"Guilty" confessions of a beer enthusiast

Homebrew Talk - Beer, Wine, Mead, & Cider Brewing Discussion Forum

Help Support Homebrew Talk - Beer, Wine, Mead, & Cider Brewing Discussion Forum:

This site may earn a commission from merchant affiliate links, including eBay, Amazon, and others.

HerbieHowells

Well-Known Member
Joined
Oct 4, 2011
Messages
381
Reaction score
40
Location
Denver
In any hobby, you have enthusiasts, and you have snobs. While the line between enthusiast and snob can blur at times, I have found that one of the sure-fire ways to recognize the difference is that a regular enthusiast will admit to certain unorthodox tastes that a snob will not.

So here is your chance to prove once and for all that you are a beer or home brewing enthusiast rather than snob. Do you occasionally brew pre-hopped kit beer and enjoy the results? Do your taste buds give up at 50 IBU? Have you ever actually enjoyed a Bud at a football game? Come clean.

I will go first. I like craft beer as much as the next guy, and I enjoy perusing the bomber section of my local bottle shop. But if I had to chose a desert island beer, Shiner Bock would be on the short list. I know, it’s not a real Bock, it doesn’t pack that much more flavor than BMC, and there are much better beers out there. But it got me through college and the years beyond, and I have never found a better camping beer than Shiner, which goes down easy with breakfast, lunch, or dinner. So there you have it.

Anyone else?

N.B. The point of this thread is to allow people to admit to unorthodox taste in a safe environment. You should expect to see people admitting to things you object to here. But jumping in and calling someone out for what they just admitted is a sure fire way of letting us know that you are an insufferable snob, so contain yourself if you can.
 
I have been known to enjoy the odd Rolling Rock, especially after having chilled a sixer in a cold backeddy while flyfishing on a hot summer day. Everyone needs to have a good cheap beer in the rotation.
 
I am still "getting into" craft beer and brewing beer, but there is something about a corona with lime immediately after mowing the yard in the middle of summer...

Also, had a bud light after a hunting trip recently, and it also hit the spot. It is what it is...
 
i won't drink a BMC no matter what, i'm an insufferable snob. my guilty pleasure is not beer it's music, i like mika.
 
As much as I love over hopped ipa's and big belgian's I have to admit that there's nothing like a miller lite after a long day of framing in the July heat. Some people bash the bmc's for tasting like water, however at certain times I enjoy them for that reason.
 
I often enjoy an ice cold can of PBR, Stag, or Heiniken in summer time. Especially while brewing an IPA in August out on my back patio.
 
Where I wouldn't use it as my island beer, I generally have PBR in the fridge. Standard every day Go To beers are SNPA and PBR depending on how frugal I'm feeling. Sitting around drinking with my in-laws, a Busch or PBR just fits better
 
+1 on the Rolling Rock and PBR. I also sadly like the "Taurino" from El Salvador that Fresh And Easy grocery stores sell as last resort.
 
Sometimes an MGD or PBR sits pretty well with me. After drinking a bunch of home brew or very full bodied and full flavored micro brew, sometimes it's just refreshing!
 
i won't drink a BMC no matter what,

I'm with you on this one eastoak. Not to knock anyone for drinking BMC but I just can't do it.

And not to hijack the thread, but I think this is a good place to tell a little story, and it fits with the drinking ****ty beers with inlaws theme here.

The insult: At Thanksgiving (the Canadian one) we had my brother-in-law and his wife over. I had a case of 24 Mill Street Tankhouse Ale on hand (for those of you unfamiliar, this is a really really good micro-brewed hoppy pale ale from Toronto). The brother in law proceeded to polish off a bunch of them and when we ran out of beer, he offered to buy the next case, went to the beer store and came back with 12 Labatt's Blue. To me, this is a huge party foul. I did not drink any, as I had some good rum on hand. He left the Blue, and made the comment that he expected them to be "improved" by Christmas - meaning that he expected me to drink the ****ty beer and replace it with something good.

The revenge: I tried to drink a blue after cutting the grass one day, and I got about 2 sips in before dumping it (again not knocking anyone who likes the stuff, but I just can't do it). I thought, "How can I get back at him for doing this terrrible injustice to my beer fridge?" So, here's what I did: I have put a little "IMPROVED" sticker on each bottle of his crappy beers and put them in the fridge next to my home brews. When he asks for a beer, that will be what he gets.

Is this reasonable?
 
I'll never turn down a big IPA or a great barleywine, but sometimes I get an itch that only a cold bottle of Heiniken can scratch.
 
I have been known to live the High Life, but bottles are much preferred over cans.
 
We went hunting once in the hot texas heat, being idiots we forgot to bring water. We drank nothing but good stouts and IPAS the first two days. We where dying of thirst, so we made the 3 hour trip back to civilization to buy some water, we could only get Budweiser and miller. To this date the most enjoyable beer I have had was said Budweiser.
 
I'm with you on this one eastoak. Not to knock anyone for drinking BMC but I just can't do it.

And not to hijack the thread, but I think this is a good place to tell a little story, and it fits with the drinking ****ty beers with inlaws theme here.

The insult: At Thanksgiving (the Canadian one) we had my brother-in-law and his wife over. I had a case of 24 Mill Street Tankhouse Ale on hand (for those of you unfamiliar, this is a really really good micro-brewed hoppy pale ale from Toronto). The brother in law proceeded to polish off a bunch of them and when we ran out of beer, he offered to buy the next case, went to the beer store and came back with 12 Labatt's Blue. To me, this is a huge party foul. I did not drink any, as I had some good rum on hand. He left the Blue, and made the comment that he expected them to be "improved" by Christmas - meaning that he expected me to drink the ****ty beer and replace it with something good.

The revenge: I tried to drink a blue after cutting the grass one day, and I got about 2 sips in before dumping it (again not knocking anyone who likes the stuff, but I just can't do it). I thought, "How can I get back at him for doing this terrrible injustice to my beer fridge?" So, here's what I did: I have put a little "IMPROVED" sticker on each bottle of his crappy beers and put them in the fridge next to my home brews. When he asks for a beer, that will be what he gets.

Is this reasonable?

Labatt's was my everyday lager when my FIL drank the light stuff. It was something we could both drink. I find it to be better than many of the BMC style beers. (Although now there is Schlitz and Michelob Original Lager, which are better...)

I drank a Dos XX Noche Buena at a Mexican restaurant this weekend. Tasted pretty good.

But what your BIL did was just plain *****ey. It's one thing to be ignorant. It's quite another to not only know the difference, but to make a "Joke" about it. Lame.
 
Depends on the situation, of course. Tailgating or at a sports bar with my buddies? I'll happily share a couple pitchers o Miller Lite.
 
I love regular Bud with BBQ. I don't want anything that's going to take away from the taste of the ribs or brisket. A nice clean lager is perfect in that situation. A lot of people like to knock Sam Adams now too. I'd say I enjoy at least 75% of their offerings.
 
Here's something to consider: one of my brewing friends, who is about to turn 60, just discovered he has become allergic to alcohol.

The last beer he'll ever have - at least in this particular Reality - was the Bud Light he had at a house party held by a non-brewer.

I can't imagine a more tragic demise...

Cheers! ;)
 
If I was in his position, my demise would be at the bottom of an Optimator because I wouldn't be able to live with that allergy anyway! I gave up shellfish when that hit me at 25, but beer? No way.
 
Let's see...besides what I produce, I enjoy Bud (a very good beer, actually), Rolling Rock, and Schaefer (believe it or not, sometimes I LIKE the corn taste).
 
Oh, but a local bar did a "mystery beer" night - you pay $2, they bring you a mystery bottle wrapped in a paper bag. Sometimes it's Spaten or something from New Belgium, other times it's crap.

SWMBO wound up with a MGD 64 with lemon. That's where we draw the line. Awful, vile stuff.
 
JonM said:
Oh, but a local bar did a "mystery beer" night - you pay $2, they bring you a mystery bottle wrapped in a paper bag. Sometimes it's Spaten or something from New Belgium, other times it's crap.

Sounds like that would be a pretty fun time.
 
Personally, I'm huge fan of the Walgreens "Big Flats" adjuct lager. I know, I know, it's supposedely worse than BMC, but an ice cold one is so refreshing while doing yard work. Just don't let it warm up. And $2.99 for a sixer means more money spent on MY beer.
 
I'm with you on this one eastoak. Not to knock anyone for drinking BMC but I just can't do it.

And not to hijack the thread, but I think this is a good place to tell a little story, and it fits with the drinking ****ty beers with inlaws theme here.

The insult: At Thanksgiving (the Canadian one) we had my brother-in-law and his wife over. I had a case of 24 Mill Street Tankhouse Ale on hand (for those of you unfamiliar, this is a really really good micro-brewed hoppy pale ale from Toronto). The brother in law proceeded to polish off a bunch of them and when we ran out of beer, he offered to buy the next case, went to the beer store and came back with 12 Labatt's Blue. To me, this is a huge party foul. I did not drink any, as I had some good rum on hand. He left the Blue, and made the comment that he expected them to be "improved" by Christmas - meaning that he expected me to drink the ****ty beer and replace it with something good.

The revenge: I tried to drink a blue after cutting the grass one day, and I got about 2 sips in before dumping it (again not knocking anyone who likes the stuff, but I just can't do it). I thought, "How can I get back at him for doing this terrrible injustice to my beer fridge?" So, here's what I did: I have put a little "IMPROVED" sticker on each bottle of his crappy beers and put them in the fridge next to my home brews. When he asks for a beer, that will be what he gets.

Is this reasonable?

I think were either kindrid spirits or your my parellel reality, at thanksgiving my brother in law helped me polish off a sierra navada torpedo 12 pack and a growler of berkshire breweries india pale ale and when it was all gone he runs out to his car to grab his 9 pack of miller light.........YUCK ......of which i drank none . I guess im a snob but if were out i'll hit the blue moon or sam lager on draft.
 
When meeting up with friends for football Ill tend to bring a 6er of stuff 'I like' and a 12er of stuff 'they like'. the 12er is usually coors light as when i finish my brews I have no problem playing a little drinking game with it lol.

Back home in Puerto Rico it was usually Medalla light :)
 
I think were either kindrid spirits or your my parellel reality, at thanksgiving my brother in law helped me polish off a sierra navada torpedo 12 pack and a growler of berkshire breweries india pale ale and when it was all gone he runs out to his car to grab his 9 pack of miller light.........YUCK ......of which i drank none . I guess im a snob but if were out i'll hit the blue moon or sam lager on draft.

Maybe your BIL is just ignorant of good beer and thinks his miller light measures up. The thing that pissed me off most about this guy is that he keeps his own fridge stocked with some decent beers, and every time I have ever been to his house, I brought a 12 of something unique and good. Where do these people get the idea that it's acceptable to drink all your good beer and then leave you with swill?
 
I guess I just do not understand. There are so many great beers to have why drink cheap swill? Look at all the great imports and even micro pilsner/lagers to be had. I mean you do not walk into the store and buy the cheapest IPA or RIS you can find do you? then why do this with Pilsner/Lager styles? it defeys logic esspecially when this is one of the largest styles to choose from.

Call me a snob if you like but if all there is to be had for beer is BMC, then count me for water because I refuse to drink any of it.
 
Your logic is flawed in that other people can actually like the stuff that you do not, and may not be buying it just because it is cheap. I certainly do not drink Budweiser with BBQ because it is a cheap, but it is still my go-to BBQ beer.
 
Conan apparently doesn't mind BMC.

image-1666794366.jpg
 
Maybe your BIL is just ignorant of good beer and thinks his miller light measures up. The thing that pissed me off most about this guy is that he keeps his own fridge stocked with some decent beers, and every time I have ever been to his house, I brought a 12 of something unique and good. Where do these people get the idea that it's acceptable to drink all your good beer and then leave you with swill?

NOOOOOO.... he drinks everything hes just fing cheap he'll drink homebrew micro brew anybrew and he likes hoppy but if he's buying or suplying its miller light in the CAN......:confused:
 
Your logic is flawed in that other people can actually like the stuff that you do not, and may not be buying it just because it is cheap. I certainly do not drink Budweiser with BBQ because it is a cheap, but it is still my go-to BBQ beer.

If someone is drinking a BMC because it is what they like and what they think tastes great, then I am happy for them. I do not chastise them or poke fun at their beverage in anyway. Even offered a BMC product I will generally turn it down with a "no thank you" vs. a "piss water" comment until I am backed into a corner and then I fell free to attempt to educate them a little.

I associate the cheapest beer on the shelf with garbage not because I think lowly of it just to be snobby but because I have actually tried them and I have not liked them... There is no way I could understand how someone else tastes a flavor and likes or dislikes it. So it is safe for me to say cheap beer equals crappy tasting beer in the Pilsner/Lager arena, IMO. This does not make expensive beer any better by default but it is worth the gamble to try something new or to go to a tried favorite.

Funny story...I dislike almost every "Belgian" beer I have ever had. I am also not a fan of wheat beers as a general rule. I still brew them and try some from time to time, So I fully understand someone just not liking a style(s). I would say that I flat out do not like most American light lagers but that is not true as I have had some that I do like, they just happen to not be made by BMC. ;)
 
I don't care for American Adjunct Lagers, but that is great if you enjoy them. However I like scotch or bourbon but it is typically to strong for me to drink straight. So I, under the darkness of night, secretly drink it with ginger ale.
 
Nothing quenches my thirst better after mowing the grass than a room temperature, 13%abv Imperial Stout. And nothing's better than getting a big group of guys together for wings, darts, football and an 8 year flight of Cantillon guezes.
 
Nothing quenches my thirst better after mowing the grass than a room temperature, 13%abv Imperial Stout. And nothing's better than getting a big group of guys together for wings, darts, football and an 8 year flight of Cantillon guezes.

I see what you did there...
 
I've been known to tip back a few Buds with the guys while eating chili dogs at the Vienna Inn
 
Back
Top