If you’ve ever spent any significant time on the internet discussing craft beer you have most likely run into the “Dirty Glass Mafia” (#DGM). It isn’t actually a group of people as much as it is a way of life.
They see a glass like the one below and they can’t help themselves. They just have to interject.
And if you have ever got caught up in the #DGM comments section, you know how difficult it can be engaging with them. These self-taught cicerone’s are only there for one reason; to make sure you know the mistake you’ve made.
As the owner of a very large craft beer Facebook group we see it all the time. A user posts a picture like the one above and the #DGM can’t wait to pounce. After seeing, what feels like, millions of these interactions, we’ve outlined the five steps below on how to handle this group of people.
1. Don’t Engage
The easiest way to avoid this group is to just not engage with them. They are relentless, and anything short of an apology for your post will not satisfy them.
2. Don’t Tell Them Your Glass Is Clean
While we ourselves don’t subscribe to #DGM lifestyle, we understand there are plenty of reasons to believe your glass full of bubbles isn’t all that clean. Maybe you just hand-washed it for hours. That doesn’t matter. There are endless resources online that they will quote to tell you that if bubbles are on your glass, it’s dirty. Telling them you just cleaned it will not make things any better.
3. Don’t Go Back And Forth With Them
In the history of these conversations, we have never seen a #DGM member say “maybe you’re right, maybe it is cleaner than I think”. They thrive on combativeness. Responding back to them is like putting a fire out with gasoline. It is best to just refer back to rule #1 if you are too far down the rabbit hole.
4. Don’t Believe Them When They Say They’re “Educating You”
Many members of the #DGM believe they are there to “educate you to a better drinking experience”. This is just false. They may think that is what they are doing. But look at any dirty glass picture. It is endless scrolling of the same tired comments. If they really believed the conversations were for educational purposes wouldn’t they skip making a comment if someone has already made the same point they were going to make? No, they live on letting people know online how superior they are, and therefore feel proud when they make the same comment on a post that has been made 50 times already.
5. Don’t Worry About Them
At the end of the day, how you are enjoying the beer is what matters. Sure the facts show that your glass could be a bit cleaner, and now you know better for next time, but who cares? The only one drinking from that glass is you. Why should you care what someone hundreds of miles away thinks about it? If you are having an enjoyable experience from that glass, that is all that matters.
(Editors note; this is written from the consumer side. If you are a bar or brewery owner your glasses need to be clean. You don’t want that kind of backlash on social media when posting all those bubbles. Plus customers deserve clean glassware)
