Each week I review Breweries, individual beers, brew pubs, restaurants, beer-related websites, even alcohol retailer. Some of what I review is great and gets my highest recommendation, others disappoint. Recently I've been receiving emails requesting I add a rating system to my reviews. People want something quantifiable included with each review so that they can have a simple, boiled-down synopsis of my over all impression of an beer, brewery, etc, and of how I would rate it side by side with another.
I've always liked the idea of adding a standardized rating system to my site, but as I started to think about what system to use I realized that choosing a system to use would not be a cut and dry process. I'm not in love with any of the dozen or so rating systems currently being used so I'd have to make up my own, but as I started thinking about what type of rating-system to use I was torn between systems that were either overly complex, or too simple.
A thumbs-up/thumbs-down system is wonderfully for its convenience and simplicity but is so generic that it defeats the purpose of having a quick and informational summary of my review. On the other side of the coin a system that involves scoring beers or bars out of 100 possible points provides a much more accurate and specific review, but it invites the pretension and snobbery that the craft beer world has managed to avoid (for the most part). And in the end, the point of this blog is not to tell you what score a beer or bar gets. To make matters even more complicated, I wanted to create a system that could be used across the board, for anything I might happen to review so than I can avoid the clutter that might come with using multiple different rating systems for each of the different types of thing I would review (having one system for beers, another for breweries, and yet another for 'how my commute felt over-all that day' seems exhausting and unnecessary).
Finally, I am happy to report, that after much thought (and inebriated contemplation) I have found a system that satisfies all of my desires. It is simple, yet informational, quantifiable yet fun, and most importantly, relevant and usable across the bar (no pun intended) whether the item in review be a bar, brewery, or brew pub. I call it the Pint Glass System!
So, with out further adu, here's how it works!
Anything I review can earn one of four ratings: A Full Pint Glass, a 2/3 Full Pint Glass, a 1/3 Full Pint Glass, or an Empty Pint Glass. The best score that can be earned of course is a Full Pint Glass, and the lowest score is and Empty Pint Glass, because an empty pint glass is just glass :(
3/3rds Full Pint Glass:
The few beers that get this rating are among the best I've ever had. These are "must try before you die" beers.
2/3rds Full Pint Glass:
A very strong rating for a very tasty beer. Seek these beers out--you won't be disappointed.
1/3rds Full Pint Glass:
Decent beer with few flaws. Not worth seeking out, but certainly drinkable.
0/3rds Full Pint Glass:
Skip these ones. With so much good stuff out there, these are not worth your time.
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