Beer recommendations for Wine snobs.

Yes, we just meet tonight. Needless to say, I'm head over heals in love with her already!

 

I'm not an avid wine drinker and far from an expert but I can differentiate between wine.

 

i think everyone pretty much nailed, RR sours are definitely a great start since some of them are aged in wine barrels, also almanac farmers reserve series. #3 is aged in wine barrels with strawberries and nectarines....and i cant wait to crack it !!

 

I would stick with Trappists and Belgian Quads.

 

Bois

 

belgiuminabox.com
I just got 2 Cantillon beers from there: Saint Lamvinus and 100% Kriek Bio. Worth checking out the selection on that site.
As for the beer/wine conundrum, I drink both beer and wine. For wines I prefer hearty reds like Cab Sauv, Zin and Spanish Riojas/Tempranillos. If they're red drinkers (especially at $100/bottle, geez) that means they like bold reds that are complex since you won't find many Chiantis that are that pricey. We're mostly talking Cab Sauv or French wines with a good chance they are a blend of Cab and Merlot, maybe even Italian like Amarone. Wild Ales and Sours won't appeal to them. Some of the other posters above made good points about going with Belgian Abbey Ales and Quads. Nothing too sweet, though, as expensive red wines are dry (depending on the style they're either off dry, moderately dry or very dry). A really good Stout may also do favourably. Barleywines can be rather complex, but probably too sweet.

 

Saint Bernardus ABT12 and Rochefort 10 would be good choices, IMO. Don't know how available they are to you in CA, but here in NJ I have them in my store all the time and both are great beers that I believe are both on this site's top 100, maybe both top 50 rated beers? Don't recall off the top of my noggin, but I do know they are both very well rated.

 

I haven't had Saison Rue yet, so can't speak to that.
Supplication might be good for someone who also likes Sauvignon Blanc, which is my favourite white wine to drink as I find (US) Chardonnays too pedestrian with all the over oaking most wineries do. I think Supplication is brilliant. The Pinot Noir barrel aging gave it a bit of both a vinous and viscus feel. At one point I felt like I had popped a black cherry and black grape in my mouth. And I didn't think it was too sour/funky, but had just the right balance with the fruit.
Haven't had Sofie since the GI promo party to celebrate and kickoff them coming to NJ, but I remember really liking it. I think it's more for white wine lovers than people who drink $100 bottles of red, TBH.

 

A good wheat wine.

 

This may sound like a dumb question, but if they're as big into wine as you make them seem, then why are you trying to sway them over to beer? I mean, I'm all for horizon-expanding when in the right situation, but if you're going to party where the predominant drink is wine, then why basically set up a soapbox to, well, convert them?

(I must make this clear: No disrespect or anything, just seems kinda odd to me...)

 

Even if they don't like any of the beers, just the fact that they will be exposed to different styles of beer will blow their minds. Many people who don't drink beer actually believe that all beer tastes the same. The fact that there is an artisanal distinction between different kinds of beers may get some wine drinkers interested in the whole concept, just like a number of wine drinkers got converted to bourbon when bonded and single-barrel bourbons started coming out not so long ago. Wine drinking, unlike wine collecting, is not a pure hobby--there is no loyalty involved to the kind of beverage.

 

lambics,sours,and anything along those lines possibly? Wine has so many different styles,brands,tastes. It's unreal to me! I buy wines and think, why didn't I just start drinkin wine, this stuff is good and I think there are more wines out there than beer. It's crazy! I mean, other than the descriptions listed on the product, you don't know how your really going to like it but anyways I ranted. I drink wine. Love moscato's, riesling's, chardonnays. This made me think of lambics which resemble moscato's but with more of a wet mouthfeel compared to them. sours well, are your more dry wines. berliner weiss style is also a good one to hit your dry mouthfeel wine crowds too.

 

The Bruery Saison Rue was named the number one beer by Wine Enthusiast for 2012, iirc and was given an insanely high score. This could be used to your advantage in introducing beers to your enophile friends. I've only met a handful of people that still maintain the superiority of wine over beer. Most now recognize that beer offers just as much of a sensory experience as wine, albeit slightly different.

I would treat this as an educational experience. Beer doesn't rely on terroir and is much more dependent on the quality of the producer than the quality of the ingredients. Because of this and several other reasons, beer is much, much more dynamic and varying in flavor. It is also much easier to pair with food. Due to the highly acidic nature of wine, it can be difficult to pair with certain foods. Balsalmic vinegar is a somewhat infamous example. Beer, due to its diversity, can more easily be paired with foods that are unfriendly with wine.