Beer Suggestions

I'm interested in expanding my knowledge of beer...by drinking it. BUT I DON'T WANT TO BE DISAPPOINTED AND WASTE MY MONEY!! The next time I'm in my local liquor store staring at the 750's in the micro and craft brew section what should I choose?

Very rarely have I been disappointed with my random selections. For years, I never left the liquor store with anything I had sampled before. It's the only way you will broaden your horizons. The chances of what I (or anybody) like and what you will like, being the same.....not very high. My store allows me to pick single 12 oz bottles and sorta make your own sixer. I would suggest that if your afraid of disappointment from a 750ml.

If you are worried about trying things you might not like you will miss out on a lot a great beer.

Thanks Dad...

It's hard to give any better advice than what was already said since you gave absolutely no indication of what beers or styles you have tried and liked already. But I guess I'll go for it anyways...

First off I'll give a very concise and calm version of what could be a long rant and say that craft bombers/750s are rarely a good investment on a dollars per ounce basis. With the exception of sours/wilds, I cannot think of a single style where the beer only available in large format is worth the extra money.

I don't know if Founders makes it to you, but IMO they don't make a bad beer. In fact, the only beer of theirs that I wouldn't describe as great is Cerise, but I think that's more because I'm not a huge cherry fan.

Unfortunately, I can't think of another brewery that makes it close to you that I can reccomend the whole lineup for, so give more info and we'll go from there.

I live in CT. The only styles I have found I usually don't care for are white and wheat ales, rice/corn beer or really fruity beers.

How the hell would we know what you'd like or not?

Everybody's tastes are different, I love sweet potatoes and my GF hates them. That's human nature. So how could we realistically give you any advice into what you should try, especially since you are so afraid of "wasting money" trying new things.

Someguyinahat said:

I live in CT. The only styles I have found I usually don't care for are white and wheat ales, rice/corn beer or really fruity beers.

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Still overly broad, and I also don't know what you've already tried, but here's what I've got:

Southern Tier 2XIPA and Victory Hop Wallop are two good IIPAs. Oskar Blues makes some good canned beer: Dale's Pale Ale is my tailgate go-to and Ten Fidy is amazing. Brooklyn's Black Chocolate Stout and North Coast's Old Rasputin are two more good stouts. Hope this helps.

arturo7 said:

If you are worried about trying things you might not like you will miss out on a lot a great beer.

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Absolute truth right there.

To the OP,

It takes time, just pick up a few things that interest you every time your at the store, you'll start learning what styles you like, and it will get easier and easier to pick up a new brew. You'll also expand your knowledge base enough, that you can read up on specific beers online, and get a decent grasp of what something will probably taste like.

In addition to that, at least in my experience, your tastes will change while you are exploring different styles. I used to be really into stouts and porters, now I'm in an IPA and Red Ale phase. I've always loved Barleywines and Belgium beers, though.

You'll begin to appreciate and enjoy a broader spectrum of beer, even if it's something you wouldn't buy again. In the past year or so, I can really only think of maybe 4-5 beers that I really hated, and that's with tasting hundreds of beers. I have a book that records ONLY the beers I really like, and it's at 215+ beers right now. If I included all the beers I've ever tried, it would probably be 350-400.

I've even gone back to beers that, in the past, I wasn't fond of, and some I now like quite a bit.

Just be patient, stay open to new styles and breweries, and try everything you can afford/obtain.

Good luck.

Great advice UncleChuck.

My random suggestion would be Schneider Aventinus(8.2%)

Revvy said:

How the hell would we know what you'd like or not?

Everybody's tastes are different, I love sweet potatoes and my GF hates them. That's human nature. So how could we realistically give you any advice into what you should try, especially since you are so afraid of "wasting money" trying new things.

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Holy Jebus people! I'm just looking for some recommendations! I'm not gonna hunt you down if I don't like what you suggest. Chill out!

arsenal610 said:

Great advice UncleChuck.

My random suggestion would be Schneider Aventinus(8.2%)

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Thank you for being sane

Stone Arrogant Bastard
Stone Brutal IPA
New Belgium Dubbel
Moylan's Old Blarney Barleywine
Moylan's Kilt Lifter

If you're a fan of heavier beers, I really enjoyed Great Divide's Hercules Double IPA. For a mellow session brew, Big Sky's Moose Drool is another favorite of mine.

look into beer advocate or rate beer after spotting out a few "brands" of beer. Cant go too wrong with some staples like Sierra nevada,rogue,stone,founders,Bells,New belgium,schells,Boulevard,your local breweries maybe. Seek your local availibility,then experiment and expand your palate and be prepared for trying new tastes you never knew existed.

I think what people are trying to say is we can give you what beers we like but that wont mean you like them. And there are beers you will like but we don't so we wont recommend them to you.

I like going in to my local liquor store and grabbing a mix six of all new beers that I never tried. I have an app on my phone that scans the barcode and then I can write a review so I remember. I like stouts and im not a huge ipa fan but I still try everything because you never know if a brewery made a beer that you might like in a style you hate.

Go to the liquor store and get the first 6 beers. Write a quick review so you remember then go back and get the next 6. Repeat.

facepalm

Germelli1 said:

facepalm

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Lol! What?!

I would suggest thinking about the styles you've had that you really like and expand from there. Another suggestion would be to choose a brewery that you like and buy one of their sampler 12 packs (usually 3 or 4 styles of their beers). Another option would be to find a good bottle shop in your area and take advantage of whatever discount they'll give you on buying single beers in bulk. Talk to their beer guy and tell him you want to get into some new beer styles. I'm sure he can take it from there.

Not sure where you are in CT, but look at this list of liquor stores and choose the one with the best rating closest to you...
http://beeradvocate.com/beerfly/list?&c_id=US&s_id=CT&store=Y&sort=name&sort=rating


If you can't give us information and instead attitude, I'd suggest Bud Light Golden Wheat...

This is easy, well kinda. You live in Connecticut. Just go to the liquor store and run the gambit on DogFish Head beer. You will not like some of it, can't tell you what since I am not you. WRITE DOWN the styles you LIKE and DON'T LIKE then buy the same type of beer that you like from another manufacture. After a year or so when you are half way down the list I bet your taste will, how would I say...matured.... go back and retry the ones you did not like before. (my sister about 3 years ago hated stouts now she will drink them by the pitcher!however not Guinness) You will always spend good money for good beer. It is a long road to finding out what you like and truly don't. Just because you don't like a style from one brand....maybe that means that brand sucks at making it.

You are close enough to take a road trip to dogfish head, I suggest you do. Then let me know if it was worth it.

bnhocking said:

This is easy, well kinda. You live in Connecticut. Just go to the liquor store and run the gambit on DogFish Head beer. You will not like some of it, can't tell you what since I am not you. WRITE DOWN the styles you LIKE and DON'T LIKE then buy the same type of beer that you like from another manufacture. After a year or so when you are half way down the list I bet your taste will, how would I say...matured.... go back and retry the ones you did not like before. (my sister about 3 years ago hated stouts now she will drink them by the pitcher!however not Guinness) You will always spend good money for good beer. It is a long road to finding out what you like and truly don't. Just because you don't like a style from one brand....maybe that means that brand sucks at making it.

You are close enough to take a road trip to dogfish head, I suggest you do. Then let me know if it was worth it.

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When I first started drinking I hated beer. Then I started drinking Bud Light but couldn't drink anything else. Then I started liking wheat ales and some of the lighter ales. Then I got into the darker ales and the heavier beers. Now stout is my favorite style. Your taste does change. I say keep trying all styles of beer. You never know what you will like if you don't try. And you always have to try it twice. Maybe not the same exact beer but a similar beer from another brewery. You might find you hate Sam Summer but love Newport Storm Summer. Same style but they taste different.

I live in RI about 7 hours away from Dogfish and im thinking about taking a short vacation just for a tour and to eat at their brewpub.

h22lude said:

I live in RI about 7 hours away from Dogfish and im thinking about taking a short vacation just for a tour and to eat at their brewpub.

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My wife and I had an epic Cross country bar craw on my motorcycle from Indianapolis, IN the mid point was Dogfish Head. But I could not keep it in my pants and she got pregnant, so many some other day it will happen.

bnhocking said:

My wife and I had an epic Cross country bar craw on my motorcycle from Indianapolis, IN the mid point was Dogfish Head. But I could not keep it in my pants and she got pregnant, so many some other day it will happen.

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Haha sounds like that was a good and bad thing. Couldn't go to Dogfish but hey you started a family.

I think if I do it I will get some friends and drive down. We would stop at breweries all the way down.

I remember the first time i tried DFH 60 min i stole it from my dad's stash (we were out of yuengling). I said "man, this stuff is pretty good but i don't think i could drink it all the time." now i love 60 min and consider it pretty mild. tastes change, sometimes in only a matter of months

I still suggest trying everything. You may spend a few coins on beer you don't like, but honestly there is rarely a bad craft beer being sold, and you won't know what styles you don't like until you taste them.

Better yet, maybe go in with a friend and split them. That way there is a chance that what you don't like they can finish.

My wife is not a beer drinker, but we found out once again this weekend that she will drink a stout over many of the "lighter" beers if that's what they have. You just never know. And your tastes change.