I've been drinking beer, on and off, for about 35 years. I started out as a "Bud man", and if I was particularly daring and dripping with money I might have had some skunked Heineken or Molson Golden Ale, but mostly it was Bud. So it continued until 6 or 7 years ago when something changed. What bothers me is I can't remember the exact moment I started moving toward craft beer. I remember in the 80s many brands had dark versions that I didn't like, I once tried to down a Guinness Stout and swore I was drinking something that had been wrung out of grass clippings.
The first "micro-brew" I remember seeing was Anchor Steam, it was all the rage, it was from the west coast, it was special, it was the mid 1980s. I tried it. Hated it.
Fast forward to the early 2000s I was generally switching between Bud, Coors Light and a new favorite, Corona. The Corona was purely a response to good advertising...I could almost will myself onto that beach, holding that icy cold bottle, watching the waves roll in. Very effective. But then, I suspect, I must've had a Sam Adams or something similar, something with just a bit more flavor that peaked my curiosity about these new beers that had appeared on the shelves.
The more I tried, the more I developed a taste for the seemingly infinite varieties and within a short time I was enjoying even dark, thick, chewy stouts.
So how did it happen to you? Was it a gradual journey like mine or did you you pick up glass of Samuel Smith's Oatmeal Stout and know you found something new to love? How did you become one of the one in ten beer drinkers that appreciate "good" beer?
Tom, Interesting how our taste for beer evolves. I read an interesting article about gateway beers : the ones that got us drinking good craft beer. http://thebrewclub.com/2009/11/18/best-beer-for-beginners/
ReplyDeleteMike
That was a good article and as a matter of fact it jogged my memory. I now remember a friend offering me a Blue Moon. That was my first step.
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