What was the beer that changed it all?

[patra7]

What was the beer that changed it all for you? The one that suddenly made you see beer as something more than a refreshing liquid with a white head? Not necessarily the best, but your "first"?
For me it was Adelscot, an Alsatian beer I drank in Paris, France in that glorious noon of March, 1993... (accompanied by sausages and fries). Mmmmmm...

[billy frank]

For me growing up in a house hold that drinks, I never really cared for beer. I would drink it when I was out but most beers left something to be desired. In 1991 I was 18 and attending my first ever Grateful dead show. It was great. We were there for the parking lot festivities with all the madness that goes on at these things, when two guys pull a wagon up to me with beer in it. 2 bucks a piece for beers that they were willing to sell to a minor. In this wagon were Anchor steam and Anchor liberty ales, one brand and two different styles that I had never heard of before. What the hell " I 'll take one of each". Never before had I tasted beer so wonderful. It seriously changed my life forever. I could never find beers that satisfied me locally so I started to homebrew. Following my fathers good advice of doing what you love led me to a great job at Firestone brewing company. Best fun I ever had at work.
Beer is my life,
Billy

[BREWERDLUX]

WELL I HATE TO ADMIT IT BUT I WAS A MILLER HIGHLIFE DRINKER FOR A LONG TIME. IT WASNT UNTIL I WENT TO GERMANY WHILE IN THE MILITARY, THAT I REALLY FIGURED OUT THAT THERE WAS MORE OUT THERE. AFTER THE FIRST COUPLE OF HEFE WEIZENS I MADE STARTED TO LOOK AROUND AND NOTICE THAT ALLOT OF THE LOCALS WERE DRINKING PILS. SO I MADE THE SWITCH AND THAT OPENED UP THE FLOOD GATES. I WAS TRYING EVERYTHING I COULD.

WHEN I CAME BACK HOME I COULDN'T GET WHAT I HAD GROWN TO LIKE OVER SEAS, SO I STARTED TO BREW MY OWN.

THE FIRST AMERICAN MICRO I FELL IN LOVE WITH WAS PETES WICKED ALE. I HAVE ENJOYED BEER AS A HOBBY EVER SINCE.

THANK YOU PETE!

[BeerCheese]

I, too, must admit that I was a simple-minded Bud Light drinker for the longest time. It was at a Blues Traveler show at the Humboldt Brewery in Arcata, California that I was introduced to Red Nectar Ale. I am still simple-minded, but much more aware of the great beer that is available.

[molteni]

Strangely enough, Watney's Red Barrel. This was back in the 70s, in NY. The Monty Python sketch mentioned it, so I had to find it. The discovery of other beers led from that. I don't know if I'd like it now, but it deserves credit for starting me on the road to Beervana.

Marty

[BeerdedBastard]

Although it wasn't the beer that opened my eyes to "GOOD" beers(that would be the Rochefort 10!)
...ARROGANT BASTARD ale has certainly affected where I am today! One taste and I was destined to work(and DO...)for the Stone Brewing Co.

One sip and you'll be under the spell of the BASTARD!

And beware of the Double Bastard as well. At 10% abv it is a MONSTER of a beer.

Are you WORTHY???

[hughlander]

Growing up in the farm country in southern Indiana, the beers most likely in he back of our trucks were Pabst Blue Ribbon, Sterling, or Fall City (two great regional breweries that couldn't survive against the big 3).
Not surprisingly, my tastes turned to bourbon instead of beer. Didn't like beer, didn't like the taste, felt I would never like it - and for a guy of Irish/German heritage, that was saying something!
Fast forward a few years, and I am actually working for a beer, wine & spirits distributor in the western US. One afternoon, I was invited to a tasting of a new beer that we were representing - Samuel Adams Boston Lager. I still remember the way that first mouthful hit my palate. Rich, hoppy, full of character, simply unlike any of the fizzy yellow water I grew up on. I was hooked! From that point on, there has been no looking back.
Even though I now work for a large European brewery, I'll always have a soft spot for the beer that "woke me up" to the possibilities of all beer could be. Thanks, Sam!

[Blaise]

I was drinking americanized Guiness Stout here in the states. In Sep 92 I was transferred to Belgium where I was introduced to a wonderful array of differing European beers. In Oct 92 I came across this phenominal Trappist Ale "Chimay Grand Reserve". I have been hooked ever since. Doing anything I could to find it here in the US. I have recently, with the help of a friend, started Homebrewing and am now looking for a Chimay Clone to try. If any one can help please email.


Blaise

[Aleman]

I am a beer connoisseur from way back. I started drinking beer in the mid-seventies. In Arizona NO micros were available. Dark Schlitz was the best we could find, but it was only sold at a handful of pizza places. On vacation in Calfornia I was introduced to Anchor Steam. That was it, Smitten.

I dedicated myself to search for better and more flavorful beers. I will check the liquor section of EVERY store I visit. I have chastised restrauants with weak beer offerings. I often shop grocery and liquor stores and walk out if nothing catches my eye.

And every so often I have to have the original "Steam" beer that reminds me how it all started.

[tbendajr]

In college and med school many of the the local bars started serving Guinness on tap, and we drank black and tans and weaned ourselves onto Guinness. This led me to rarely being satisfied with American Lager. That happened in 80-87. In 93 I went to London and discovered cask conditioned ale and British bitter in the pubs. This led to homebrewing, and never being satisfied with american lager.
Tom

[kpo]

My High school orchestra took a trip to Germany on a "musical exchange", so of course all the German kids played "Get The Americans Drunk". I'd only had a few tastes of standard 'american lagers', so I thought beer was just a party drink; who could possibly enjoy it...?

In a little corner pub in Bonn, Katz Kolsch changed my world, and my palate. I came back to the US hoping for a chance to enjoy beer, but as an under-ager, had few opportunities, and soon stopped trying to create opportunities, since all I could find anyway was 'stuff that didn't taste like that German beer'.

Then I went to Bloomington, IN for graduate school. With three breweries in town and a full-grocery-store-sized liquor outlet, I was free to explore, but often came back to anything "kolsch" just to remember where it all started.

I have now made a complete transformation to "Good Beer Only", even to the point of not having any beer at a baseball game if there is no craft brew available.

I also benefit from being privy to the whims and writings of Roger Baylor and his establishment "Rich O's" across the river in New Albany, IN. I recommend reading his article "Lite Free Zone", which is at"
http://www.realbeer.com/library/beerbreak/archives/beerbreak0307.html

[deanna]

There were two epiphanys for me...

The first was during my honeymoon in 1987. We were in the Canadian Rockies at a pub adjoining our hotel. At the time, I was a wimpy wine cooler drinker. My hubby ordered a Molson and I took a sip and promptly ordered one for myself. It was the first time I ever liked beer.

Seven or eight years later, my husband and I visited a brewpub in Chicago, Goose Island, that his boss had taken him to for lunch one day. Just to try something different, I order an Old Clybourn Porter. That was all she wrote. I've been microbrew ever since.

[billy frank]

I would just like to say at this moment that hearing these stories of beer discovery is great, so many different backgrounds here. I love it.
Keep them coming,
Billy

[mojo rzn]

I guess it was about 3-4 years ago I began my search for a better beer that was realitively unknown. My brother and I stopped into a small pub in Ottawa, Canada. The name was the Blackthorn Cafe, I believe, and they had about 10-15 taps. The bartender was very verse in all types of beer. This was probably the first time I had ever seen the 3 tap - Hoegarrden/Leffe/Stella combo(I had not seen many of these around back then). The bartender explained all 3 and that was when I fell in love with the "wit" beer known as Hoegarrden. I thought the pour and serve process was pretty neat as well. Ever since then I have tried beer from all over the world and am rarely dissapointed. I still drink Labatt Blue majority of the time but it's good to know I can stop at a Liquor store and treat myself to something better. Specialty Beer stores are like candy stores for adults.
Matty
"There's no such thing as a bad beer, some are just better than others"

[brew_bird]

Being from Upstate NY, Genesee beer was the beer of choice growing up. Um, 12 Horse Ale was considered a treat! Well, I went to college in Buffalo, and we made forays across the border to get Canadian beer. Labatt's Extra Stock and Velvet Cream Porter, Molson Diamond and especially Molson Brador really turned me on to good beer! From there I moved to Rochester, where Wegman's stores had a Merchant Du Vin section. OH MY!! Every Thursday I'd take a break from school work to watch Cosby and drink a Celebrator or Ayinger or Sammy Smith's. Then travels to London, to Bavaria, to Belgium....

Life just keeps getting sweeter!
Brew_Bird
Ithaca, NY

[bsardin]

I was an Irish whiskey drinker, usually Blackbush by Bushmills, when a friend of mine ordered a pitcher of Newcastle. Not being a beer drinker I was hesitant, afterall my only experience with beer up to this point had been Bud and Miller. He finally convinced me to try it and I haven't looked back since. I have found a lot of beers I prefer to Newcastle since then but I will always remember fondly the beer that turned me from a whiskey drinker to the beer nerd I am today.

[Deacnbleu]

I was drinking Busch for many years, (Stop laughing!) and was making my own wine. About 11 years ago, a customer of mine at my Auto repair shop gave me a few bottles of beer that he had made. The appearance was terrible. Cloudy, "stuff" at the bottom. He told me how to pour it after cold. Well that was the best beer I ever tasted! I bought a Mr Beer kit soon after that, still use the 6.5 gallon plastic fermenter from time to time. Brewd many batches with varied results, but enjoyed them all. Then I tried a Buckwheat ale from Rogue Brewery and went immediately to all grain.
Those would be the beers that changed everything for me.

[QCbeerguy]

For me the beer that changed it all was Corona. Sad to admit that before that I just drank Bud and Bud light in college. Thankfully it did not stop with Corona though. I progressed on to European imports and have thankfully discovered micro brews and regional brews as well.

[BeerSnob]

I actually discovered real beer when I visited Germany back in college in 1991. Strangely enough, the first beer I had there wasn't a German brew at all, but the most famous Czech Republic import, Pilsner Urquell. It was the favorite beer of the family I had been staying with, and was always in their fridge. Naturally, I also discovered all that Germany had to offer in their beer choices, from Berliner Weisse with Woodruff or Raspberry, to Schneider and Sohne HezeWeizen and Aventinus Dopplebock. Even the local beer in Frankfurt, Henniger was a far superior brew to the standard Bud, Miller, Coors etc that I had been familiar back home.

Needless to say, once I got back to the states, my palate for beer changed drastically, and I was always in search of places to score the German imports and of course my new personal favorite, Pilsner Urquell. The local bar scene in NY hadn't quite yet caught on to the microbrew craze, but that would soon change. I'll always remember my first impression of having Pilsner Urquell in the 33ml bottle served in Germany, it was totally different taste from anything I'd had before. When in doubt, I'll alway choose a Pilsner if the tap selection at an unfamiliar drinking hole has it available.

[brewbob]

The best we could get in Southeeastern PA in 1979 was Heinekin or St Pauli's Girl. Nothing wrong with them, and they still have a great taste. But Pilsner Urquell really turned on my brew buds with the Czech hops and clean finish!

Then we moved from the Republic of Pennsyltucky to Central New York in 1982. My wife commented on how there seemed to be a "church and a liquor store on every corner". After seeing beer in a grocery store (what a concept) and some fantastic selections, the micro hunt was on!

In retrospect, though, I would have to say the first real micro I've ever had was "33" beer in Saigon. I was stationed at Tan Son Nhut Air Base outside of Saigon from 1968 -1969, and went downtown every time I had a "day off". I pissed the "hostesses" off by ordering the locally brewed Vietnamese beer, because I didn't want to pay $1.50 for a Bud (what would that be in today's money - $3.00?). The joke was that there was "stuff" floating around in the bottle, so not many G.I.s thought that was indicative of a good beer. I drank it for pure economical reasons, and developed a taste for it. It wasn't until many years later when I started home-brewing that I realized it was bottle-conditioned. I think it's still brewed there.

The thread was a great idea. It sure illustrates the many different experiences we've all had with that "first one".

Happy Holidays to All!!

[deckjohn]

i too was hooked on macros until a friend of mine had his father bring us a case of yuengling black and tan. since that nectar hit my lips, i have tried all the micros and improts that have floated my way. to this day i hold yuengling close to my heart.

[Danimal]

As a young lad, in the late 80s/early90s, I was fortunate enough to get slapped upside the head simultaneously by a few fine beers to recalibrate my palate. The ones which caused me to pursue the fine brews were as follow (in order):

- Oldenberg Verum Pilsner, Cincinnati
- Molsen Brador, Canada
- Anchor Porter, San Francisco

Ever since the early 90s I have been hooked...and love every minute of it....

Dan

[Kiltlifter]

I started off mostly drinking the mass produced beers, Bud - Miller - Olympia. The one that changed the way I thought about doing my 12 oz curls was Moosehead. That was my favorite beer for a long time.

I've since moved on to other brews but Moosehead still holds a fond place in my tastebud memory.

Sorta funny thing happened one time in a bar. I was drinking Moosehead and started talking to a fellow sitting next to me. Turns out he was down from Canada on vacation. He was drinking Miller because he hated the way the Canadian beers tasted to him. The exact opposite from me.

[cgarri]

Just as for one of the earlier posters, for me it was Anchor Steam, though the setting was not near so idyllic as a Dead concert.

My tip came from Consumer Reports, of all places. They rated Anchor Steam as the best beer in their taste test one year. I happened to notice some in the liquor store while picking up some distilled spirit or another, so I picked it up. After years of drinking macrobrews, what an epiphany.

Now, I pick up at least one beer new to me every time I visit the liquor store. I'll admit, after doing this for 10 or 15 yrs., it's becoming very hard to find new things.

And, I didn't even find my favorite beer, Samuel Smith's Taddy Porter, by this sampling method. I found it in a bar somewhere in Summit County Colorado! Fortunately, I found it was available at the liquor store when I got back.

Craig

[Claus]

Hoffenreffer (correct spelling?)

This was the prized liquid in high school, early 80's. I believe this to be a malt liquor, and it has a giant kick to it. Also had games under each cap.

[davesarman]

When I was attending college in SD (not a beer mecca, I know!) in the late 80's and early 90's, I was pretty much your typical college beer guy-i.e. the cheapest beer possible. Lots of Old Milwaukee, Milwaukee's Best, Old Style and Schmidt ($5.99 for a case of 12 oz. stubby bottles!). But there was a bar called Jim's Tap where the clientele was mostly the profs and "arty" students hung out. They had this thing called "Around the World". You'd have 10 beers from 10 countries and you'd get a certificate and a t-shirt. It was pretty much a rite of passage that you had to do that at least once before you graduated. Most opinions were that it was awful, strange beer that gave you a wicked hangover, but you had to do it. Well, it came time for me to take on this ritual and the first beer I had was Bass Ale. Wow! Beer can actually have taste! I finished the tour and did 2 or 3 more before I graduated and became a "regular" at Jim's leaving the other college party bars behind. I've come a long way and tasted many beers since then, and Bass usually isn't what I ask for, but I still like it and it holds a special place in my heart, because that's what got me into so many other wonderful beers!

[tjthresh]

It was 1996. I had just turned the magical 21. I was a Marine at Camp Lejeune, NC. There was a new resturant called A. Capone's that served Killian's Red draws for 99 cents (you beer snobs have to admit that that is a great deal). They also had some micro bottles. One night I felt froggy, so I took the leap. Abita Turbo Dog! Man what a great beer. Most of the guys didn't care for it too much. But for me it unlocked a door that I gladly went through and havn't looked back sence. Ever sence then, I have planned my vacations around beer (Seattle, Boston, Denver, Chicago). I even took my honeymoon in Alaska, so I could visit Alaskan Brewery. Man, what a wonderful world.

[Bacchus]

Hm....it wasn´t really A BEER, it was a brewery...moved to Boulder, Colorado a little over a year ago with the biggest prejudices about American beer...water was my thought. I´ve been raised on German and Irish beer and I was sure I knew the best beers out there.
Boy was I proven wrong when the first place I was taken to was the Walnut Brewery in Boulder and I had my first couple of pints there....then on to the Oasis Brewery...
But....how will I ever manage to try all these amazing beers out there....NOT ENOUGH TIME!!! ;)

[beast]

After spending some time in Spain and "sipping" on a fabulous dark beer that was brewed in the pub, the only thing that could come close was Beck's Dark.
Beast

[beerhunter]

The one that did it for me was Boulder Cream Ale. I was visiting my brother in Boulder CO around 1980. We took a tour of the Boulder Brewery and had a couple after the tour. Since then whenever I'm in a beer depot I wind up by the micro section
looking for cream ales.

[bierman2000]

I think it had to be the first Stoudt's festival in Pennsylvania. What an awakenining to the plethora of real beer. Otherwise probably my first German Oktoberfest, in the U.S. <Spaten>. The real discovery was Belgians, can't be matched for complex and various styles.

[skar]

Full Sail Amber Ale back in 1993 when I was 17.

[kapital]

For me, it was when I moved into a house that was around the corner from the Fullerton Hofbrau (now closed, unfortunately), which I believe was the first brewpub in Orange County, California. This was around '93, before I even heard the word "brewpub", and at the time it was such an odd and wonderful concept - a restaurant that brews its own beer! Right there, in the big tanks behind the bar!

Prior to that, I had developed a liking for some of the more popular "premium" beers - Weinhard's, Sam Adams, and Guinness - and I would experiment with the occasional "import" as well, but it was going to the Fullerton Hofbrau every week that really kicked me over into being a beer fanatic.

[kpo]

I've already posted about The Beer that changed me, but more important to me is the PLACE that really brought me to full appreciation. Rich O's Public House, in New Albany, Indiana, has a link in my signature... the following 4-part article from their site shows the approach they take to Good Beer -

...finally, a place that speaks to all that I have felt, that recognizes what beer lovers go through....

http://www.richos.com/beergospel/beergospel1.htm

[hops99]

It was September '92. My best friend was getting married on a rainy Saturday morning, and I stopped by the store to pick up a six-pack of swill to drink while we were getting ready - and the store was out of 6-pk Bud, Michelob, and the usual suspects (In retrospect, there might have been a tractor pull or demolition derby in town that weekend - why else would all the swill be gone?).

So, I dropped the extra $1 and bought a six of Sam Adams Boston Lager. The rest is history. I remember the slightly bitter, slightly buttery flavor, and never willingly drank another can of corn water again (I think the last time I drank a Bud for sure was sometime in '97 - and it was against my will).

After Sam, I got into the Great Lakes line (Dort Gold was my stock beer in the late 90's), and went through the same phase we all have - searching out beer throughout the country to the point of obsession. I still buy a six of Sam every once in a while.

[hnrblbrbrn]

When I went into the navy out of high school my beer drinking was limited to what was cheap and available. When I made my first Med cruise I discovered different beers in Spain -- San Miguel, France -- Kronenbourg, Italy -- Peroni, and Isreal -- Maccabee. While on that cruise I hung out with some Aussie and English sailors who introduced me to Fosters, Castlebury, and Guinness. When we got back to Norfolk, Bud and MGD just didn't have the same appeal anymore.

[duke7945]

It was my first European trip in 89.
Did Germany, Austria, Italy and Switzerland.
Of course, it was Germany that opened the possiblities.
The Hefeweissens. With the lemon.
the Haufbrauhaus. Schneiders.
Little breweries all over the countryside.
My best hefe was had in a late winter snow shower in a restaraunt just by Neuschwanstein castel.

the beer in america that changde it all for me was Turbo Dog!

Please excuse spelling.

[Richard English]

Interesting that, since neither Fosters nor Guinness are English. Castlebury I have never heard of but again, if it exists, it's not English.

Could it perhaps be Castle Eden?

[hnrblbrbrn]

Castlebury 4X or XXXX. It was Australian if I remember

[Richard English]

It's Castlemaine, not Castlebury. And you're right, it's Australian.

It's interesting to learn that you liked it - I've drunk most Australian beers and thought they were awful - just about as bad as A-B's execrable concoctions.

There is, though, one shining light in an otherwise stygnian pit of unrelieved beer gloom and that is Cooper's. Cooper's make several bottle-conditioned beers - of which Cooper's Sparkling Ale is probably the most readily available.

By English beer standards it's just OK; by most Australian beer standards it is wonderful!

Probably the best bottled beer I have ever drunk is Fuller's 1845, which wins numerous prizes. It's not easy to get in the USA (after all, Fuller's brewery is quite a small setup on the outskirts of London and even my local Safeway often runs out). However, having recently tried Goose Island IPA (Chicago) I can vouch for the fact the you now have beers of world-beating quality yourselves.

If you haven't yet sampled it, I suggest you do so - and relegate the likes of Foster and Castlemaine to the ranks of the also-rans - which is where they truly belong!

[njvikefan]

I vividly remember what beer turned this sad ship around. I was at Foxboro Stadium watching my beloved Vikings take one on the chin from the Pats. My wife had gone down to the consession stands to get us a beer. She came back with a couple of dark beers because that beer vendor had the shortest line. When asked she had no idea what beer it was. I took a sip and I was floored. Easily the best beer I had ever tasted. I went down to get the next round and I found out that I was drinking RHINO CHASERS AMBER ALE. There was no going back. I currently have a keg of VICTORY HOPDEVIL in the beermeister. :p

[Richard English]

So which brewer's beer is this. then? I confess it's a new one to me!

[paul84043]

It's funny, but I still have yet to try my first "real" beer. To us, Corona was the epitome of greatness until just recently. I really have no idea what went off in my head, but the light has begun to flicker and I just "know" that there is something much, much better out there. Maybe it's a past life experience, I don't know...
I have tried our local Wasatch Hefe, which is "okay", (still waayy better than the megas) but nothing to go jumping around and yelling about.

As of today, the best beer I have ever smelled was my homebrewed Black and Tan that's still in the fermentor, I got a whiff of that last night and couldn't believe my nose...I don't even know how to describe it, of course it is still yeasty and young, but it smelled so full and dark. I took the pan that I had drained some of the trub off into and ran downstaris yelling for my wife to smell it!! The kids think I have gone completely off the deep end....It's going to be an eternity before we get to taste it.

I am taking all of these suggestions and will be heading to the liquor store to see if I can find any of them, of course, here the premium beers are unbelievably expensive, but maybe they're worth it until I can begin to get my own going.

:D

[steveh]

I discovered beer could be something more than thin swill when the manager of a local "beer bar" turned me on to some regional beers back in 1984. The first one he had me try was August Schell. I'm not sure what the equivalent of their selections is today, but at the time it was distributed by Merchant DuVin.

It was somewhat darker than the Coors or Old Style I was used to - and man! What malty (all malt) flavor. Of course that led to other regionals such as Rhomberg beers from Dubuque Brewing, and other offerings - mostly imports as Samuel Smith's beers - from Merchant DuVin.

It wasn't long after that the brew-pub craze hit the midwest and Sieben's Brewery opened in Chicago. I remember my dad telling me about visiting the original tavern, and namesake to the new pub, with his father. So it was a natural to take dad to dinner on Ontario street. What lovely beer Sieben's brewed! I remember my dad describing it to someone as being as smooth and fresh as home-made root beer - going down too easy. After that Tap and Growler opened, and then Goose Island. Goose is the sole survivor of the origianl Chicago 3 - even after The Burghoff Restaurant and Huber Brewing tried to take over the closed Sieben's.

19 years, and so many beers over the gullet! Life's too short to drink bad beer.

S.

[guzzler67]

Like so many other posts on this thread, my beer horizons began to expand when I travelled.
15 or so years ago, there was not much variety here in the States, especially on tap. But I do believe it started with a British import (on tap) - Double Diamond.
In the bottle, the first to set me on the right path was Pete's Wicked.
Times have really changed; now Pete's is an afterthought.
What great choices we have now!

[tavernjef]

You hopheads are tough!!! Gimme malty sweetness over hops nine times out of ten. But beauty is in the eye of the beerholder.

Beernazi, I feel your sympathy, malty flavors are great. I like the caramel and nutty types that are thick and bold with good medium body to heavy body.

Ahh, but a well balanced display of hops and malts can be oh so good. Hence Victory Old Horizontal Barleywine. Have you had this stuff yet? Super awesome yummyness. Great balance of caramel maltyness and floral hops. Has a very nice thickness, smooth and syrupy feel and taste. The hop bite was toned down compared to some other barleywines I've had.

Here are some hoppy brews that I do enjoy alot to go along with my new fav Victory Old Horizontal:

Bell's Two Hearted Ale
Sierra Nevada Bigfoot and IPA
DogfishHead 90 minute - looking forward to seeing and trying some of the 60 minute
Alexander Kieth's IPA
Victory HopDevil
New Glarus Hop Hearty

I saw some Three Floyds Dreadnaught and was reluctant to get it cuz I heard it has alot of bite, more so then the 90 minute dogfish.
I'll be bold next time and just get it.
cheers:)

[kpo]

Originally posted by tavernjef

I saw some Three Floyds Dreadnaught and was reluctant to get it cuz I heard it has alot of bite, more so then the 90 minute dogfish.
I'll be bold next time and just get it.
cheers:)


The dreadnaught is beautiful. It's like a flower, in its "nose" and on your pallate. You will be forever changed.

[white556]

my "first" would have to be amberbock, it let me know that beer wasn't just the shit sold by the megabreweries that tastes like my piss. but i did not start loving beer until Beck's dark. oh so flavorful and delicious, i've moved on but it will always be in my memory as the beer that took my virginity. peace out homies

[BluesHarp]

Originally posted by tavernjef
Here are some hoppy brews that I do enjoy alot to go along with my new fav Victory Old Horizontal:

Bell's Two Hearted Ale
Sierra Nevada Bigfoot and IPA
DogfishHead 90 minute - looking forward to seeing and trying some of the 60 minute
Alexander Kieth's IPA
Victory HopDevil
New Glarus Hop Hearty

I saw some Three Floyds Dreadnaught and was reluctant to get it cuz I heard it has alot of bite, more so then the 90 minute dogfish.
I'll be bold next time and just get it.
cheers:)

another "Hop Hearty" fan..excellent!

Try Three Floyds, "Alpha king", similar to Hop Hearty...are you in WI? I know New Glarus has a limited market.

[tavernjef]

I live in MN.

New Glarus can be found in Madison. I've never been there,
but I have a uncle who happens to leave near there and brought a few different brews from there during X-max.

[blevfamily]

Wow......What a question.....

I had been drinking for quite awhile before I found the beer that changed everything for me.....It was Guinness (on tap of course) .
I had it @ Murphy's Pub in the Wallingford neighborhood in Seattle, Wa. Great pub..........Gimme a Guinness mate............Blev

[Bryant]

I would have to say Moosehead. While I don't completely dislike it today, it's far from one of my favorites, but it was the first non-American Macro that I liked. It really started me on the path to imports and eventually micros.


Bryant

[Bryant]

started off mostly drinking the mass produced beers, Bud - Miller - Olympia. The one that changed the way I thought about doing my 12 oz curls was Moosehead. That was my favorite beer for a long time.

I've since moved on to other brews but Moosehead still holds a fond place in my tastebud memory.

I should have read farther into the thread before I posted. I once thought Bud was the nectar of the Gods and it was Moosehead also that changed my opinion of beers. I think I actually bought it because the label looked cool (not that I wouldn't do that today if I had many choices of beers I haven't tried.)


Bryant

[BAH]

I was a huge bud light and bud drinker for years, since my high school and college days. It wasn't until I had some of the great micros that are in Fort Collins, CO that I really started to branch out. Stuff like Sunshine Wheat and 90 Schilling. Then, I got to the Bavarian brews, which is where my family is from and I fell in love.

BAH

[matt]

I had a few experiences with beer around age 16-18 that included Budweiser, and the ilk. But given a choice I always went for the brand with the least annoying advertising. If anything the massive marketing campaigns had turned me off from ever making a choice to drink macro-lager.

My parents tended to like to try different beers and would always offer me samples from their glass from a very young age. I've always liked the general beeriness of beer. I wouldn't consider my parents beer geeks, they're educated wine drinkers though, and their influence certainly taught me that you can enjoy a thing more if you know something about it. This applies doubly now that I have a degree in computer science.

When I got to College, my ...uh.... supplier and I had a broader range of beers to choose from and on weekends we would hit the liquor store and pick up several six packs of beers we had never tried, but it was a holostic thing. I wouldn't say I had made an effort to really get educated at that point. I knew how beer was made, I knew what an ale was, and that hops from the pacific northwest had a certain pungency to them. I continued to not be a beer geek until the summer after my sophomore year.

My roomates and I took a three week vacation to the UK at the end of sophomore year. My guidebook told me that pubs were rather pleasant places to pass time. The guidebook recommended that American tourists walk into a pub and "look for one of these", presenting a picture of a beer engine. When you find a pub that has these, ask the barman for a pint of bitter. If the barman then says, "any bitter?", the correct answer is "yes". I had walked clear accross London that morning, so I asked for "Two Pints of Bitter Please".

Those words and those beers changed my life. I have no idea what bitter it was, I think it was probably Youngs. It was those beers that made me get an education about what I was drinking. The beers in themselves were nothing bizzare, but the cask-conditioning let me taste everything in them, and I wanted to know what all that was.

I went home and started reading, and homebrewing, and drinking my way through the Brickskeller's beer menu and when I graduated college, and got a job, I chose my neighborhood based on whether there was cask-conditioned beer in walking distance. I'll try just about anything once, and there are a ton of kegged and bottled beers that I love, but I gotta have cask.

[Richard English]

Whereas you will usually not be disappointed this is as risky as saying the the Maitre D, "...yes, any wine..." when ordering a bottle a bottle with your meal. The wine will doubtless be fine - but will it be the wine that's right for you?

There is as much variety in beer as there is in wine and so a good Landlord will be happy to suggest which is the bitter (or other beer) that will most likely suit your palate.

These days many pubs (and all Wetherspoons houses) will let customers sample a beer before they buy - it's only a question of asking.

[matt]

Richard,
I think you may have missed the point that the guidebook was trying to convey. Keep in mind that it wasn't a beer guidebook, just a regular old tourist guidebook. The guidebook successfully led us to a pub that had cask-ale, by showing us the picture of the beer-engines,(which is certainly not fool-proof, but is a generally good indicator) and then told us what to order in no uncertain terms. I did leave out the details that the instructions in question were only the first paragraph of a whole chapter on brittish beer history, which I read while drinking my bitter and learned what the hell this cask-ale stuff was.

The author had some relatively tricky ground to traverse at this point. (I wish I could remember the name, author, or publisher of the book, but I can't) How do I get these American tourists into a pub that serves cask-ale, and then how do I get them to order something that's not fizzy lager? Knowing that American tourists are easily embarassed by not having a clue what we're talking about, he provided the easy way out with instructions that, I would say, gave us a 99% chance of success. As an educated beer drinker now, I would happily provide the same instructions to friends visiting London who perhaps were not inclined to learn about beer.

I completely disagree that its the same as asking for any wine. The author was reasonably sure that we were drinking cask beer, which is a stylistic aspect in itself, and second, we had the style narrowed down to bitter. By the same token, the point was not to find the beer that was right for the drinker. The point was to have a new experience. Had the American tourist asked the barman what to drink, and the American tourist wasn't really educated as to what to ask for and simply said "cold" he would have wound up with fizzy lager. The author was trying to prevent that sort of exchange. It didn't matter if you were going to hate the bitter or not, what mattered was that you were in London and you were damn well going to drink bitter, because its a good experience to have, even if you didn't have a clue what it was all about.

Rest assured, now as an educated consumer I ask all kinds of questions if I'm going to try something new. Back then, I wouldn't have known what questions to ask, or how even to describe what I was in the mood for. I wouldn't change the way the author guided me to that first experience with cask-ale, I wasn't in London to have an epiphany, I was there to see touristy stuff. But because of the instructions provided to me, I had a fantastic experience that I may not have had otherwise.

[Richard English]

I appreciate the point you are making and agree that the guide book's comment may have lost a certain amount of its piquancy through your own justifiable paraphrasing.

However, there is a significant danger in just accepting "any bitter" even in a house that has a good range since, inevitably, they will have at least one fizz bitter (typically John Smith's or Whitbread) and a pint of that will put off the untutored drinker for all time! Leaving the choice to the barman may, in a poorly run house, ensure that the fizz beer is what you get. It is far more profitable than the real thing and is easier to set up and dispense.

As with wine, my own suggestion would be to ask the barman's advice - if it is clear that the barman's level of knowledge is less than the average Neanderthal's, then you can reject it.

I suppose the guide book's real real benefit to the untutored drinker is its description and picture of a beer engine, and its insistance that it be used. I wish I knew who wrote it, too!

[mmmBeer...]

Hmmm interesting reading…sounds like my experience was different. Growing up there was always lots of beer around, usually Labatt’s Blue. When offered some by my father, I hated the stuff…just didn’t like the flavour (and still don’t ). One day we were out at the pub and dad ordered a Smithwicks, well I tried it and fell in love with the flavour! Next, was Newcastle Brown, and finally Guinness. I still don’t like the Canadian Macros, with the exception of Moosehead of which I am still terribly fond (couldn’t get it here when I first started to experiment with beer). Now it is either European imports or micros for me. In fact, I can’t figure out what to order if we go somewhere that doesn’t stock micros.

[Richard English]

It's interesting that Smithwicks and Newcastle Brown are generally held to be rather poor beers by UK standards. Guinness, whilst deserving credit for supplying beer with flavour all over the world is rather a specialist drink and not necessarily the first choice of a Real Ale drinker.

The point is, of course, that by Canadian standards (and US standards up to a few years ago) they were all, by comparison with what is available locally, close to being ambrosia! Even now, although there are now thousands of good beers brewed in the USA, distribution (and the A-B stranglehold) is such that many bars just do not have good beers.

In the UK it is rare to find a pub that doesn't have good beer although, sadly, most hotel bars serve just the usual chemical fizz. Fortunately we still have plenty of pubs...

[S.F.B.]

For me? Breckenridge Brewery's Avalanche. I was, of all things, a Coors drinker. Then, 20 some years ago, a friend and I thought we would like to try something new. Found these in the 22 oz bottles and proceeded to enjoy the best beer we had ever had. Since then it has been always looking to try different brews.

[steveh]

Originally posted by Richard English
The point is, of course, that by Canadian standards (and US standards up to a few years ago) they were all, by comparison with what is available locally, close to being ambrosia! Even now, although there are now thousands of good beers brewed in the USA, distribution (and the A-B stranglehold) is such that many bars just do not have good beers.


While we've had this discussion before, I feel it necessary to remind you that the U.S. isn't the beer wasteland picture you always seem to paint. True, there was a time when it was - and finding a Guinness on tap was akin to discovering, well - North America. But it's been much longer than a few years ago.

What the U.S. has, and many of us find quaint and good reason to travel, is what we call "regional" beers. Many of these beers would actually suffer from wide distribution because they would be lost on a shelf of brands (micro and macro) more familiar with the consumer in that area. Some would also suffer because they should, in fact, be in the cooler - and not on the shelf. So by the time an adventurous Chicago beer drinker might purchase that particular Montana brand, it's long stale and its reputation is thus tarnished - at least outside its own region. I shudder every time I see Bell's beers stored on a shelf. It's poor education of the merchant and distributor.

And the only credit of a stranglehold I'll give AB is that of misleading marketing - false information, if you will. As other threads have brought up, it's up to us - the serious, knowledgeable beer drinkers to educate those drinkers who we recognize as good candidates for the cause. I predict that, sooner or later, we'll gain in numbers on the swill drinkers - and maybe even guide them into the green garden of more pleasurable beer!

S.

[Richard English]

I do not want to imply that the US is anything like the beer wasteland it once was. I am probably guilty of loose use of language when I talk about a "few years", but to me 1979 (when I first visited the USA) is only a few years ago. You will all find that time has this way of compressing once half a century (and more in my case) has gone by!

However, so far as present availability in concerned, it's not just my own comments but the comments of others that lead me to believe that there are many places in the USA where it is still difficult to get good beer in bars. Wasn't it somebody from Utah who made this point quite recently?

Good beers in bottle, from liquor stores or by mail order, I agree are now reasonably easy to find in the USA; it is specifically in bars where the problem I am speaking of seems to be.

As regards the lack of freshness I would vouchsafe that this is not a problem with good, bottle-conditioned beers of reasonable strength. Fullers give a "best before" date on their 1845 (a year from bottling) but this is probably a minimum. I have heard some 1845 drinkers suggest that the beer continues to improve for several years. I can't say myself since it never has a chance to mature once it's in my house!

Your comment about A-B's stranglehold being due to marketing is quite true - but only if we accept the definition of marketing in its broadest sense. A-B use clever advertising to try to seduce non-experts into drinking their rubbish but they do much more, that few discriminating drinkers even know about.

Why do almost all pubs in the UK sell A-B (but few sell, say, Fuller's 1845 - even in the southeast of England)? Is it because it's such wonderful stuff that they have to have it to meet the insatibale demand? No. A-B have cynically promoted their rubbish by offering massive, massive discounts and point-of-sale materials. Any publican who does not sell A-B is missing out on a huge profit opportunity. Bud is sold here as a premium product - often twice the price of a decent bitter - and I know very well where that extra money goes (and it's not shipping since Bud is brewed in London, quite near to Fullers brewery). It goes to make massive margins for the sellers.

Although Bud is not sold as a premium product in the USA, you can be quite sure that A-B's resellers are getting plenty of support that encourages them to take the product. Remember, even at its depressed price in the USA it is still hugely profitable since it is made from cheap and inferior ingredients.

There is only one pub that I know of (and you can take it that I know quite a few) where, if you ask for Budweiser, you get the real Budweiser - from the Czech Republic. The Landlord refuses to allow the other rubbish across his threshold. If you want to support this man who, by his efforts is denying himself profit, then he's at The Garland, in Redhill, Surrey, UK - about ten minutes from Gatwick Airport. You can find a picture of the pub on the Harvey's site.

I just wish I knew of a way in which this message can be got over to more of those who still consume chemical fizz, but the only thing I continue to come up with is - join CAMRA!

[steveh]

Originally posted by Richard English
but to me 1979 (when I first visited the USA) is only a few years ago. You will all find that time has this way of compressing once half a century (and more in my case) has gone by! [QUOTE]

I understand completely - and yes, '79 wasn't a good time for U.S. beer drinking

[QUOTE]
there are many places in the USA where it is still difficult to get good beer in bars. Wasn't it somebody from Utah who made this point quite recently? [QUOTE]

There are many places in the U.S. - period. Every one of the 50 states has their own laws regulating beer and liquor - Utah probably being on the extreme end of tight regulation. There are also remote areas of the U.S. that suffer from bad or minimal distribution, but these areas also don't contribute highly to the population of the country or beer drinkers. It's a percentage question, and I tend to believe that one state and remote areas can't add enough to the percentage to say good beer is difficult to find in the U.S.

[QUOTE]
Good beers in bottle, from liquor stores or by mail order, I agree are now reasonably easy to find in the USA; it is specifically in bars where the problem I am speaking of seems to be. [QUOTE]

Having the opportunity to travel around some; from Chicago to Milwaukee to Atlanta to Pittsburgh to San Francisco - even Bismark, North Dakota. I've been able to seek out taverns with good to great beers available. Brew-pubs and micro-breweries have definitely been a boon to good beer in our country.

[QUOTE]
I have heard some 1845 drinkers suggest that the beer continues to improve for several years. I can't say myself since it never has a chance to mature once it's in my house!
[QUOTE]

Laying down stronger beers does work, I do it myself. But man does not live on stronger beer alone. I don't think my Bell's Oberon would survive a long maturation - and shelf storage kills it.

[QUOTE]
>snip< It goes to make massive margins for the sellers.

Although Bud is not sold as a premium product in the USA, you can be quite sure that A-B's resellers are getting plenty of support that encourages them to take the product. Remember, even at its depressed price in the USA it is still hugely profitable since it is made from cheap and inferior ingredients.
[QUOTE]

I won't claim to know the workings of AB in England, and I heartily sympathize with your feelings of their invading the beer world in England. It's wrong, no question in my mind. You'll be happy to hear that I see less and less of it consumed in the circles I travel. Unfortunately, there are those who know nothing of good taste and buy all of the hype tele-prompted at them.

[QUOTE]
There is only one pub that I know of (and you can take it that I know quite a few) where, if you ask for Budweiser, you get the real Budweiser - from the Czech Republic. The Landlord refuses to allow the other rubbish across his threshold. If you want to support this man who, by his efforts is denying himself profit, then he's at The Garland, in Redhill, Surrey, UK - about ten minutes from Gatwick Airport. You can find a picture of the pub on the Harvey's site.
[QUOTE]

Three cheers for him. On my trip to London, I asked one publican (can't remember the pub) what beers he had available. He ran through all of his cask ales first, then a few Euro-lagers - paused and said, "...and of course, we have Bood-Wiser." And looked at me sideways from under lowered eyelids - waiting for my reaction. I think he enjoyed the sneer I gave in response.

[QUOTE]
I just wish I knew of a way in which this message can be got over to more of those who still consume chemical fizz, but the only thing I continue to come up with is - join CAMRA!

Don't give up the fight! Educate those you can.

Cheers Richard - it's just around time for a good pint on a Saturday eve in London right now, yes? Enjoy! And I'll join you in a few hours!

Steve

[Brewdepest]

Like Hughlander waaaaaaaaaay back on the first page, I too grew up in southern Indy, and though I'm too young to have sampled Falls City and Sterling, I remember my dad drinking that stuff, and every day I drive past the vacant black hole of an empty lot where that proud brewery once sat. I'm left with the PBR for my own nostalgia.

Anyway, back to the reason for the thread. The first beer that really made me love beer was Negra Modelo when I was not quite 21 and ordered my first restaurant beer on my first night of my first trip to Mexico. Still one of my favorites to this day.

[denver brewhoo]

Hey, my first post after lurking for awhile...I was always receptive to the idea of different beers than the macro swill generally available. I'm 49: I remember my first year in college the sort of "exoticness" of a keg of Dark schlitz as opposed to the usual. But even in high school, probably as a result of Playboy's attempts to educate American palates, I was aware of and had sampled Guiness, Heinekin, and Bass Ale, and I'm thinking Dos Equis as well. I remember, in college, reading a Bill Styron story in Esquire about selling his first short story and celebrating w/ a steak and a "Canadian ale". That sent me in search of Molson and LaBatt's. In Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas, Thompson described a very important Ballantine Ale--that became my first "IPA", at least according to the Ballantine can. But, you know, I tried a lot of imports during those college years, from everywhere.

But the beer that changed it all for me had to be my first honest-to-goodness micro, at The Cherry Cricket in Denver Co., which I walked into a few months after it had changed hands and gone from a typical sports bar to a micro-serving pub. I'm thinking this was in the late '80's. I didn't know the format had changed. I had a Red Hook ESB, on tap, and that was that. I know Red Hook is not loved so much nowadays, though it's still one of my session beers, but this was pre-AB. Then, in short order, Sierra Nevada, Bridgeport IPA, Fuller's ESB (13 years later, still my favorite when I can get it on tap). Newest revelation was hand-pulled cask conditioned bitters on our recent trip to England--mostly Fullers London Pride and Young's Special or the Ram Rod if they had it--but that all goes back to that Red Hook.

[Richard English]

I have travelled extensively but would never want to live anywhere except England (in spite of its faults) simply because I couldn't bear not being able to drink a pint of good draught ale in a decent boozer!

[Bosco]

For me it started W/ New Castle Brown Ale. I drank that exclusively. It was until about 3 years ago when I started dating my girl and she turned me on to black & tans. It wasn't long before I dropped the Bass & just drank Guinness. At the same time I was lucky enough to work w/ a few "beer snobs" and my taste buds were opened up to a whole new world. Starting w/ Samuel Smith Oatmeal Stout, and it's been all downhill since.

I admit I pretty new to quality beers but I have tried my best to make up the time lost and try as many as I can. I have found that I am more partial to stouts, porters & cream ales than anything else.

[Drinkman]

For me, it was in the 70's when I was in the navy and went to Holy Loch, Scotland the first time. I'd never had anything but American beer until that time, so when I ordered a Tennent's Lager there for the first time, I immediately fell in love with the taste of it. Unfortunately, I've never been able to find it here in the states, but it did get me interested in trying all different kinds of beer.

[Richard English]

It's a staggering commentary on the state of American beer in the 1970s that even Tennants lager, a very ordinary lager in a sea of fizzy keg beers that were, even then, trying to destroy our Real Ale heritage - should be considered good by comparison with what was being sold in the USA!

Mind you, I have seen similar commentary even today when the likes of Boddingtons, Newcastle Brown and John Smith's are held up as fine drinks when, in truth, they are all rather poor. They are, of course, wonderful by comparison with a typical US mega-brewer's output but in absolute terms they are indifferent.

It's a fairly safe bet that those brewers who spend huge amounts on promotion will not be producing anything worth drinking. Even in the UK the most massive promotional spend is by A-B in their efforts to dominate the UK beer market. Fine brewers like Young's Fuller's, Shepherd Neame, Hall and Woodhouse or any other of our many small producers, spend little or nothing.

[Drinkman]

Richard, my memory of the Tennent's I drank twenty-five years ago is of a very good beer. I've often wondered were I to drink one now if I would still enjoy it as much. Perhaps, perhaps not. It was the one, however, that "changed it all" for me. Sadly, what you said about the huge companies that spend a lot of money for advertising and not putting much quality into their product seems for the most part true, especially for American brewers.

[brewmonkey]

For me it was when I got out of the service and went to college. I took a job in a pub as a waiter and after work I would hang out at the bar and try the beers on tap. More for a familiarization of what I was trying to sell the customers. I feel in love with the Heather Ale our brewer had put on and headed back to the brewery to shoot the breeze with him. Lo and behold, his assitant brewer was a guy I had grown up with. Next thing you know I was hanging around the brewhouse all the time and picking their brains.

[Beerconnoisseur]

It started for me with bad beer; I tried a wide variety of beer in college, but nothing really caught my fancy. But after college, there were four types which made me say: "Aha! Something interesting is going on here."

The first was a beer my cousin recommended, Heineken Special Dark. For those unfamiliar, HSD is actually not that bad. It is watered down, but after 4 or 5 bottles, the chocolate flavor of the malt starts to come through on the palate. I liked what I tasted, but I secretly wondered if there wasn't a way to get that desirable malt flavor more quickly, with fewer beers.

The second was when I was in Germany, visiting Berlin. I tried an authentic Berliner Weisse, and was both pleased and intrigued by the unique variety that some brewers could achieve. By now, I was starting to see the light and lose some of my beer ignorance, but there was still the sense of "Yea, that's great on vacation.... but I could never find a good beer like that at home."

This misconception was really laid to rest almost four years ago. The third revelation occured when I started homebrewing my own beer, and I was blown away by the results of the very first batch I brewed. Realizing that I could make beer at home that was better in every way than what I could find at a grocery store, and which was cheaper than what is offered at upscale pubs was truly a shock.

The fourth revelation happened at almost the same time. I was having some drinks with a few coworkers after a long day, and I tried a fantastic beer, Murphy's Irish Stout, fresh from the tap. The wonderfully complex malt flavors settled it for me: I could never go back to the cheap imitations that mass produced beers are.

What an amazing journey it's been.

[mwesth]

Pilsner Urquell.. suddenly discovered how good beer can be :p

Morten

[sierraman]

Like most people, I had been drinking swill through the high school and college years. The year was 1984, a year and a half after graduating from college, when I went to a co-workers house for a small party. He had a bucket of assorted imports siiting on the table. I picked up a Samuel Smiths Taddy Porter and quaffed. I must have looked like I had just won the lottery! I could not believe that beer could taste so amazingly wonderful. From there I was trying everything I could get my hands on and have not looked back since.

[bhoshour]

One beer that changed it all? I knew the first time I ever tasted beer (a flat Bud Light) that there had to be a better tasting brew than that. I think the first GOOD beer I had was a Samuel Smith's Taddy Porter. Aaaahhh, that was a sweet, blissful moment. I was stuck with porter's and stout's until I realized there was so much more out there. I've been exporing styles and regions ever since.

[skahtboi]

Amazing the number of responses this question has generated.

Waaaayyyyy back in the late 70's, when I was still a teenager, two friends and I decided to begin to experiment with brews other than American. (This was when the drinking age in many parts of the States was 18.) Some of the earliest that I remember us trying were Grolsch, Moosehead, Newcastle and Whitbread. I remember at that time thinking that Whitbread Pale Ale was one of the finest drinks to ever cross my lips, and for years bought it on a semi-regular basis. Even though I have encountered many beers that I prefer over it today, and even though it is a pale (sorry about the pun) imitation of it's former self, Whitbread will always be that one beer that put me on the road to beer snobbery.

[jsmurphy]

Good thread. Like some of you, I traveled overseas in the Military where I was introduced to great beer. I remember my very first real German brew, a bottle of Pils on my 19th birthday. I'd been in country exactly one day. Nothing special, and I've had better beer since, but it "changed it all" ...

[Wheats]

Well, as a collage kid, you usually drink what ever is a vailible or cheapest. It's not always the best beer experience. But I stated working in a bar, and was given the oppertunity to test out so many different beers. The first Beer adventure I took was Summit Extra Pale Ale. Summit is a Regional Brewer bases here in My current Hometown of St. Paul. I noticed how complex this beer was. How it had a biiterness to it that I enjoyed. That is when my move towords loving beer became more than a passing fancy. After I realized that I truely liked this beer, I was able to try others without trepidation.

I must admit, that most of my favorite beers come from two of the finest regional breweries I could ask for. Summit Brewing Company of St. Paul, Minnesota and, James Page Brewing of Minneapolis, Minnesota. The great selection of beer styles provided by these brewers is unmached.

Summit offers a the flagship EPA, an IPA, an award winning porter, A bohiemian Pilsner, as well as seasonal offerings like Miabock, Hefe Weizen, Oktoberfest, and a superb winter ale.

James Page has a great selsection of beers as well. The Flag ship amber, a EPA, a brown ale, a golden lager brewed with wild rice of the Ojibwia peoples, a FANTASTIC ALT, and othe seasonals like an oktoberfest, an irish ale, a winter ale, and a bock.

[benevolent brew]

Growing up in St Louis, where bud light flows like water, my eyes were partially opened by Amber Bock at the age of 17 when I stole a bottle from my folk's fridge. However, it wasn't until I was 21 that I really began to get into micros and craft beers. I became a born-again beer drinker after experiencing the greatness of Anchor's porter. I remember picking up a six on a whim at the store because i liked the bottle's shape and thought that I'd give it a go. I remember cracking a bottle, drinking half of it, and enjoying every drop of it...but then I got distracted for about a half hour or so and left the half full bottle on the table. When I came back to the porter, I realized the complexity of this mysterious liquid and the effect that serving temperature had on beer....since this whim at the store and the sixer of Anchor I'm proud to say that I haven't looked back and an A-B product has rarely touched these lips since.

[crashbobo]

Hehe, you get some funny looks here in MO for drinking anything other than A-B. Guiness turned me to better beer. Now I'm on a constant crusade to get people to understand real beer. I have turned a few and at least got a few more to try some of the good stuff. I'm always razzed for drinking "THE DARK STUFF"....more real beer for me i guess :D

[SoxyinMO]

The military was instrumental in my awakening, too. My husband was on a float for nearly seven months and I was in Norfolk, Virginia with two toddlers, and decided to spend a portion of my allotment money on trying different beers (Pabst just wasn't doing it). I found Tuborg Dark and started tasting more from there. I haven't seen Tuborg in donkey's years and don't even know what it's like or if it's still around, but it was my zeitgeis.

[grainbrew]

Local brewpub in Halifax Nova Scotia is where I had what I consider my first real beer. The Granite Brewery offers a nice selection of traditional (hops hops hops) english ales.

A few years prior to moving here, I tried a guinness, but I was not ready for such a beer yet. I drank mostly Moosehead or Molson products (Canadian Lagers) and never really enjoyed the "taste" of beer.

One sip of a Peculiar from the Granite Brewery and I was blown away.

Cheers!

[Jake]

I was introduced to the micro beer culture by my uncle a college professor from California. He came to Michigan on vacation and took me on a beer hunt. At that time I was just an occasional beer drinker. I wish I could remember the beer we found but I do remember it being a lot more flavorful than the stuff I usually bought.

In July of this year I got into one of my wanting a beer moods so I bought some macro beer from the local quick stop stores. That beer remind me why I only drank beer occasionally.

In August I did an internet search for micro beer and came across this site. Most of the beers that members talked about I could not find. I did find one and that was Samuel Adams Boston Lager. I really do like this beer. Its now December and I have been able to find many more good beers. The nice thing about SABL is when you cannot find anything else its available to save the day.

[Richard English]

Sam Adams is better than macro-swill - but it's not the best there is. Do any of the Chicago beers get to Michigan? We certainly get Goose Island here in the UK and that's a far better brew than Sam Adams to my mind.

[guildofevil]

Goose Island is one of the nicest IPA's I have ever tasted. The hop flavour and aroma is just great! Has anyone tasted any of the other Goose Island beers?

[Richard English]

Goose Island Honkers is readily available in England. It's a good beer although not quite so distinctive as their IPA.

I have tried most of their beers since I have been fortunate enough to have visited their brewery in Chicago.

[steveh]

Originally posted by guildofevil
Has anyone tasted any of the other Goose Island beers?

Do you mean aside from the Sahti and Imperial (don't start) Brown - bourbon barrel aged - I had at the Goose Island Brew Pub on Saturday night? :D

Do a search for Goose Island over in Tasting Notes or in the Midwest section of Travel - plenty of reviews.

S.

[guildofevil]

I have only seen the IPA in Ireland but I'll keep an eye out for the others.

[HarkJohnny]

Bert Grant's Scottish Ale

[steveh]

I think Bert's was probably the first IPA I ever had...need to see if it's still as memorable.

S.

[Jake]

Originally posted by Richard English
Sam Adams is better than macro-swill - but it's not the best there is. Do any of the Chicago beers get to Michigan? We certainly get Goose Island here in the UK and that's a far better brew than Sam Adams to my mind.

I'm sure there is far better and I have found some of them. I like the offerings of the Kalamazoo Brewing Company. I thought I might of seen a Goose Island somewhere local, I will have to give it a try.

[Richard English]

Kalamazoo I have seen in our local supermarket but haven't tried yet. US beers are a little more expensive than UK beers over here and, with over 600 British bottle-conditioned beers plus around 1500 cask-conditioned beers to try, it takes time to get around them all. I confess that my Christmas stock comprises Fuller's 1845 and Coniston Bluebird - both cheaper than Dudweiser over here!

I have tried both the Goose Island IPA and their Honkers Ale and I enjoy them both. Being rather a hop enthusiast I prefer the IPA but would be happy with either.

Incidentally, I see that Sierra Nevada Pale Ale is now in stock in our local ASDA; that was my saviour when I was in Orlando recently - the only decent beer in the Peabody Hotel.

[Jake]

Originally posted by Richard English
Sam Adams is better than macro-swill - but it's not the best there is. Do any of the Chicago beers get to Michigan? We certainly get Goose Island here in the UK and that's a far better brew than Sam Adams to my mind.

Originally posted by Patra7 What was the beer that changed it all for you?...... Not nesscesarily the best, but your first?.....

I found Goose Island Honker's Ale and thought it was pretty good, but did not think it was that much superior if at all to Samuel Adams, but that was not the point of this thread anyway. SA was the door that lead me to better beers. I enjoy a SA every once in awhile still today.

[hops99]

SA was the door that lead me to better beers. I enjoy a SA every once in awhile still today.

You're not alone, my friend.

I still think a Boston Lager tastes good once in a while, and Sam Adams still has some other nice beers (although there are some stinkers in the portfolio as well).

[Richard English]

My preference for Goose Island over Sam Adams (and I have tried both) is primarily because I prefer the extra complexity that bottle-conditioning gives.

Goose Island Honkers and IPA are bottle-conditioned; Sam Adams is not.

Incidentally, I prefer the Goose Island IPA to Honkers, and I prefer those of their cask-conditioned beers that I have tried to either.

[tomduval]

I grew up thinking Heineken was the best beer in the world and usually reserved it for special occaisons...drinking Coors the rest of the time. I would say Sam Adams in the early 80's opened my eyes to what beer could be...kind of quaint now...In recent years I enjoy a variety of Belgians and would name IPA's as my favorite style....what a wonderful time for beer lovers to be alive. ;)

[Jake]

I'm glad to find many great beers, You will learn of many of them on this site. Welcome Tomduval.

[O2 Mash]

It had to be a Paulander Hefe. It was served in the appropriate glass and it had slightly warmed, although it had a lemon in it (Aaargh :eek: )

Since then, SNPA or Summit PA has taken over as my fave.

[fretlessman71]

Welcome to the boards Tomduval! I hear you're getting hammered right now...

(The WEATHER, folks... I have no idea how much he drinks! ;) )

[Caffinehog]

The beer that changed it all for me was Blackhook porter by Redhook. Now I see it as mediocre, but when I first drank it, it made me realize that there was something other than pisswater and guiness out there.

[Cranston]

Back around 1977 I spent a lot of time with friends in Herndon ,Virginia.Normally we drank Black Label or Michelob. Our beer runs were to this great place,whose name I forget, but they had a wall of cold cases that were packed with a ridiculously huge assortment of beers.Many I had never heard of before or since..(Bonzo's,Hanley's, Fife and Drum). Anyway ,you could buy them all singly.So everytime we went we'd come back with two cases, consisting of two each of 24 different beers.Needless to say there was a lot of crap.But there was also my first Yuengling, Tuborg,Carlsberg,Brahma Chopp and Tennent's.( I remember all of these only because I'm sitting here looking at the shelf of cans I've kept since then)So ,it wasn't really any one particular beer,but the realization that there was a choice.And I gotta say, it's been a long fun trip from Old Frothingslosh to Duvel.

[mtnole]

Well growing up in the northwest i was a regular consumer of Olympia, Raineer, PBR, Schmitt(animal beer) and miller lite for those weekend parties in HS. The lady at the gas station i used to buy from was trying to get rid of 5 cases of moosehead and sold it to me for 2.00 a 6pack and changed me forever at the ripe old age of 16. It's been a wonderful beer journey ever since.

[Seymour]

I grew up in steamy Mississippi, which until recently was only a forgotten backwater as far as good beer goes. My roomie and I would down gallons of Beast Lite on our many dateless weekends (looking back, I wonder if it was our beer choice that made us dateless:D ). In 1994, we loaded my truck with camping gear and took off for Glacier National Park. Spent three weeks camping, hiking, and flyfishing. And we noticed oddly there were all these labels we hadn't seen in muddy Mississippi: Odell, Spanish Peaks, Bayern, Lang...you get the idea. We spent more of our trip money on beer than on fishing! So I guess you could say it was a place more than any one beer that changed my tastebuds for life.

Don't look down your nose at Mississippi, BTW. We now have a Hops back home (yawn), but also a local brewpub at the best restaurant in town, Hal and Mal's. Great food and EXCELLENT beer. If you're passing through, stop off and pull up a bar stool.

[botay]

lived 2 blocks from a "liquer" store owned by a beer lover, and diddnt try anything exciting untill a year and a half ago. was working down the street from a tavern that had leinie's honey weiss for $1.50 for a 20oz glass. that opened my eyes to a new world.

ps. been lurking for ablut 9 months now. thanks for all the help.
________
Honda G4 transmission specifications (http://www.honda-wiki.org/wiki/Honda_G4_transmission)

[chazwicke]

Welcome Botay!

Cranston, When you lived in the DC area did you ever get to the Brickskeller? How about Vienna Inn?

[Richard English]

I never fails to surprise me just how few outlets bother to advertise any of their quality products. Every pub, bar of liquor store will have signs promoting the various brands of chemical swill but how many have you ever seen with point of sale material that said something like "...Be different, be daring, be delighted - try a bottle of Fuller's 1845 today. You'll be glad you did!"

[fretlessman71]

You know, I can find Fuller's ESB, London Porter, London Pride, and even the Vintage Ale - but no 1845 anywhere! Why would this be?

[Richard English]

All Fuller's beers are good but I find the 1845 the best bottled beer they make. My cellar is always stocked.

Now, as to why you can't get it, I can assume only that your liquor store hasn't asked for it. Fuller's certainly supply 1845 to the US market; my stay in the Fairmont in Chicago was made so much more enjoyable by the thoughtful provision of a couple of bottles by a Chicago beer enthusiast.

[wild]

Mine is a similar situation but it is the Fuller's London Pride and Vintage Ale that I haven't seen yet. But thanks to Richard, I've been enjoying several of the 1845's.

Wild

[Richard English]

Fullers London Pride is a fine beer when it's on draught but it's not bottle-conditioned and therefore lacks that extra dimension that BCA's have. I drink cask-conditioned draught beers when I can; bottle-conditioned beers when I cannot.

[chazwicke]

Fret, Will you be able to procure some for the tasting?

[Jeff]

Originally posted by Richard English
I never fails to surprise me just how few outlets bother to advertise any of their quality products. Every pub, bar of liquor store will have signs promoting the various brands of chemical swill but how many have you ever seen with point of sale material that said something like "...Be different, be daring, be delighted - try a bottle of Fuller's 1845 today. You'll be glad you did!"

The fault of point of sale advertising probably falls squarely on the distributor or brewery. Most of that material comes from them directly. But now we are off topic!

The beer that changed it for me was a local micro called Empyrean Third Stone Brown. Not the best beer, but I still regulary enjoy a six pack.

[Kalleh1]

my stay in the Fairmont in Chicago was made so much more enjoyable by the thoughtful provision of a couple of bottles by a Chicago beer enthusiast.

Aww, thanks, Richard. ;)

I just knew the Fairmont wouldn't have an acceptable beer and that I'd hear about it...so I decided to be pro-active!

[robofunk]

i think it was somewhere in the mid nineties, and my father brought home a case of yuengling before their boom. (my father is a huge fan of whatever is "on sale.") if i recall correctly, yuengling was pretty hard to find in upstate new york. i wasn't of drinking age just yet but my pops always would let me have a bottle here or there with dinner provided i didn't get behind the wheel. yuengling and turning 21 were stepping stones to being exposed to the wide world of stellar brews that we have today. it is often that i go back to that little distributor to browse the "fancy section" (which has always astonished me for such a small establishment) and i walk right past the stacked commercial brews in front to get to the good stuff. one of the fellows who works there is always helpful, and does a great job at pointing me in the right direction.

"what do you think about this stuff" i say, pointing to a bright, shiny case of unknown fizz.

"don't waste your time," he replied. "they did a much better job on the package than they did on the beer."

[chazwicke]

I was just in some rural areas of NY and found some good selections of beer. I was suprised at what I found.