Blazing new beer trails

I would say use the kid in the candy store approach. The one thing you will not find from macros are singles. I have even asked for them in my shop so that I could "tick" more of them. Sadly that seems to be the one thing that differentiates the macros form the craft beer. Singles. SO go to your bottle shop or grocery store that has a selection of singes. Think about all the beer you see as new flavors and colors. Then I have to teach you the one basic of buying singles. Check the best by or bottled on dates that are on the bottles and simply start trying them all!

 

I suggest that you try a variety of beers to see what tickles your fancy and what does not. Read about Beer Styles in the Beers tab at top of screen.
My suggestions

1. A nice pilsener. Victory Prima Pils is great.
2. A pale ale. Sierra Nevade Pale Ale is great. If you like it, try an IPA. I recommend Stone IPA or Smuttynose Finest Kind IPA.
3. A hefeweisen. Weihenstephaner is great.
4. A Belgian Pale Ale. Duvel is great.
5. A stout or porter. I like Smuttynose Robust Porter. If you like, try an Imperial Stout.
6. Vienna Lager and Helles are good suggestions. I don't have specific recommendations.
7. If you like trying things, add bock or doppelbock, saison (Hennepin is great), and quadruple, and a Flanders Red Ale.

 

This is a great post for a new craft person. Go to a local bottle shop that does mix and match and select a few different ones. Actually, I am sure the person there will be able to help you decide what to try. @Billybeer21 - if you don't mind me asking, what part of PA are you from?

 

I am not from PA but I do live in your neighbor NY! It's true and everyone will tell you something different. I expect that after your first mix six you should be a regular in both WBAYDN and in NBS! The mix six is the place to practice tasting. Get as many styles as you can.

 

I was asking where the OP was from, but I guess I did quote your post lol. Sorry about that.

 

I was going to say Prima Pils, but Storm King is a really good idea.

 

Try going to some local breweries and do some tastings. Hopefully they will explain the beer you are sampling and you can begin to tell what you like and dislike.

 

Coors Lite, Miller Lite, Labatt Blue Light are my recommendations. If you really want to step out of that comfort zone consider trying a fuller flavored beer such as Michelob Original or Coors Banquet.

 

A lot of beers were recommended above, and mostly all of them are good suggestions. It was mentioned once to get a mix-a-six when you go to the store, so hopefully your store does sell singles. (Is that an issue in Pennsylvania?) So whatever beers that you put on your shopping list, you don't have to commit to buying a full six pack.

I also agree that if you have a local brewpub, go there and order a sampler flight. You'll get 4-oz. glasses of as many beers as you choose (usually you can get any/all of a brewery's beers). Ask the bartender to suggest ones that will fit your tastes.

You can also watch out this week for Oberon Ale from Bell's Brewery to be released. It is a summer wheat beer that is very popular, and is also considered to be an entry-level beer. That should be a good one for you.

When you have time, you can also search this forum using 'newbie' as your search word. There are a number of threads that ask for suggested beers to get started, so they will be good reading for you.

 

I can’t comment upon the retail beer scene in Martinsburg but in my area (Philly area) there are a number of retailers that permit a mix-a-six. I personally refuse to do this since all too often those singles are old. This is also my personal experience at Total Wine stores as well.

Cheers!

 

Since the Straub Brewery is about 80 miles due north of you, I'll recommend Straub's Sunshine Sampler or Legacy Sampler case (whichever is in season). Those mix cases have some really good examples of classic beer styles that will be very different from Bud Light, but still approachable [I hope] by someone newer to craft beer. Straub is also affordable enough that if you don't like something you hopefully won't feel like you wasted much money on it. https://www.straubbeer.com/beers/straub-sampler-packs.php

Alternatively, I second @utopiajane's suggestion of find a place near you that does mix 6-packs and grab whatever catches your eye.

Good luck. Enjoy.

 

The Sunshine Sampler should be coming out in another few months (My local stores typically obtain them mid-June). The Legacy sampler is a Fall release so those beers are 'older' (too old IMO) now.

On a related matter there last seasonal beer was the Altbier (Jan/Feb) and I bought a 6-pack of that beer. The next seasonal release should be their Maibock which is a very tasty beer IMO.

Cheers!

 

Go to a brewery or bar that offers flights, ask for a variety of different styles.

Knickerbocker Tavern in Altoona

 

FWIW, I had a Legacy pack last year around this time and I thought the beers held up OK; certainly well enough to give someone new to craft beer a reasonable concept of the different beer styles.

And this may be sacrilegious to say around here, but personally I wouldn't tell someone new to craft beer to stress over beer freshness dates. They will have enough to think about just navigating various styles and breweries, without the stress of finding and deciphering different brewer's dating codes. Beer freshness dates can be lesson #2.

 

But Randy, here is the 'challenge'. If a person new to craft beer buys some old(er) beer and is disappointed with the potential stale flavors of those beers they may not be motivated to further explore craft beer.

It would be my personal preference for Billybeer21 to wait a few months to purchase a variety pack from Straub and obtain a better quality (fresher) beer drinking experience. If he is anxious to try a Straub craft beer I would suggest that he purchase a 6-pack of the Straub Maibock (although I am uncertain whether the Maibock style will exactly be his 'cup of tea'?).

Cheers!

 

Certainly, it's a challenge, but the other challenge is not making the bar to entry too high/frustrating for new-comers. I do not dabble much in wines, partly because I find navigating the grape varieties, wineries, regions, vintages, and prices intimidating; and would not want beer to give people a similar feeling. I think we can hope the store is doing their job by pulling out of date product, and save that freshness discussion/lesson for another day.

Besides, if someone coming from Bud Light tries Straub's munich-style dunkel for the first time I doubt the deciding factor for their enjoyment will be if it's 1 month old vs 10 months old. Also, part of the reason I recommend Straub is even an "old" bottle of Straub is often fresher than most exported beers of similar styles that are within date.

 

My local beer stores do not do that. You must have 'better' local retailers than I do.

If so, Cheers to your local retailers!!

 

I used to be a Bud Lite drinker years ago, and Killians Irish Red was my first foray outside of my comfort zone. While certainly not a particularly great craft beer, it was a good stepping stone for me, FWIW.