The Beer Trend Anthony Bourdain Never Got Behind

Anthony Bourdain left a huge hole in the collective hearts of many people involved in the food scene, or people who simply love food and irreverent, sometimes biting opinion, when he passed away in 2018. He gave many interviews throughout his life, often recounting favorite meals, but he just as often derided food fads and trends. His love for a tasty cocktail, particularly a negroni, was well-known, but his disdain for craft beer drew much ire from fans of the sudsy brews.

In a July 2016 interview with Thrillist, Bourdain drew his line in the sand by saying, "I don't like to talk about beer, honestly [...] I like to drink beer. If you bring me a really good one, a good craft beer, I will enjoy it and say so. But I'm not gonna analyze it." He later described the confusion he felt after walking into a bar in San Francisco and seeing it filled with people who were not just drinking craft beer flights, but taking notes. 

Bourdain also mentioned that he often received disgruntled mail from beer enthusiasts due to his habit of drinking any beer — including those produced by large corporations — while shooting his TV shows. On numerous occasions prior to his death, Bourdain defended his actions by stating that chasing down the best local craft beer was not his idea of fun. Instead, he much preferred to drink a readily available cold beer.

In that same Thrillist interview, Anthony Bourdain also stated that he didn't enjoy discussing a wine's characteristics, origins, or method of production, even if it was exceptional. That being said, there is evidence that stands contrary to this claim. Season 8, Episode 3 of "No Reservations" sees Bourdain visit a Croatian vineyard. Here, the celebrity chef enjoys a detailed discussion on the provenance of the wine he is drinking. In fact, Bourdain enjoys himself — and the wine — so much that he eventually gets so drunk that he falls off his chair. 

Given his actions at this winery, it might be more accurate to say that Bourdain typically didn't like to get into too much detail about the wine he was drinking (with allowances made while shooting his TV shows). Nonetheless, he had a good working knowledge of wine. He certainly acknowledged the good ones and developed a taste for those that demonstrated some degree of unpredictability. Unfortunately for beer lovers, he never showed a similar appreciation for craft beer.