Nostalgic beer

Genesee cream ale.........

 

Goose Island IPA. It was my first craft beer so I grab a six pack every now and then. Usually when I stop in a BMC dominated store and they will have some GI products I grab it for a quick hop fix.

 

Sam Smith's Imperial Stout, it's where my love of stouts began!

 

Guinness and Newcastle. They were my introduction to possibility of more flavor in beer.

 

A couple that pick up every once in a blue moon are Rainier Ale (a shadow of the beer brewed in Washington) and Olympia (one of my dad's favorites, shared many on the lakes fishing.) A few no longer produced that i wish were still around are Ballantine IPA, Michelob Classic Dark, any Bert Grants, Palo Alto Brewing Co. London Real Ale and Pabst Bock. I would bet my last dollar that Pabst would make decent coin if they brought back the Bock as a seasonal

 

Since I got into craft beer while living in St. Louis, anything Schlafly, especially their Pale Ale and Hefeweizen

 

Pitchers of Shiner Bock at the Posse West got me through grad school. Back in the day, it was cheap, flavorful and ubiquitous in Austin.

 

Rogue Hazelnut Brown Nectar
Boulevard Double-Wide DIPA
Delirium Tremens

 

Arrogant Bastard. My first "real" hoppy beer that I enjoyed. I will always be a sucker for it when I find it fresh. A great beer that got me deeply into craft. Maybe I should hate it?

 

You should neither hate it nor be a sucker for it- it's a very nice beer. Enjoy it for what it is.

 

Sam Adams Winter Lager - My first beer, reminds me of my college days.

Blue Moon Summer Honey Wheat - Reminds me of hot July evenings listening to baseball games on the radio.

New Holland The Poet - One of my favorite oatmeal stouts and one I always associate with Halloween.

Sam Adams Old Fezziwig Ale - Christmas in a bottle, and what says nostalgia more than Christmas?

Sam Adams Summer Ale - I always have this one on Memorial Day weekend. Being a huge racing fan, this Sunday is my favorite day of the year with the Monaco Grand Prix, Indianapolis 500, and Coca-Cola 600 all happening back to back, and I always enjoy a few Summer Ales during the last two races.

 

The beers I initially got into when I first got into craft around 2001... Sierra Nevada Pale and Bigfoot, Young's Double Chocolate Stout, Samiclaus, Old Rasputin, Celebrator Doppelbock, Anchor Steam, Goose Island, etc. I would type out my notes on my old desktop and pretend I was Michael Jackson (the beer writer, not the hologram).

 

My girlfriend at the time (now my wife) worked checkout in a grocery store. She suggested that I try arrogant bastard because it seem to be a popular selling bomber at her store. Now the craftiest beer I experienced before this was Sam Adams Boston lager and Alaskan Amber. Needless to say, I loved the whole "I am not worthy" tongue lashing, enjoyed the beer (what am I tasting? Hops!), and the rest they say is history. On a last note, I think my wife wishes she never mentioned arrogant bastard to me because she would never have guessed the craft monster that she woke up.

 

Many SA or SN beers could be mentioned, but I give the nod to SA Cream Stout for being a real eye opener to me.

 

My path from Pabst and Olympia, the original beers that I drank often and lovingly tolerated started with Golden Spike (from Uinta). While I don't drink it (or the other two) that often anymore, it was the gateway beer that showed me beer could have different flavors, smell, colors and so much more.

 

Pete's Wicked

 

SNPA, Sam Adams BL, Brooklyn Lager, Weihenstephaner Dunkle and Hefe (B-Day gifts from my dad), Guinness, Stone IPA Ruination and IRS. All of those got me into what I love now.

 

I'll always associate Natty Light with some really fun (but exceedingly sketchy) high school moments. Good times with some really bad beer.

 

Mickeys, Little Kings, Miller ponies...needless to say they are from days past.

MGD, Shiner Bock, Colt 45 32oz...hey, I have a lot of days past.

Two Hearted - first time I had it was on a fishing trip on the majestic White river. It tasted like a spring meadow after a refreshing rain...butterflies, honeysuckle, rainbows and a pot of gold...will never forget it...(I think I saw a unicorn).

 

I drank a snpa today for the first time in a loong while and was reminded just how good it is... reminds of me when I first tried it and was like OMG this is disgusting. My how times have changed