Is beer an acquired taste?
- Thread starter strawman
- Start date
You might want to try a Flanders red, such as the Duchesse Du Bourgogne. They're interesting.
I've sampled plenty of beers. I can appreciate many for their qualities. I enjoy looking for new ones. I just don't enjoy drinking them.
--Patrick
Definitely acquired. My parents were not drinkers. My Dad is from Kansas City so he drank... Coors. So the only beer I had available to sneak from the fridge growing up was... Coors. That stuff will make you swear off beer for life.
I have a cousin in Seattle who goes around to breweries & brewpubs & drinks beer. She's up to 150 different establishments & over 1000 different beers. Last weekend all the cousins on one side of the family got together in Asheville, NC for a get together & some beer drinkin. The first night had some good beers, but it was set off by the first beer I tasted. The first place we went had 12 house brews, and 6 of them were IPAs, so I tried 5 of the 6 others in a flight. The first beer, called Fire Escape, was unbeknownst to me a "pepper beer". Take a beer & throw in some hot sauce... there ya go. The rest of the night was sampling bitter beer after bitter beer trying to find something I could handle a pint of. Seemed liked every place we went at least half of their selection was IPAs. I did have a nice Dunkelweizen & later that night a good cream ale. Then the next day I just could never find anything I cared for, so I ended up being the de facto DD all day.
I have a cousin in Seattle who goes around to breweries & brewpubs & drinks beer. She's up to 150 different establishments & over 1000 different beers. Last weekend all the cousins on one side of the family got together in Asheville, NC for a get together & some beer drinkin. The first night had some good beers, but it was set off by the first beer I tasted. The first place we went had 12 house brews, and 6 of them were IPAs, so I tried 5 of the 6 others in a flight. The first beer, called Fire Escape, was unbeknownst to me a "pepper beer". Take a beer & throw in some hot sauce... there ya go. The rest of the night was sampling bitter beer after bitter beer trying to find something I could handle a pint of. Seemed liked every place we went at least half of their selection was IPAs. I did have a nice Dunkelweizen & later that night a good cream ale. Then the next day I just could never find anything I cared for, so I ended up being the de facto DD all day.
If I want to drink piss, I have my own fountain.
I honestly don't know why people drink beer unless they're desperate for alcohol and will take it in any form.
I honestly don't know why people drink beer unless they're desperate for alcohol and will take it in any form.
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I HATE the taste of beer. Hell, I'm not a fan of the taste of alcohol in general.
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I HATE the taste of beer. Hell, I'm not a fan of the taste of alcohol in general.
Narragansett and Tecate are both my go-to beers. Both delicious and both cheap.
Also, I recommend giving a try on making a shandy. If you've never had it, it's lemonade mixed with beer.
Also, I recommend giving a try on making a shandy. If you've never had it, it's lemonade mixed with beer.
I can put away Guinness like it's water. People say it's like drinking a loaf of bread, but I seem to have an infinite capacity for downing it. Most stouts and red ales are where my tastes lie.
Bread is awesome! Also a glass of Guinness has like 10 more calories than a Bud Light. Definitely worth the 10 extra calories.
I really don't get the what seems to me to be an over-saturation of IPAs of late. Is the world on a bitter kick, or are we attempting to use up a glut of bad hops from that hop blight that wiped out the Cascadia crop a few years back? Either way, it's really obnoxious, as the market nearest my house sells two types of beer, domestic lagers (Coors, Bud, Busch, etc.), and one (maybe two) beers from some local micro-breweries... so my choices are Coors, IPA, or $12 bottles of Framboise. I really need to get up to Bevmo some time and see what their selection is like.
The only time I went to a Bevmo, their selection was impressive.
I feel the same way about pot. Like, it would be fun to try and grow artisanal plants, except for the fact that it's illegal, I don't have any interest in actually trying them myself, etc.
--Patrick
Part of the issue is that, since you appear to be in the Pacific Northwest (i.e. prime hops country), the hop industry being centered there heavily influences beer tastes in that region. I see a huge difference in the amount of IPAs/pale ales versus porters/stouts on the shelves here in the midwest versus when I go back to California for Christmas. I've also noticed a much sharper preference for hop-forward beers on the west coast versus here.
Bevmo's definitely got a good selection. Something else useful I've found is to just go to Yelp and search around for local bottle shops.
doomdragon6
Staff member
There are so many types of beers that saying "Do you like beer?" might as well be saying "Do you like Drink 193 of 13,672?"
After bar-hopping a bunch over the last year and trying a variety of beers, I would say that I enjoy pale ales or light beers, but don't enjoy dark beers. But I -can- enjoy a dark beer for novelty's sake (This one tastes like bourbon! This one has a chocolate taste!)
So while I can enjoy beer, I don't actively seek it out unless I'm out drinking beers. Whereas for my roommate, coming home to a cold beer is just HEAVEN for him.
Where for me, I highly enjoy soda. So if I came home and someone just handed me an ice cold Dr Pepper in a glass bottle it would have the same effect.
TL;DR: Too many variables, almost anyone will like at least some type of beer if given enough varieties to try.
After bar-hopping a bunch over the last year and trying a variety of beers, I would say that I enjoy pale ales or light beers, but don't enjoy dark beers. But I -can- enjoy a dark beer for novelty's sake (This one tastes like bourbon! This one has a chocolate taste!)
So while I can enjoy beer, I don't actively seek it out unless I'm out drinking beers. Whereas for my roommate, coming home to a cold beer is just HEAVEN for him.
Where for me, I highly enjoy soda. So if I came home and someone just handed me an ice cold Dr Pepper in a glass bottle it would have the same effect.
TL;DR: Too many variables, almost anyone will like at least some type of beer if given enough varieties to try.
I have discovered the beer equivalent of going to the grocery store hungry. Reading/participating in this thread, and then going to BevMo. I just spent $180 on beer, after the $20 discount for signing up for a BevMo card. On the plus side, I have a lot of beers to try, and a BevMo card. Here's the list, in no particular order:
And in a non-beer capacity, a four-pack of Butterbeer, a bottle of Hidden Legend mead, and a bottle of loganberry licqueur.
Oh, and my favorite non-standard beer so far has been the banana bread beer. It really did taste like banana bread, if the banana bread was a little under-cooked and over-yeasty.
- Newcastle Brown Ale (already tried it, I do like it)
- Pelican Brewing Company Kiwanda Cream Ale
- Ommegang Abbey Ale
- The Bruery Autumn Maple
- Lagunitas Imperial Stout
- Anchor Steam Beer
- Southern Tier Brewing Pumpking
- Kriek, Peche, Framboise, and Cassis lambics (we've had all but the Cassis, love them, especially the Peche)
- Ayinger Oktober Fest-Marzen
- Crabbie Alcoholic Ginger Beer
And in a non-beer capacity, a four-pack of Butterbeer, a bottle of Hidden Legend mead, and a bottle of loganberry licqueur.
Oh, and my favorite non-standard beer so far has been the banana bread beer. It really did taste like banana bread, if the banana bread was a little under-cooked and over-yeasty.
Beer is most defiantly an acquired taste. I am an IPA nut as well as a fan of a good Stout and Belgian Wit. Really depends on the mood though, as lately it's been Oktoberfest so good Dopplebock and Marzen beers are popular.
I'm not a fan of a particular type of beer, rather I'm a brand whore. If I like a brewery, I'll try a variety of their beers. I have my local watering hole (a microbrew pub) call Iron Hill. Victory Brewing, Troegs, Yards, Rogue, ABc Brewing, Lancaster Brewing and Samuel Smith are all good.
My favorite beer(s)?
Iron Hill: Belgian White Wit
From Victory: Hop Devil IPA
Troegs: Troegenator Double Bock
Yards: Brawler Pugilist Ale
Rogue: Dead Man Ale
ABc: Celtic Knot Irish Red
Lancaster: Milk Stout
I'm not a fan of a particular type of beer, rather I'm a brand whore. If I like a brewery, I'll try a variety of their beers. I have my local watering hole (a microbrew pub) call Iron Hill. Victory Brewing, Troegs, Yards, Rogue, ABc Brewing, Lancaster Brewing and Samuel Smith are all good.
My favorite beer(s)?
Iron Hill: Belgian White Wit
From Victory: Hop Devil IPA
Troegs: Troegenator Double Bock
Yards: Brawler Pugilist Ale
Rogue: Dead Man Ale
ABc: Celtic Knot Irish Red
Lancaster: Milk Stout
Have you tried a Saison Dupont? It's the perfect thing to buddy up with a mess of crispy fries and fried chicken. We served a more premium version of it* at our wedding as a replacement for Champagne.
--Patrick
*Sorry, couldn't find the link to the premium version, couldn't remember the name.
All of the above!
I thought that said "weak" and I was all like, "awwww that's sweet"
And I would drink it in a boat.
And I would drink it with a goat...
And I will drink it in the rain.
And in the dark. And on a train.
And in a car. And in a tree.
They are so good, so good, you see!
So I will drink it in a box.
And I will drink it with a fox.
And I will drink it in a house.
And I will drink it with a mouse.
And I will drink it here and there.
Say! I will drink it ANYWHERE!
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Cajungal
Staff member
Hahaaa yes that's my foundation name: Cooking for the Weak. I make meals for toddlers, 90-year-olds, and people with brittle bones.
I don't. I unwind with video games and bars are expensive anyway.
Finally remembered it/had time to research during lunch.
This was the beer we served in place of Champagne at our wedding. If you have an event that demands Champagne, but you would rather have beer instead, get this. At about US$35/bottle, it ain't cheap, but it will adequately fit both bills. Also, it goes great with hors d'oeuvres.
--Patrick
This is the best
Home mostly, sometimes at a bar with friends, I never go to a bar alone though, it feels weird.
So far the Pumpking was a wash - finishes way too bitter for me. Bitter enough that my wife could taste it, and she has almost no bitter taste-buds left since a bout with Bell's Palsy a decade ago. The Pelican Brewery cream ale, on the other hand, was excellent. Nice and malty, just a brief pop of bitterness that quickly fades to tart with a smooth, mellow finish.
Personally, I can not stand any pumpkin flavored beer... or coffee... or anything outside of pumpkin pie. I do like the pie. But that's where pumpkin belongs. leave it in the pie.
B
BErt
Did you keep it cold enough? It has a recommended temp on the bottle and I found it got more bitter as it warmed up.
I've been wanting to try as many pumpkin beers as possible this season ( lord knows there's a lot of them)...I think I have Sam Adams Fat Jack next on the list.
Talking about acquired taste... Pabst's Blue Ribbon has been bought out by a Russian company. 
I wonder how China will feel. It was a premium product over there.Talking about acquired taste... Pabst's Blue Ribbon has been bought out by a Russian company.
--Patrick
figmentPez
Staff member
I didn't have my first beer until I was 33. I'd had small amounts of wine and champagne before that, though. I really enjoyed my first beer, and my favorite varieties tend to be oatmeal stouts, at least so far. I like the taste of alcohol, though, so that probably had something to do with it.