Introductory craft beer 6 pack

Chuckanut Kolsch, Elevated IPA, La Fin du Monde, Black Butte Porter, Alaskan Amber, and Spotted Cow are the beers I'd start with.

 

Very interesting question. I can easily think of one or two beers that I like to introduce to the uninitiated, but I really needed to think about six.

I put together a list of six different styles, basically of beers that I personally really like and that I also think could be appreciated by someone who is not into beer. It was actually hard to select just six beers! I also put them in the proposed order, not that I would condone consumption at once. Even though the prescribed advice is to go from least bitter to most bitter (not light to dark as many think), I made my own order based on what I think would be good to start with and how to progress from beer to beer.

1. Stillwater Artisanal Ales - Extra Dry
2. Half Acre Beer Company - Vallejo
3. Jack's Abby - Smoke & Dagger
4. Mast Landing Brewing Company - Gunner's Daughter
5. Troegs Brewing Company - Troegenator
6. Boulevard Brewing Co. - Bourbon Barrel Quad Barrel-Aged Ale (BBQ)

 

If we're going 'introductory' i.e. assuming no prior knowledge of beer/beer flavors, I like the variety here. I think I'd swap out one of the Pils or Anchor Steam for something else. Probably a 'clean' Belgian beer. dubble, tripel, or quad. If the goal is to showcase the beer flavor spectrum.

Not that there's anything wrong with Anchor Steam or a Pils. But I think they're - on the spectrum of beer flavors - not too dissimilar.

Similarly, I think, you're in the same ballpark (ish?) with the dark larger and imp. stout. I might take one out and throw in something barrel aged - maybe stout to capture both stout and barrel aged characteristics.

Interesting discussion!

 

I'd make it a 5-pack:

 

Hmmm, let me think for a minute:

Sierra Nevada Pale Ale
Great Lakes Edmund Fitzgerald
Lindemans Framboise
Alaskan Amber
Cigar City Maduro
Schlafly Pumpkin Ale

Nothing really expensive or potentially off-putting in terms of ABV, hoppiness, funk, barrel, or flavorings, just a variety of solid offerings from some great breweries.

I do like the idea of having Spotted Cow in there, but unless you live close to Wisconsin you'd have to jump through hoops to get it. Most of the above are pretty easy to get, from my experience anyway.

 

Great question!

I don’t think I’ve ever done this for anyone, but if they’re truly new to beer (let’s say outside of macro) I’d probably keep it as accessible as I could flavor-wise while trying to sort of run the gamut.


SNPA
FW Union Jack
Deschutes Black Butte
Duvel
Paulaner Munich Helles
Ayinger Celebrator

 

My example was a slower process with a good friend who was only into AMF cocktails or 'spicy blue water' as he affectionately called it. After about a month of weekly outings to the same brewery just by talking and having him try different things, explaining (in my Initiate words/understanding) what to look for, appreciate, smell, taste, etc. He picked up quite an appreciation for kettle sours, Irish dry stouts, and the occasional IPA.

I think you have a solid list picked out from the ones I've tried and others I've heard about.

Tldr: if the receiver is really new to beer, tell them why each example picked is worth their time and how to appreciate it by looking for those specific nuances related to each style.

Cheers!

 

I have actually done this before. My oldest brother who is 11 years older than me moved to Texas when I was 10 yrs. old. He never really came around much and i didn’t have much contact with him over the years. Along comes social media and he reached out to me and we eventually got together. He was your typical macro drinker but was interested in some of the beers I was talking about when discussing beer. A few camping trips and sessions on the back porch, I shared some of the beers I was interested in and drinking at the time and he really enjoyed them. After returning back to Texas he was more open minded about trying new beer and Saint Arnold Brewing became his favorite new brewery. Here is a short list of some of the beers I remember sharing with him.

Allagash Tripel Reserve
La Fin Du Monde
Chimay Cinc Cents Tripel
Franziskaner Weisbierr
Liefmans Cuvée Brut
Pabst Blue Ribbon

 

It would be tough to narrow it down to only six beers with so many beer styles that would lend themselves to introducing someone to craft beer. These are some of the beers that helped usher me in to enjoying craft beer

• Sierra Nevada Pale Ale
• Bells Two Hearted
• Founders Porter
• Weihenstephaner Hefeweissbier
• Olde Mecklenburg Copper
• Samuel Smiths Oatmeal Stout

There are so many others that could be on this list, but I think that these are great beers that represent their respective styles very well and are great beers but also work as an introduction to the style.

 

I like the term “world of flavorful beer.” I’d like to borrow that. As for your question, here’s what I got, off the top of my head, but with a local twist:

Fox Farm Welly (English bitter)
Jack’s Abby Hopunious Union (hoppy)
Allagash White (white ale)
Treehouse Ace in the Hole (porter)
Schilling Alexander (Czech Pils)
Jack’s Abby Copper Legend (Octoberfest)

 

This is fun! And surprisingly hard to only pick 6, how do I leave out all of the German masterpieces! Anyways here goes nothing…

1. New Glarus Spotted Cow
2. Bells Two Hearted
3. Unibroue La Fin Du Monde
4. Founders Breakfast Stout
Now to get something wild..
5. Cantillon Kriek
And a barleywine because it’s the best
6. Anchorage DWTD

Plus DWTD feels like an appropriate metaphor of what will happen to your wallet when you get into craft beer!

 

Someone new to craft beer provides a great experiment opportunity.

If there is a chance to let them taste Old Raspy and a pastry stout with all the adjuncts, and see what they like better without any influence or bias.


Do the same with a fruit smoothie kettle sour vs a wild fermented funky Gueze or Lambic etc.

Give them a macro lager and a Pilsner Urquell.

Torpedo vs a DDH NEIPA murk bomb.

 

"If you were going to introduce a friend who was curious but clueless to the world of flavorful beer, how would you do it?"

I have an old friend who was in this situation, clueless and sick of AAL flavor.
My friend does not drink whole drinks but only has 2-3-oz. samples of 1 or 2 different beers.
His son introduced him to IPAs such as Trillium and Tree House etc., I showed him some other styles. My buddy likes beers that he describes as "Beery" tasting which for him was Helles Lager, Pilsner, Kellerbier, Hefeweizen and his favorite so far, Witbier. Pearly Wit by Springdale was his #1 pick.

There have been times when I have recommended IPAs to novice friends, they usually think it's too big and hoppy. With the popularity of IPA, one might guess that it's a good starting point. That's what I thought. Now I say start them off easy, not too far away from where they started.

If I'm buying my six would be.

von Trapps
Helles Golden Lager
Bohemian Pilsner
Vienna Style Lager

Weihenstephaner
Hefeweissbier

Brooklyn Brewery
Brown Ale

Berkshire Brewing
Life on Marzen

Prost.

 

My journey started with Belgians Heffe and moved to SNPA and Stoudts ESB.

Not in the thinking mode right now but I would start with

Heffe
Double
Tripel
Brown ale
ESB
SNPA

Enjoy

 

A few months ago I posted In the thread “Which five beer styles would you like to see at a brewery” which I will repeat below but with a brand I can place within a six-pack holder:

“My dream pub on my desert island:

· English Bitter Ale served via cask – Forest & Main Tiny Tim

· Czech Dark Lager served via a Lukr side-pull tap - Von Trapp Tmave Pivo

· Classic American Pilsner (brewed with corn) – Straub 1872 Pre-Prohibition Lager

· Belgian Dubbel - Westmalle Dubbel

· A ‘regular’ IPA (aka WCIPA): Fat Head’s Headhunter IPA

And for the sixth beer I would choose a Porter – Deschutes Black Butte Porter.

Cheers!

 

Half Acre Daisy Cutter Pale Ale
Allagash White
Boulevard Tank 7
Victory Prima Pils
Founders Breakfast Stout
Cigar City Maduro Brown Ale

 

Love the inclusion of Death & Taxes. Now if only I could get some in Philadelphia.

 

You are going to have to travel to California to get that Moonlight beer (or trade for it).

Permit me to recommend Pour Mans Tmavé Pivo:



https://www.beeradvocate.com/community/threads/new-beer-weekend-111.668739/#post-7600233

I can buy Pour Mans beers at my local Retail Beer Distributor. Hopefully they make it into the city too.

Na Zdravi