Everyone has one – well, unless you are stuck in the world of drinking crappy beer. Ahem, @alisongriz. Shameful.
There has been an ongoing debate / battle / wrestling match on Twitter regarding the quality of some stereotypical low-brow beers: Pabst Blue Ribbon, Michelob Ultra, Coors Light … rumor has it, I might be receiving a “passionate defense for your blogging consideration” regarding the refreshing value of a Mich Ultra. I’ll post it here and let you, the readers, decide her fate. Should she be banned from drinking these beverages? Or was her defense convincing enough to allow continued consumption? Only time will tell.
So back to the point of today’s post. I was talking to a friend the other night at the bar and we were looking at our beer lists and thinking about what beers led us to want to stop drinking mass-produced beers and drink craft beers almost exclusively. What beers did you start with to bring you over to the craft beer side? Put your thinking cap on (or your drinking cap!).
I am lucky to be able to pull up my list online since I drink (most of the time) at a bar that keeps track for me! Looking back I started out with mostly lagers, flavored wheats, ciders and blondes – typical girl beers. I had a few good ones sprinkled in from when I was feeling adventurous. Here are some beers I’d like to attribute my love of craft beer to:
Abita Purple Haze, Flavor Wheat, Abita brewery, Louisiana – 4.75%
Hennipen Farmhouse Ale, Belgium White, Ommegang bewery, New York – 7.7%
Samuel Smith Oatmeal Stout, Stout, Samuel Smith brewery, Massachusetts, 5%
Horny Goat Wheat, Belgium White, Rex brewery, Wisconsin – 5.5%
I really think these were my crossover beers. I had some other bad beers sprinkled in when drinking these, but I think I got a taste of the good life and just continued my journey.
Now it’s your turn! Cheers!
The first one that drove me over was Leffe Belgian Blonde ale. There was just something about it I loved at the time. Now, other than Blue Moon and Yuengling, I don’t drink super-mass produced beers at all (unless at the brewery and it’s super fresh!).
The first for me was probably a Lindeman’s Lambic, definitely Framboise. I saw it on the menu of a chic-chic place in Pittsburgh (Casbah, and yes, Pittsburgh has chic-chic places and that means a lot more than just someplace that doesn’t serve sandwiches with french fries and cole slaw on them). I looked at the menu, and saw a beer for $8 a bottle. I usually ordered wine by the glass at this restaurant but I was intrigued. What on earth made a beer worth 8 bucks?
I’d have to say that being from St. Louis I get my heavy dose of Budweisier and preferably Busch but a local brewery named Schlafly is what started pulling me into the craft market more and more. Their Dry Hopped APA is unmatched. Don’t think many people outside of a 250 mile radius can get it though. Your loss really.
My true “gateway beer” was Blue Moon back in college…it was hot off the press so I thought I was so awesome! haha.nn I dabbled with Boddingtons, Smithwicks, and Sam Adams before I really knew what was up! Of course, I really did need these beers as stepping stones to ween me off Beast and Natty Light to prepare my palate for true craft brews.
“Wherever the Catholic sun doth shine,
There’s always laughter and good red wine.
At least I’ve always found it so.
Benedicamus Domino!”
— Hilaire Belloc