American Diplomatic Beer Package?

Bell's Two Hearted

 

This greatly depends on what kind of beer he usually drinks. Even if you were to take him some stellar American beers he may not be ready for the style.

 

Lawson puts out some tasty beers. Mean Old Tom is a great American Porter

 

What did he drink at the pub? Most English beers are lower in IBUs and lower in ABV than US crafts. If he was drinking mild and bitter ales he might think an American IPA is an abomination.

 

I had a friend come over from the UK not too long ago and she hated American beer and was used to drinking a lot of Brit bitters and whatnot. I set her up with some Weyerbacher Double Simcoe IPA and she did a 180.

 

Your UK customer sounds like a beer snob - British style. And his idea of the jingoism is on point, if he's referring to the macros. You first need to educate him about this and let him know that jingoism is a device of BMC and not craft beer. Then have him taste some beers attuned to a style he likes. Apples, oranges and all that.

 

Just throw some Cascade hops in some carbonated water.

 

Style is going to be key. If his palate isn't expecting it some of the bigger DIPAs are going to turn him off, despite being one of the places American breweries excel.

 

From your list I'd definitely include:
DFH- Burton Baton, Palo Santo Marron
Oskar Blues- Ten Fidy, Old Chub
Bell's- Two Hearted
Founders- Porter, Breakfast Stout

I'd also include some Sierra Nevada selections just to drive the point home that you are giving him beers that are very popular and reasonably easy to find within with the craft brewing community, and are quite representative of it; nothing too obscure. I'd go with the Pale Ale, Torpedo and a seasonal.

 

Well taste is a funny thing. you can hit someone over the head with your favorite for years but if they hate it, they hate it. I used to try to convert folks, I gave up. its their beer trip.

I am one that hated lagers in the 1960's and 1970's and so I stopped even trying beer, until I joined the US NAVY. I started on English ales. as one whose taste buds did not even like beer, this was a huge change. It took a few years for me to even like the mild English hops. I took to the malty stuff mainly. Then I found Belgians, and German beer again but local and fresh. Not the old imports.

Until fairly recently most Europeans did not get exposed to in your face hoppy beers. Americans of course seem to be hooked on them! It was all about balance....hop forward beers are not balanced beers.....its like sours its something NOT everyone can acquire.

So that all said, in London and other places there are newer micro brewers and they make more hop forward stuff now, have him try those first. its local and fresh. its like a good Munich lager its better local, than shipped in a ship for months.................just my 2 cents YMMV

yea I know they invented the English IPA btw.

 

It appears you are in Charlotte, so I'd say add some Olde Mecklenburg beers in there; perfect way to show him that U.S. brewers are not just all about "more is better" and actually know how to craft some difficult, traditional styles extremely well. Then move on to our signature C-hops APAs and IPAs (Sierra Nevada PA and Bell's Two Hearted).

 

Hmmm...if you're in NC how about some Mother Earth Endless River Kolsch.

 

Nothing too extreme, just a diverse assortment of awesome.

SNPA
DFH India Brown
Stone IPA
Victory Prima Pils
North Coast Old Rasputin
Evolution ESB

 

I'd throw in a good stout or porter, perhaps Green Flash Double Stout.

 

Could definitely replace the ESB, maybe that style is best left to the Brits anyway. Old Raspy is an RIS though, so maybe a coffee or vanilla stout of some kind.

 

Great Lakes Commodore Perry, Burning River and Edmund Fitzgerald. Those should all appeal to a British beer drinker, as long as his faves aren't Euro InBev products.

 

yea them Brits they sure never had any porter or stout over there.....

 

1 Anchor Porter
1 Samuel Adams Boston Ale
1 Ramstein Winter Wheat
1 Weyerbacher Blithering Idiot
1 Victory Storm King
1 Ommegang Adoration

 

Pretty Things St. Botolph's Town
North Coast Old Rasputin
Dogfish Head 60 Minute
Cigar City Maduro

Solid offerings from four different parts of the country.