The First Beer

Anchor Steam.

 

For my kid i would track down a bottle of Utopias and explain, these guys at Sam Adams started it all and this was their holy grail. But soon they lost their way. So kid on your way to success make sure not to lose yourself. A Beer and a lesson, granted a very expensive lesson but nonetheless.

 

I think if we are honest with ourselves it took a while for each of us of to acquire an appreciation for the more bitter tastes in life... When I was young, I drank my coffee with creamer and loved milk chocolate. Nowadays it's gotta be black coffee and dark chocolate. In Germany they have Kinderbeer (and we have kindergarten, go figure!)They mix beer with soda to make it sweet for the kids !!

 

Something local.

 

I will pretend that this hasn't already happened(*) and answer the way I will when he becomes 21, and steer him to a great Munich Dunkel, like Ayinger Altbairisch, or even an O'fest if it's that time of year. Those beers got me started as well as looking forward to my next one, way back when.

(*) the real answer is Lagunitas Sucks a few Christmas seasons ago- he asked for a sip, and I said "sure" knowing full well it would put an end to the curiosity for the time being. It worked .

 

Weihenstepaner Hefeweissbier will be palatable to most any beer drinker and usually gets them interested in the History of beer (oldest brewery). I reccommend that one especially to people who are Wheat beer regulars and are looking for something "new." They always love it and then I branch them out into other German styles like Doppelbock. If they like those I show them Belgian Dubbels/Tripels/Quadrupels...and then it evolves to American takes on those!

 

Not to mention broken hearts . . .

 

Sam Adams Boston Lager. I know it gets a lot of hate but it really is a pretty good beer to start things off. Alternatively, Anchor Steam. Starting off beginners with a whale or something really extreme might spoil them.

 

Maybe something like Samuel Smith's Oatmeal Stout or Fuller's London Porter.

A good brown ale might be nice as well (as others have mentioned). Maybe Bell's Best Brown.

If they wanted to get a little daring, maybe a good Scotch ale? Scotty Karate? That may be too high of an ABV, though.

 

BCBS, WWS, or 120 Minute.
You know... To weed out the weak and unworthy.

Jokes aside though, I know it's not craft beer but I've got many friends into craft with Guinness.

 

Because my son is more a wine drinker, I'd recommend Boulevard Tank Seven or better yet Saison Brett when he can find it. Other than that, maybe Samuel Smith Strawberry

 

My daughters first taste of craft beer was a Franziskaner hefe-weizen, she still likes the wheat ales, and moved up to cream stouts during the winter

 

If I end up having children, they will end up stealing my beer long before they turn 21. It'll be in their genes.

 

Not only that, but I'd try to give it to them at the brewery, where they can get a feel for the place, the people, and the brewers. I'd also have good people with us. Most people don't "like" their first beer because it's not what they're used to drinking - and brand new flavors, change, is difficult to adapt to quickly. Creating the right environment, the right memory to attach to that moment, is far more paramount.

 

I'd say a Vienna style lager like ex; Boston Lager or Brooklyn Lager. To see if they'd pick out a malt profile or hop profile first then suggest further styles from there. But people end up finding whatever anyways. Tastes always change.

 

You talk about beer like it's the plague and yet you are a "Beer Advocate". The key to everything is moderation, my friend. If you don't introduce your children to alcohol in a safe, controlled manner, chances are they will find other ways to get it in an uncontrollable, not as safe environment.

Not trying to tell you how to live your life, just speaking from personal experience.

 

Sierra Nevada, a Sam Adams...I would make them start at the beginning so they could enjoy the climb.

 

I would start them off on a beer without a hop presence that would kick them in the teeth. Instead start off with a nice Pilsner or even a Porter. Maybe not necessarily "craft" but a few beers come to mind as good starters are:

Pilsner:
Pilsner Urquell
Stiegl Pils

Porter:
Fullers London Porter

 

following TongoRad's "make pretend it didn't already happen", I would probably give them a lighter stout like tenfidy.

If I want to turn them against beer for a few years, it would be a DIPA.

Reality? I believe it was a sip of GI sophie? 2nd was a sip of bcbs. he loved both.