Upgrading Your College Beers

Beast Light to Miller Lite

 

For me it was Miller High Life to Leinenkugels, New Glarus and Capital. I still enjoy Miller High Life even to this day though.

 

Most of my college beers were craft, but since graduation I've been able to splurge and drink things that are over $10 a six pack. Most of my college beer was Sierra Nevada, boulevard, and whatever was on sale.

 

Well, I graduated college a little over a week ago....

My first beer was a Bud Light. I had about 2 ounces and hated it. It tasted like a cream soda that went bad. A few months later I had several craft samples and I've been hooked ever since.

I guess my cheap beers of choice were Stag and Busch, but I don't know that I really transitioned there or away. It was more of just the beer I grabbed for float trips or Saturday night after a race.

Fun story: the first time I drank at a college party was this past year. I brought two Founder's Breakfast Stouts for the occasion. Unfortunately, I'm not kidding.

 

PBR to PBR.

I drank a lot of craft beer in college but I can still appreciate adjunct lagers for what they are. They all still have a place in my fridge.

 

I've drank Busch Light maybe 5 times in the 10+ years since I graduated.

 

Shipstone's Bitter to Shipstone's Bitter.
Shipstone's Mild to Belvoir Dark Horse (created by Shipstone's ex brewer)
Not an upgrade because these beers cannot be improved upon.

 

Fosters oil can.
Mickeys 64 oz.
Old Ignorance 40 oz.
College is about being cheap and getting shitfaced.

 

Graduating in 1988, not much changed. I had moved up to Labatts Blue from Bud Light. By graduation Sam Adams Lager and Pete's Wicked became the norm. Maybe Red Hook ESB. Then by 1991 I was almost all craft (Boulevard and Free State mostly).

 

This one really doesn't apply to me, since it took me 20 years to graduate college (First Class, 1983, BS, 2003)

 

I took what is probably considered the typical route to craft beer

17-19: pounding Natty, Beast, and Keystone every night

20-23: pounding Bud, Miller, and Coors every night

23-25: trying Newcastle, Stella, dabbling in a bit of craft beers from local bars, drinking Sam Adams

25-27: trying craft beer fully, getting my taste for IPA's and Russian Imperial Stouts but still having the occasional AAL when in certain situations

27-now (30 as of this post): full on beer geek

 

Rolling Rock to beer
Meister Brau to Pete's Wicked Ale
Big Walter to Summit
Point to New Glarus
Frankenmuth Pilsner to Frankenmuth Little Bavaria Pilsner
Goebel to Guinness
Pfeiffer to New Belgium
Carlings Black Label to Sierra Nevada

 

It seems like as I have progressed, I have always added to the palate. My progression looks something like this:

17-21 Keystone Light, Mickeys, Sierra Nevada

22-26 Miller Light, High Life, Newcastle, Stone, Anchor, Firestone Walker

27-32 (now). Port Brewing, Alchemist, Lawsons, Cigar City, Modern Times, Cellarmaker, Drie Fonteinen.

 

I didnt go to college but when I started drinking it was things like Hobgoblin, like that was GOLD for me. I dont know if I drink anything remotely like it anymore.

 

No upgrades because function has always dictated my beer consumption.

Function can be divided into two general categories.

1. Party (Kegstand, BeerPong, etc.) = ____ Light or maybe Yuengling.
2. Pleasure (sateity, beverage with food) = craft.

Still following these functional rules as of last weekend.

 

Bud to Sammy

 

I follow the same rules. Thankfully, I have spent very little time without knowledge of "better beer". I discovered Craft Beer with the thanks of some family before I was able to buy it myself

Like you pointed out though, I'm all for Macro Lagers when it comes to guzzling and general overconsumption

 

During college (CSU Chico) went from Corona to Sierra Nevada Pale Ale.

 

93-97 UVA was a litany of the various flavors of Beast (normal, Ice and Light). For the 1st year after UVA I was ticking anything I could fund, tho most were AALs. I did manage to have some Pete's Wicked while they were still around.

Around '98 I hit the Pennsylvania trifecta (Troegs/Victory/Weyerbacher) and the rest is history.