Putting together a beer sampler for a non-craft beer drinker

I'd like to put together a 12'er of beer with 2 of each beer of the following styles for my buddy at work. And I need one more style. The idea is to give him a wide range of beer that I like, not necessarily the next step after BMC. That's why wheats, ambers, blonds, Belgiums, etc. are out.

Pale (Sierra Nevada)
IPA (Bell's Two Hearted)
Brown (Big Sky Moose Drool)
Porter (Great Lakes Edmund Fitzgerald)
Stout (Guinness Foreign Extra ???)
???

Here are the rules:
-Should be "craft" beer but something I have around here.
-I'd like to have each style made by a different brewery.
-Each beer should be a good example of the style and not have something like blueberries or ginger in it.
-I have to like it.
-It has to come in a 12 oz bottle or can.

I'm having a tough time with the last category. For the last category, I was thinking Red but all I could come up with is Founders Red's Rye (which is awesome but half the brews would be pretty hoppy). Any ideas for a maltier red beer or a different category all together?

As for the stout, it seems like a cop-out to use Guinness (but the FES is really good). I love Sierra Nevada Stout and Great Lakes Black Out Stout, but I've used both of those breweries. Hmmm...

What would your list look like?

Thanks!

In your anti-bmc arrogance, you're cutting out some awesome beers that are nothing like a light lager style- wheats, ambers, blonds, Belgiums, etc. are nothing like a light lager. I mean how is a Belgian Quad or Tripel like a bud light? How is Hoegaarden, one of the most amazing and sublime beers on the planet like it?

Heck if you're being snobby A sierra Nevada Pale ale is more akin to bmc than Bell's Amber Ale is. Or any ale for that matter. Most folks would consider snpa "the next step after bmc" for many folks.

If you're going to be a brew-******, then at least maybe you need to know more about beer styles yourself.

I'd swap out the guinness for a Left Hand Milk Stout, and maybe add a wheat for the last category.

what revvy said..

and i see your in michigan.. anything from founders would be good.. and i just had a barrel aged stout from new holland i think it was that was remarkably smooth

Revvy said:

In your anti-bmc arrogance, you're cutting out some awesome beers that are nothing like a light lager style- wheats, ambers, blonds, Belgiums, etc. are nothing like a light lager. I mean how is a Belgian Quad or Tripel like a bud light? How is Hoegaarden, one of the most amazing and sublime beers on the planet like it?

Heck if you're being snobby A sierra Nevada Pale ale is more akin to bmc than Bell's Amber Ale is. Or any ale for that matter. Most folks would consider snpa "the next step after bmc" for many folks.

If you're going to be a brew-******, then at least maybe you need to know more about beer styles yourself.

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It's not. I just don't like wheats, ambers, Belguims, etc.

Apendecto said:

It's not. I just don't like wheats, ambers, Belguims, etc.

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But is this for you or for a friend? Are you sharing something, or trying to shove your tastes down his throat? If he's a bmc drinker, rather than giving him something he's gonna hate, why don't you try to ease him in gradually?

ajbram said:

I'd swap out the guinness for a Left Hand Milk Stout, and maybe add a wheat for the last category.

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Good call on the Left Hand. I'll see if I have it around here.

Honestly I would go with Barney flats oatmeal stout over Guinness but that's just me. It's an amazing beer.

Revvy said:

But is this for you or for a friend? Are you sharing something, or trying to shove your tastes down his throat?

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Nope, not for me. But it would be nice to talk to him about stuff we could possibly have in common. The idea is not to "convert him" he's had a few of my homebrews that he likes and doesn't really know where to begin with craft beer. I would have nothing to say about a wheat or another style I'm not a fan of so it's not going in. I would have a completely different list if the idea was "the next beers to try after BMC". If you aren't a fan of my idea, that's fine, but that's what I'm going with and the insults aren't necessary.

laxilla said:

Honestly I would go with Barney flats oatmeal stout over Guinness but that's just me. It's an amazing beer.

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We don't have that around here, but an oatmeal stout isn't a bad idea at all.

how about Arcadia's Amber Ale?

Just because you don't like those beers doesn't mean your friend won't. Give him a good mix, so he can experience what else is out there other than American Light Lagers.

Sierra Nevada Pale Ale.
Bells Amber Ale.
Skip the IPA (if he likes the SNPA, suggest one).
Left Hand Milk Stout
Moose Drool is good
Bells Oberon, Pyramid Hefeweizen, or Widmer Hefe (Any good American Wheat)
A good Blonde ale
And Irish Red of some sort, or any other malty red.
An ESB, or malty british bitter.
Give him variety, but keep it BMC friendly. If you put a DIPA or RIS in front of him, he's probably not going to like it.

scottland said:

Just because you don't like those beers doesn't mean your friend won't. Give him a good mix, so he can experience what else is out there other than American Light Lagers.

Sierra Nevada Pale Ale.
Bells Amber Ale.
Skip the IPA (if he likes the SNPA, suggest one).
Left Hand Milk Stout
Moose Drool is good
Bells Oberon, Pyramid Hefeweizen, or Widmer Hefe (Any good American Wheat)
A good Blonde ale
And Irish Red of some sort, or any other malty red.
An ESB, or malty british bitter.
Give him variety, but keep it BMC friendly. If you put a DIPA or RIS in front of him, he's probably not going to like it.

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I probably didn't make it all that clear in the first post. He doen't just drink Bud light, he's had my beer and other styles. I'm with you on the DIPA and RIS because they are pretty extreme. And I like the red idea, too. Any ideas?

Apendecto said:

Nope, not for me. But it would be nice to talk to him about stuff we could possibly have in common. The idea is not to "convert him" he's had a few of my homebrews that he likes and doesn't really know where to begin with craft beer. I would have nothing to say about a wheat or another style I'm not a fan of so it's not going in. I would have a completely different list if the idea was "the next beers to try after BMC". If you aren't a fan of my idea, that's fine, but that's what I'm going with and the insults aren't necessary.

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It just that we get a lot of folks on here who think they have to "convert the masses." And it does come off as arrogance. They want to brew a beer for a work party, and mention that the majority are "stupid bmc" drinkers, yet rather than make something approachable that folks will like they want us to back them up in making a DIIPA.

And then after the party they'll start a thread about how pissed they were that folks poured their beer out. ANd how idiotic those people are for not understanding the greatness that a super hoppy beer is.

Quite frankly the comments you made in the first post don't sound too different.......

Revvy said:

ANd how idiotic those people are for not understanding the greatness that a super hoppy beer is.

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It's funny you mention this Revvy. I just read Stone's book about their early years and when they released their super hoppy beers, they were worried that the world wasn't ready for it, even if they were a little weaker by today's standards.

I guess we were all idiots then.

Revvy said:

It just that we get a lot of folks on here who think they have to "convert the masses." And it does come off as arrogance. They want to brew a beer for a work party, and mention that the majority are "stupid bmc" drinkers, yet rather than make something approachable that folks will like they want us to back them up in making a DIIPA.

And then after the party they'll start a thread about how pissed they were that folks poured their beer out. ANd how idiotic those people are for not understanding the greatness that a super hoppy beer is.

Quite frankly the comments you made in the first post don't sound too different.......

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We don't have to turn this thread into an argument. I just want to give this dude some beer that I like and see what he thinks. I've seen the same threads that you are referring to and I've seen some very logical arguments that you give that I agree with. I feel like you saw a few buzz words and thought I was/am one of those guys. I feel like it was a hurtful statement to quickly jump to "If you're going to be a brew-******, then at least maybe you need to know more about beer styles yourself." I'm not sure what's under the *'s, but even the second part is insulting. I could be a beer judge for all you know. What if I changed the first post to read "putting together a sample pack for a new craft beer drinker"? That's how I meant it to come off, not as some arrogant bastard (pun intended).

Apendecto said:

What if I changed the first post to read "putting together a sample pack for a new craft beer drinker"? That's how I meant it to come off, not as some arrogant bastard (pun intended).

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Then I wouldn't have said what I said, and would have made suggestions instead. That's a HUGE difference in tone.

Many of uson here think that that other EAC attitude gives both homebrewers and beer enthusiasts a bad name. Sort of the difference between a beersnob and a beer geek. Not everyone on here, especially a lot of us who have been around for awhile, or know the history of beer, bash bud at every turn. Or worship every frame of the beer wars movie as gospel handed down from the great gods of craft beer. Or look down on, or even care about other folks beer choices. Some even enjoy a light lager in the right situation.

Yet we get a lot of folks posting looking for pats on the back for bashing the big guys, or looking for fellow zealots, and are surprised when we call them to task on it.

Having said all that. An all Michigan Craft Beer selection would be awesome, you could hit some of the best representations of beer styles and still keep it local and accessible to him. Bell's, Founders, New Holland, Short's, Dragonmead, and North Peak have some amazing beers. All pretty easily available to us in Michigan.

I'd stick with those, and just choose within their lines for whatever styles you want.

North Peaks even has a new "Session Ipa" a lower grav yet hoppy beer, that sounds interesting.

I think a mild or ESB would round out your list nicely.

Revvy said:

Then I wouldn't have said what I said, and would have made suggestions instead. That's a HUGE difference in tone.

Many of uson here think that that other EAC attitude gives both homebrewers and beer enthusiasts a bad name. Sort of the difference between a beersnob and a beer geek. Not everyone on here, especially a lot of us who have been around for awhile, or know the history of beer, bash bud at every turn. Or worship every frame of the beer wars movie as gospel handed down from the great gods of craft beer. Or look down on, or even care about other folks beer choices. Some even enjoy a light lager in the right situation.

Yet we get a lot of folks posting looking for pats on the back for bashing the big guys, or looking for fellow zealots, and are surprised when we call them to task on it.

Having said all that. An all Michigan Craft Beer selection would be awesome, you could hit some of the best representations of beer styles and still keep it local and accessible to him. Bell's, Founders, New Holland, Short's, Dragonmead, and North Peak have some amazing beers. All pretty easily available to us in Michigan.

I'd stick with those, and just choose within their lines for whatever styles you want.

North Peaks even has a new "Session Ipa" a lower grav yet hoppy beer, that sounds interesting.

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Sounds good. Also, that North Peak Session IPA is great. As is their Wheat IPA (I'm I'm not a fan of wheat in general).

I know early on in my craft beer experience, I tried a ***** Creek ESB from Grand Teton and couldn't finish it. Great beer now, but my palette wasn't ready that early. Hopefully his is a little more experienced. I had a 90 Shilling from Odell the other night that was actually pretty decent. It was more toned-down than I liked, but had a good drinkable quality that your buddy might like. But I don't know if you like it/can get it there in the mitten.

Apendecto said:

Pale (Sierra Nevada)
IPA (Bell's Two Hearted)
Brown (Big Sky Moose Drool)
Porter (Great Lakes Edmund Fitzgerald)
Stout (Guinness Foreign Extra ???)
???

Here are the rules:
-Should be "craft" beer but something I have around here.
-I'd like to have each style made by a different brewery.
-Each beer should be a good example of the style and not have something like blueberries or ginger in it.
-I have to like it.
-It has to come in a 12 oz bottle or can.

What would your list look like?

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Ok How the hell are we supposed to know what beer YOU like??? I mean really??? I will try to Guess what beer you like just to have you respond with "I do not like that." Stand back while I divide by 0 again...

IMO your list is full of "meh" beers. If this was MY BMC drinking friend I would let them decide what beer they want to drink... If you want to help start out with some really mild but great beers. Since Imports are not out of the question let's get started with YOUR pics...

Pale (Sierra Nevada) - meh by definition and a BMC drinkers nightmare.

IPA (Bell's Two Hearted) - is a great IPA if you know what you are drinking. I gave a Stone Ruination to a BMC drinker once they had 3 drinks and said "that is the worst, foul thing I have ever tasted." Good luck with any IPA other than specifically PTE which is no where near you...

Brown (Big Sky Moose Drool) - a sweet malty bomb. This one may do ok but is a poor example of a brown IMO.

Porter (Great Lakes Edmund Fitzgerald) - We have a winner! F8inally a decent pick.

Stout (Guinness Foreign Extra ???) - look it is meh's ugly sister...

??? - Madam Zuzu will consult the bones and get back to you.

My list for your buddy would look like this:

Pale - No. I would recommend to go with a Samuel Adam's - Boston Lager or an Oscar's - Mama's Little Yella Pils. or a nice import, if you want something with a little hop bite try a Spaten Optimator.

IPA - not a chance. This is what drives a BMC drinker right back to BMC. I would fill this with a belgian or a wheat. I personally dislike MOST of the beers in these styles so I can understand that HOWEVER a lot of people really like these beers. I would choose either a Hoegaarden or Duvel instead.

Brown - If you can still find it, I would get a SN Tumbler, lots of subtle flavors or a Swartz beir if you can source it; which is not a brown but is a great beer that I think would fit this area well. If not then I guess the MD will do.

Porter - I agree with your pic.

Stout - GFS huh??? I would grab up a Samuel Smith's Oatmeal Stout or if for a lady friend, a Young's Double Chocolate Stout in a can. If you wanted to really be a cool, you could get a Founder's Breakfast Stout.

??? - I pick a nonbeer or a nonstandard beer. My 1st pick would be a Strongbow or a Crispen Apple wine/cider. A Fraoch - Heather ale. If you can not find any of those then maybe an old ale or a barley wine (not SN).

I would like to toss the hat of Anchor Steam into the ring there. A good bridge between the Lager and Ale world. My wife doesn't like hoppy beers, or stouts, or pretty much anything "craft." But she loves the Anchor Steam Beer. I am a fan too.

knotquiteawake said:

I would like to toss the hat of Anchor Steam into the ring there. A good bridge between the Lager and Ale world. My wife doesn't like hoppy beers, or stouts, or pretty much anything "craft." But she loves the Anchor Steam Beer. I am a fan too.

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Good call.

Samuel Smith's Winter Welcome
Young's Double Chocolate Stout
Chimay Bleu or Trois Pistoles (or some other Belgian Dark or Quad).

And heck, even my mom, who never drinks anything outside of Corona/Coors (and rarely at that) actually really liked a Jenlain bière de garde I made her try a while back.

The root of this thread is a little hard to reply to. You are asking us to help you pick beers you like, so you can get your buddy to drink them, so you guys have something to talk about regarding beer.

Now, if you were looking to put together a sampler pack of good examples of different beer styles, this would be the place to come. However, trying to pick what you like, without a list of what you like, is very difficult. And if you gave us a list, you wouldn't really need us, then, would you?

Not to be condescending, but this thread was asking to be flamed. If I may make a humble suggestion: either put together a 12er of commonly-regarded examples of various styles for your buddy and let him decide what he likes, or take him to a bottle shop/beer bar and get stuff together. That way, you can both explore new things and either enjoy them together, rag on them hard, or agree to disagree about what is good and what isn't. You were setting him up to only be exposed to what you like, and I don't think that's fair. The motivation is great: enjoying beer with a buddy and having something in common to talk about. I just feel like there are more objective ways to do it. Hell, maybe you'll even find a new appreciation for a beer you never knew about, or previously thought you didn't like.

Apendecto said:

We don't have to turn this thread into an argument. I just want to give this dude some beer that I like and see what he thinks. I've seen the same threads that you are referring to and I've seen some very logical arguments that you give that I agree with. I feel like you saw a few buzz words and thought I was/am one of those guys. I feel like it was a hurtful statement to quickly jump to "If you're going to be a brew-******, then at least maybe you need to know more about beer styles yourself." I'm not sure what's under the *'s, but even the second part is insulting. I could be a beer judge for all you know. What if I changed the first post to read "putting together a sample pack for a new craft beer drinker"? That's how I meant it to come off, not as some arrogant bastard (pun intended).

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For what it's worth, I honestly don't think your post was "beer-snobbish" in the least. And there are daily threads around here in which are beer snobs trying to force craft beer on BMC drinkers and the anti-beer snobs lobbing insults back, trying to knock down the elitist attitude. I honestly don't think your post came off in that way at all.

Moving on... I actually think using beers in styles that YOU enjoy is a great way to start off. You're not saying to the guy, "No, no... those other styles SUCK. You'll only like these, TRUST ME." You're saying, "Hey, these are the styles I happen to like best, and I can talk to you about them and describe WHY I happen to like them best." Then, maybe both of you can branch off to try different styles or representations of the styles. Absolutely help him find and experience and enjoy the beers HE wants to drink. Doesn't mean you can't help him along by offering up suggestions that YOU personally like.

If a friend came up to me asking for information on mechanical engineering because he was looking to get into that field, I wouldn't start with aspects of the career that I personally feel are sh*tty. I'd start by informing him on aspects of the career that I feel are pleasurable first. Then we can get to other aspects that come with the territory. Maybe he'll love those other aspects that I hate, but that's not the point.. nor is it the method of delivery that should be given.

What a bunch of ****ing ********* answers...cmon, really? You call the o.p. a beersnob? Look at some of the following posts...ugghh.

Uhh oh. I may have caused more harm than good... This is not a "this beer is better than..." thread. What are your favorites? We can leave the "snobbish" opinions at the door. This is what I'm going with, good or bad, so what would you do?

The Samuel Smith Oatmeal Stout is a good idea. I'll have to see if it's in 12oz bottles around here. Anchor Steam is another good one.

Thanks for having my back, xjmox14x.

The "I like it" was almost a joke and that's why I put the smiley face after it. Obviously, everyone's tastes are different and no one is a mind reader here. Honestly, I'd probably take everyone's suggestions and then pick the one I liked most anyway so I figured it wouldn't hurt to put up front.

Sorry that was harsh and a blanket statement. I meant one or two holier than thou posts at the beginning. Apologies to any offended ..

Apendecto said:

That's why wheats, ambers, blonds, Belgiums, etc. are out.

Pale (Sierra Nevada)
IPA (Bell's Two Hearted)
Brown (Big Sky Moose Drool)
Porter (Great Lakes Edmund Fitzgerald)
Stout (Guinness Foreign Extra ???)
???

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I completely disagree on your assessment of what a good gateway 6 pack is for a BMC drinker. Wheats, ambers, blondes, etc are the best beers to introduce to someone who is used to fizzy yellow beer...

My first non-BMC was a Belgian Dark Strong (Trois Pistoles). First beer I bought at the local store when I was finally of-age, actually. I loved it, and that's what got me into craft beer.

In fact, that's one beer that every BMC drinker I've given it to has liked (to some extent). And a dark, 9% ale with plenty of Belgian yeast character is about as far as you can get from BMC, so I'm not sure why the OP said "Belgiums" are out.

Cascadia Ales has a good IPA - very tangy American style.

emjay said:

I'm not sure why the OP said "Belgiums" are out.

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Because he doesn't care for them.

IffyG said:

I completely disagree on your assessment of what a good gateway 6 pack is for a BMC drinker. Wheats, ambers, blondes, etc are the best beers to introduce to someone who is used to fizzy yellow beer...

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I agree..

Pale-Firestone Pale 31
IPA-Lagunitas
Brown-Lost Coast Downtown Brown
Porter-Deschutes Black Butte
Stout-Samuel Smiths Oatmeal Stout

I would include a good Pilsner, probably Gordon Biersch Czech Style Pilsner, or maybe Pilsner Urquell.

I say go with a scottish wee heavy that would be a great nail in the coffin

If you're looking for a good oatmeal stout The Poet from New Holland is very good.