So I recently reconnected with an old high school friend who moved back into the area and we've been hanging out fairly regularly since last fall. Dude was straight-up Keystone 30-Packs, so needless to say, I always had my own beer when we would hang. I gradually got him started on some Christmas Ales (namely GL Christmas Ale), and got him trying stuff like FBS, WNB, Hopslam, etc throughout the winter, almost all of which he started really enjoying. Last Sunday he asked me to come by and watch the Michigan-Indiana game and "bring some of those good beers", so I went for broke and brought out a couple Black Notes and BCBS. Looks like it sealed the deal as he texted me a pic of a mixed six he picked up today featuring FBS, Brewery Vivant, an Arcadia Hop Rocket and a couple others. I'm certainly not fishing for props or likes here, but it was kinda cool watching his palate evolve and I thought I'd share. Cheers to the good stuff!
I met a guy last year whose wife works with my wife. He was strictly Bud Light drinker but for special occasions he'd bust out a Blue Moon. He sated hanging out with us, brewed a couple of batches of homebrew with me, but the last time I wet to his house it was still Bud light and Blue Moon. Last night they invited us over and what a change. He admitted my rye stout had flipped him to the dark side so he had a variety of Texan stouts and porters, and to finish the night he pulled out some SN Torpedos, something that would have gagged him just a few months ago,
I had a crew of 18 at my house tonight for St. Paddy's. The closest I had to a macro was Guinnes Draught and some Harp. Everything else was Brooklyn, Hooker, Weyerbacher, etc. Everyone was happy finding a buzz with their choice from the cooler. And it all went.!!! So I belive an enthusiastic crowd and cold beer are the key ingredients.
My wife introduced me to craft beer. Previously, I was anti-beer (since BMC tastes bad). Now I'm way more into beer than she is. Between the two of us, we influenced both her brothers away from an entirely Miller High Life lifestyle. Now, one won't touch macros and the other rarely does. Both prefer hop bombs. My younger brother is all craft now, having started with all Bud Light. My older brother now typically drinks craft instead of Busch. He's starting to develop preferences -- he's recently learned he likes porters. My mother doesn't drink often, but when she does, it's usually an imperial stout or an IPA. My father has progressed from Michelob Ultra...to MGD 64.
Turned my friend on to Bell's Two Hearted Ale @ a local bar on Friday...after having one or two IIPAs/DIPAs he has been on the fence w/the style. He definitely was on board after the Two Hearted. Thank goodness for singles because it has helped me & the palate develop a taste for IPAs. Knowing the differences within the style, the different varieties of hops & even the regions the style is made in has all helped my understanding of what I find palatable. It was nice to pass on this gateway IPA to a friend on the fence w/the style.
My girlfriend once told me that she didn't like beer, then I gave her some steamwhistle - now she's really into stouts.
Good job! This happened to me over the last year. I wasn't BMC only before, but now I purchase craft and foreign only.
I don't make an effort to convert people and I try to limit my sarcastic remarks about their choices, but I do make a huge variety of beers available for anybody to try.
Good job. Converting people is a great thing. Show them the light and get them away from light beers!
I believe the first person I converted was my wife. She used to be a Coors Light drinker, now she's more of an IPA fan. She's still not a fan of Stouts or Porters though.
As someone who only recently got "converted" it's already hard for me to keep my comments towards friends quiet. As I'm still in college, I hear a lot of "Bud Light/Corona/Natty/Other crappy beer is my favorite. I love this stuff!" It literally makes me cringe now. If I had the money, I'd totally try and introduce them to better stuff. One day, one day...
