Great piece, Cliff. My journey was similar. I heard knowledgeable friends talk about good beer so much that curiosity compelled me to seek out information and finally try a "good beer" (I was raised thinking beer was nothing more than Busch Light and other lawnmower dreck).
As the NYC rep for Flying Dog I'll just say congrats on going to the brewery and checking out our tasty and delicious brews. The Dogtoberfest actually won a gold medal at the Great American Beer Festival (essentially the Beer Olympics for US brews) twice in the past two years! Glad to see you're exploring the wide and wonderful world of craft beers man, keep drinking!
I started my road to beer geekdom last year, roughly, when I decided I was going to start taking tasting notes and posting them to ratebeer.com. It's been a fun journey, and I've tried probably close to a hundred beers in the last 12 months (only reviewed half of that so far though). My tastes have evolved, and I've found stuff I didn't think I'd like.
Current, I think Dogfish Head might be making some of the most unique and amazing beers out there. Of all the Michigan brewers, the ones I've found I most consistently like are New Holland, Dark Horse, Woodward Avenue Brewers, and Detroit Brewing Co. When it comes to nationally/widely available beers, I find Sam Adam's to be consistently awesome, along with the (shockingly) Coors-owned Blue Moon line. And then of course there's Guinness and Newcastle if we're talking common imports.
Before last year, it wasn't that I didn't like beer, I just didn't know of many beers that I liked. The first beer I actually liked was Guinness, if that says anything. I could never drink swill like Busch, Miller, Bud, and even Labatt's Blue didn't seem much better. It turns out Macro lagers just ain't my thing.
My road to beer snobbery started when I first tried a Samuel Adams' Boston Lager. My brain said "Wait. THIS is what a lager tastes like? Bud has been LYING to me?".
Ever since then, I've made it a point to always try something I haven't in the past.
My current favorite style of beer is the ESB (Fuller's makes a great one), closely followed by Porters (Samuel Smith's Taddy Porter is a gift from heaven itself), and then a smattering of others.
My all-time favorite right now is a Yorkshire ale: Theakston's Old Peculier. Such fantastic stuff.
If you're into the hoppy stuff, I highly suggest Rogue's 'Brutal Bitter', as well. Brutally awesome is what it is.
My beer journey started at the end of my father's road. He considers (and I do not jest here) Budweiser to be a quality, connoisseur's brew. I on the other hand found it to be the fermentation equivalent of a McDonald's hamburger. If it's free, I'll drink. If it's not, I go somewhere else every time.
Luckily, after spending appreciable time in Europe in the mid 1990s, I grew to love flavorful beer. When the microbrew explosion happened, it brought me happiness that continues to this day.
Are you guys on 97bottles.com? Social media for beer snobs I'm Lincoln on there as well if you want to friend me (and there's a slot for it in our Icrontic profiles).
I am so glad I stumbled upon a community of beer snobs. If it wasn't for Icrontic, I'd just be drinking rum and wouldn't touch a beer if my life depended on it.
Bells Oberon opened my eyes to craft brews, but it wasn't until Prime treated me to unibroue's maudite did I realize that not only a million incredibly complex flavors could exist in a beverage, but also, beer could be awesome when drunk at only a slightly cool temperature.
I don't know what it is about fall and winter, but for some reason I'm more attracted to darker beers this time of year. I had a thing for Yuengling's Black and Tan last year, but I think for thanksgiving I'm gonna roll with a little Road Dog Porter.
I don't know what it is about fall and winter, but for some reason I'm more attracted to darker beers this time of year. I had a thing for Yuengling's Black and Tan last year, but I think for thanksgiving I'm gonna roll with a little Road Dog Porter.
i feel like i'm missing the boat on beer... i just can't get into it. it's not even "i just drink shitty lite beer," i don't like beer at all.
that may be a lie, i've been known to drink a lambic or two. but still!
^this
minus the lambic comments. I've tried many a beer, including many a craft brew that beer snobs ensured me was the most wonderful beer ever. They all tasted terrible to me.
Cliff_Forster
Icrontian
Comments
It's been an awesome journey to beer snobbery
Current, I think Dogfish Head might be making some of the most unique and amazing beers out there. Of all the Michigan brewers, the ones I've found I most consistently like are New Holland, Dark Horse, Woodward Avenue Brewers, and Detroit Brewing Co. When it comes to nationally/widely available beers, I find Sam Adam's to be consistently awesome, along with the (shockingly) Coors-owned Blue Moon line. And then of course there's Guinness and Newcastle if we're talking common imports.
Before last year, it wasn't that I didn't like beer, I just didn't know of many beers that I liked. The first beer I actually liked was Guinness, if that says anything. I could never drink swill like Busch, Miller, Bud, and even Labatt's Blue didn't seem much better. It turns out Macro lagers just ain't my thing.
Ever since then, I've made it a point to always try something I haven't in the past.
My current favorite style of beer is the ESB (Fuller's makes a great one), closely followed by Porters (Samuel Smith's Taddy Porter is a gift from heaven itself), and then a smattering of others.
My all-time favorite right now is a Yorkshire ale: Theakston's Old Peculier. Such fantastic stuff.
If you're into the hoppy stuff, I highly suggest Rogue's 'Brutal Bitter', as well. Brutally awesome is what it is.
My beer journey started at the end of my father's road. He considers (and I do not jest here) Budweiser to be a quality, connoisseur's brew. I on the other hand found it to be the fermentation equivalent of a McDonald's hamburger. If it's free, I'll drink. If it's not, I go somewhere else every time.
Luckily, after spending appreciable time in Europe in the mid 1990s, I grew to love flavorful beer. When the microbrew explosion happened, it brought me happiness that continues to this day.
I am so glad I stumbled upon a community of beer snobs. If it wasn't for Icrontic, I'd just be drinking rum and wouldn't touch a beer if my life depended on it.
Bells Oberon opened my eyes to craft brews, but it wasn't until Prime treated me to unibroue's maudite did I realize that not only a million incredibly complex flavors could exist in a beverage, but also, beer could be awesome when drunk at only a slightly cool temperature.
THIS.
Porters are great for winter drinking.
that may be a lie, i've been known to drink a lambic or two. but still!
we can combine and become the perfect alcohol snob.
wonder twin powers activate! form of: bourbon!
What about beer aged in bourbon barrels?
minus the lambic comments. I've tried many a beer, including many a craft brew that beer snobs ensured me was the most wonderful beer ever. They all tasted terrible to me.
I'll see if I can find some of this for you, might change you mind