Oh man, what epic stories of beer-induction. I must add mine, and I know you all know already what my source of win-beer came from.

I grew up with the OMFW I'M NEVER DRINKING ALCOHOL mindset. This came from my youth group upbringing and faith - though I didn't really know what I was talking about. I swore I would NEVER drink the stuff, no matter what. Not even champagne on my wedding night. It simply wasn't happening.

Then I got an internship at WNDU-TV, and turned 21. And these guys I worked with, well, they liked the drink. I would go to bars with them weekly and just enjoy the company and atmosphere. But I wouldn't drink anything, just water.

Finally, I started to really think about alcohol and it's implications. I had grown up, and matured in my spirituality. I did lots of reading and research with the Bible, talked to a lot of friends about it, and I realized that drinking isn't bad. CONTROLLED drinking, nothing wrong. Biblically, there's nothing against that. (Drunkeness, different story). But in the end, this NO ALCOHOL mentality helped me develop a strong personal control with alcohol, and I'm glad I can be entirely responsible with the stuff.

So I decided I'd try a drink. The first one was a captain and coke. Liqueur became my taste. I loved rum, whiskey, some vodkas. I loved the expensive stuff. But beer, no. I hated beer. I knew I hated beer before I even tried it.

My first beer was coors light. And it sucked. There was no taste to it, bitter after flavor. There was simply nothing good about this beer. I knew I'd continue to find favor in rum, so I stayed away from beer.

Then I go to the Dream Theater/Opeth concert in Detroit, and crash at ICHQ for my first time. Prime and Keebler are showing me around the house, and we stayed up until the early hours of the morning just talking around the table. They ask if I want a beer, I explain my disdain for the stuff. I remember Keebler pretty much dragging me out to the fridge saying trust me, and he hands me an Oberon by Bell's. We poured a glass, I drank it, and I had awoken.

Beer sucks. Real beer is incredible. I drank up that Oberon, and I loved it. That night I also had my first Sam Adams, and sampled a few other win beers. My tastes changed.

Then I went home, and was pissed to find out how impossible it was to find any of these great beers at home. No local bars stock the stuff. But I've learned to buy my own stuff at party shops.

I still favor rum. But man, I love me a good beer.