enthusiasts encourage competition for the betterment of all, whereas Hipsters compete to be the best overall.
Since the flavors of beer have endless possibilities, the craft industry borrowed the idea of “flavor notes” from the wine industry. Flavor notes describe the nuances of an artisan beer’s taste and incorporate them into their advertisements. This is mocked in the Nacho Punch video endlessly. For example, one female Hipster quips, “it’s so bitter you’ll no longer be able to dream,” mocking the bitterness that the hops-heavy craft beers carry. In a hilarious and hyperbolic example of these flavor notes, funny substitutes for real drinks are put into cups in place of beer, like sawdust and fake blood. The sawdust spoofs the “woody top notes” of some beers (Nacho Punch 0:16). The fake blood spoofs a grassy finish by creating a disturbing pun of a “glassy finish” (Nacho Punch 0:56) that appears to make the drinker’s mouth bleed profusely. Drinking sawdust and expelling fake blood from one’s mouth are obviously meant to mock flavor notes of kitsch artisan beers, since they are so ridiculous and gross. One beer order in “Hipsters Love Beer” is called the “Baby Dick Belgian White,” which alludes to the Belgian beer Manneken Pis, a famous fountain in Brussels of a young boy peeing. During cultural festivals, the fountain is tapped into many kegs of Belgian beers to highlight different flavors present in the brews (Manneken Pis Brussels Belgium). Real home brewers allude to this popular statue as well, like the blogging home brewer Chad, who captures the arrogant, flavor-loving caricature of the Hipster. Here, he describes his latest brew, the “Moby Dick Belgian White” that has a surprising mix of flavors:
I decided it was time for a new homebrew. And as I give all my beers Led Zeppelin song names, I figured Moby Dick would be perfect for a Belgian White… Flavor is mostly wheat malt, orange, and coriander. Not much in the way of hops (as intended), just a dry, grassy finish.
Chad produces the quintessential example of a “Hipsters Love Beer” drink here, through its ironically mainstream title and its odd flavor combination of orange, spice, and grass. Flavor notes and titles are important to Hipsters because they describe the unique qualities of each beer. However, the jokes about flavor notes point out the absurd extreme that both beer drinkers and brewers will go to. In order to be unique, people are actually drinking beer that is peed out of a fountain or purposefully made to taste like spice and grass. This highlights the absurd creativity of the market for craft beer.
The market seems to have borrowed a lot from the wine-tasting tradition, not only with the flavor notes, but also with specific glassware meant to maximize the enjoyment of different drinks. Silly containers mock the spike in specialized glassware, like a fedora that leaks beer all over one Hipster’s beard (0:47), a birdfeeder which two characters flick their tongues along the openings (1:20), a Goblet of Fire that is actually in flames (1:02), and a urine sample cup (1:06). These odd objects that are not meant to hold beer serve to parody the desire to be unique and kitsch among Hipsters, taking it to an absurd level. Since beer isn’t served in any of these containers normally, the characters in the video supposedly have the upper hand on the latest vessel for their prized beer, making them “good” Hipsters.
One of the great advantages that Hipsters and craft brew lovers have is neolocalism, the support of local industry, which is also mocked in the video. In the bloopers of the video, Batman comes up to the bar as a Hipster and makes his own pun about beer with sultry grumble: “Is this Gotham Brood? I only drink Gotham-brewed.” Another Hipster drunkenly proclaims, “Yeah, it’s brewed by slutty nuns up in the Appalachian mountains.” Not only are these both unrealistic and silly claims, but also they are location-specific. Notably, there are many craft breweries or microbreweries along the entire Appalachian Mountain range, including Asheville, NC, and Frederick, MD (Baginski and Bell). According to Reaves, the owners of breweries also express an “intense desire to create a neighborhood-oriented workplace,” characterizing the neolocalist attitude that their patrons echo. Hipsters can find their favorite beers before their friends because many region-specific beers are introduced and featured in certain towns before others. Craft beer lovers will often take vacations based on the beer scene at the vacation destination (Baginski and Bell 177), potentially to gain the upper hand on their Hipster friends by knowing about the beer from a certain city before everyone else, in the true Hipster fashion. As Mark Greif quips, the Hipster always consumes products that are “expensive, rare, and knowledge-intensive” in order to express their desire to be the first to know.
Finally, the Hipsters set themselves in the mainstream by paralleling pop culture allusions with Hipster-y ones, amplifying the ridiculous tone. Some obscure references include the Bollywood song “Pooch Daddy Se” and the famous-among-hipsters folk band “Blue Caboose” (Nacho Punch 0:11). Alongside these references and counter to them, the characters bring up blockbuster films like Harry Potter, Batman, Indiana Jones, The Lion King, and the TV character Clifford the Big Red Dog. Other references include the cinnamon challenge, a popular Internet trend where people eat a tablespoon of cinnamon that causes them to vomit. Since the script artfully places the obscure and popular references alongside one another, it allows the viewer to understand much of the irony inherent to Hipsterism: their desperate desire to stay out of the mainstream fails because as they run counter to it, they become an integral part of it. In other words, the more the Hipsters reject the mainstream and point out its flaws, the more they are acknowledged by it and integrated into its culture.
In the last official scene of the video before the bloopers at the end, The Bro/Average Joe walks in. As the antithesis to the entire caricature of hipsters he is broad-shouldered, muscular, backwards-baseball-cap-wearing, smiling, and appears down to earth in his T-Shirt (Nacho Punch 1:44). The bartender amusingly throws the Bro out for ordering a Bud Light, the epitome of a mainstream beer. This was included to demonstrate how Hipsters hate the mainstream culture. Kicking out the mainstream man was the final moment for the video’s champion mockery, because it mirrors exactly what a Hipster would want to do in their brewpub.
Hipsters have been increasingly mocked in the mainstream. Their desired niche has been idealized, stereotyped, and adopted by popular culture as a whole while they simultaneously accept the mainstream by utilizing popular culture references in return. Although the craft beer industry was developed as a countercultural beer movement, I can imagine that they don’t mind being adopted by the mainstream, unlike the Hipsters. Not only would it give them more business, but also the drinkers in America as a whole might become more cultured when introduced to the complex and varying flavors that the artisan industry has to offer. Both subcultures were mocked extensively in the video, still, to demonstrate their likeness and their odd kitsch behavior.
The consumption of Hipsters and the rise in the craft beer industry ultimately have one thing in common: they capture the quintessential American ideal of individuality. This, in turn, exemplifies patriotism through the promotion of local economies, small business, and civic awareness. Hipsterism leads to the mindful purchase of products that the consumer considers to be acceptable according to their individual beliefs, taking ownership over their purchases instead of buying into the mindless materialism that many consider to plague Americans. Therefore, Hipsters are attempting to make a positive impact on America with every purchase they make. The overall economic impact of craft beer cannot be questioned, either. It is one of the largest growing industries in America, having doubled its sales between 2007 and 2012 to about $12 billion (Williams 13:31). Additionally, half the employees working for a beer company in the US are employed by the craft beer industry (Williams 4:24). Unfortunately, the mockery of both subcultures is rampant, causing the mainstream to ignore the positive impact of these Americans. Hipsters and craft beer lovers are here to stay, and they will surely grow their product on the mainstream “side of the fence, despite numerous e-mails and a surveyor from city hall who comes out to delineate their property boundaries,” just like one of the Hipster characters complains about.
Nacho Punch video available at: http://youtu.be/KWBV7yKWhWE
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