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Brewing is an art form

Congratulations on your 100th debate. I'm willing to make it worthwhile! Brewing is not an art. "art noun (Concise Encyclopedia) A visual object or experience consciously created through an expression of skill or imagination. The term art encompasses diverse media such as painting, sculpture, printmaking, drawing, decorative arts, photography, and installation. The various visual arts exist within a continuum that ranges from purely aesthetic purposes at one end to purely utilitarian purposes at the other. This should by no means be taken as a rigid scheme, however, particularly in cultures in which everyday objects are painstakingly constructed and imbued with meaning. Particularly in the 20th century, debates arose over the definition of art. Figures such as Dada artist Marcel Duchamp implied that it is enough for an artist to deem something “art” and put it in a publicly accepted venue. Such intellectual experimentation continued throughout the 20th century in movements such as conceptual art and Minimalism. By the turn of the 21st century, a variety of new media (e.g., video art) further challenged traditional definitions of art." [1] 1. Art is hard to define, but one essential part of it can be found in the attempt at a definition above: the intent to create art. Art cannot be created accidentally, and not as a by-product. Beer is produced in order to intoxicate people and make money. Not as an expression of art or emotion. Skill is required, yes. Care is required, for else the product will not sell. Some brewers love their job and activity. But none of that creates art. 2. Art is not detrimental to society Brewing creates alcohol. Alcohol is a neurotoxin that "increases the fluidity of the neuronal membrane by changing the ratio of unsaturated to saturated fats in favour of the latter; in addition, the concentration of cholesterol is increased. These changes in lipid composition appear to be associated with the development of behavioural tolerance to the drug. The resultant change in membrane structure affects transport processes across the cell surface involving calcium and other electrolytes and the active transport of neurotransmitters such as the biogenic amines and GABA; there is evidence that neurotransmitter receptor function is also impaired as a consequence of the alteration in the membrane micro-environment brought about by chronic ethanol exposure. Such effects suggest that alterations in cellular function, and ultimately behaviour, are primarily the result of the changes in nerve membrane structure and function." [2] People under the influence of beer are more likely to be involved in traffic accidents, violence and other socially detrimental activities. I say that any activity producing beer can not be called an art form because of the ill effects of its mass product poison threatening the well-being of our society. Art furthers society: "Try to imagine society without the humanising influence of the arts, and you will have to strip out most of what is pleasurable in life, as well as much that is educationally critical and socially essential." [3] 3. Brewing is not the expression of an individual's qualities Through art, the artist expresses themselves. The process of brewing allows for little freedom of expression, as taking a lot of creative freedom will simply result in the beer to not marketable. If brewing were a form of art, there would be "young wilds" who would brew beer that would be impossible to drink, just to spite all those drunkards who dare swallow the precious beverage by the gallon without ever acknowledging its qualities, but rather for its alcohol content and cheap price. That does not happen. All beer is modelled to appeal to as many buyers as possible, leaving the brewer mainly out of the picture once the recipe is set. So the brewer has no qualities of an artist, hence brewing is not a form of art. If it were, everything that takes care would be an art, and this debate would be pointless. I'm looking forward to your reply. [1] http://www.merriam-webster.com... [2] http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov... [3] http://www.artscouncil.org.uk...