Build a mix-six pack for a new craft drinker

Discussion in 'Beer Talk' started by DeweyCheatem-n-Howe, Mar 10, 2016.

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  1. DeweyCheatem-n-Howe

    DeweyCheatem-n-Howe Initiate (0) May 23, 2015 Massachusetts

    Over on Reddit today, someone asked for a recommendation for some beers as he wanted to learn more about and get into drinking craft. His "friend" had suggested Not Your Father's Root Beer, which seemed like a silly thing... I figured a mix-six with six different beer styles would be a good idea for learning. So I put together this suggestion (with some consideration for widely-distributed and easily-available brands):

    • Pale Ale/Session IPA/American Pale Ale - Less bitter than an IPA but with nice floral or tropical hop flavors. I'd suggest a Ballast Point Grunion. Other good ones are Sierra Nevada Pale Ale and Dale's Pale Ale.

    • Hefeweizen - Sweet wheat beer, very tasty, very traditional German wheat beer, do not add any citrus fruit to it. Grab a Weihenstephaner Hefeweissbier. I won't even put alternatives - it's the standard and it's available just about everywhere.

    • Vienna Lager (I had to look up the style) - get yourself a Sam Adams Boston Lager. It's one of the old-school craft brews that helped start it all.

    • Russian Stout - dark, dark beer, very heavy, very rich malty flavor. You should be able to find a bottle of Old Rasputin, but if you can't, Oskar Blues Ten FIDY, Sierra Nevada's Narwhal or Great Divide's Yeti are all great. Warning, these are high ABV compared to standard tailgating beers.

    • IPA - the golden child of the average craft drinker, there's so many styles of IPA and so many amazing ones out there it's hard to recommend just one. Buuuuut... going back to Ballast Point and getting a Sculpin is never a bad thing. Or you could get a Bell's Two-Hearted Ale if it's distributed near you, or Dogfish Head 60 Minute is never a bad choice.

    • Porter - Dark beer, not as dark or heavy as a stout, but sweeter and maltier than your hoppy pale ales. I love Breckenridge's Vanilla Porter.
    What would be your six-pack of various styles for a new craft drinker? I'm sure there will be disagreements with mine, that's fine, but the conversation has got me interested in BA members' opinions on the subject.
     
  2. Dan_K

    Dan_K Pooh-Bah (1,980) Nov 8, 2013 Colorado
    Pooh-Bah Trader

    I'm not sure if a new beer drinker would be down for a RIS or IPA.
    I would probably do an Amber ale, a Brown ale, a craft lager, a porter, a heffeweizen, and an American Pale Ale.
     
  3. Oktoberfist

    Oktoberfist Initiate (0) Nov 26, 2014 Pennsylvania

    Now this a thread I can get into. Here are my thoughts:

    APA - SN Pale Ale?
    Amber Ale - NB Fat Tire?
    Lager - SA Boston Lager?
    Hefeweizen - SN Kellerweis?
    Porter - Deschutes or maybe even a chocolate/PB Porter?
    Session IPA (stepping stone to an IPA)- Founders All Day IPA?
     
  4. Harrison8

    Harrison8 Grand High Pooh-Bah (6,285) Dec 6, 2015 Missouri
    Pooh-Bah Trader

    Honestly? I'd build this one:

    SN Pale Ale
    Dale's Pale Ale/Grunion
    Vitus
    Korbinian
    SN Torpedo/Five Hop
    Black Butte Porter

    Hits some classics, and opens up some more basic beer flavor profiles. It would give them an opportunity to compare some very solid pale ales and others that stand by traditional beer values. Nothing too hoppy or dark. Although Breakfast Stout was one of my first stouts, I really didn't appreciate it until I had had some crummy, not-so-good stouts afterwards and revisited the Breakfast Stout. For that reason, I suggest starting simple and hitting some "easy drinkers".
     
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  5. NickTheGreat

    NickTheGreat Maven (1,470) Oct 28, 2010 Iowa
    Trader

    Agree with Dan, a BMC drinker isn't going to go for a crazy RIS or IPA.

    Keeping that in mind.

    Stout: Ten Fidy
    IPA: Surly Furious (Tough to pick here, but want to keep simple)
    Pale: Tallgrass 8 Bit (same. Don't go too crazy)
    Mild/Other: Great Divide Claymore Scotch
    Mild/Other: Funkwerks Saison or Deceit
    Pilsner: Sixpoint Crisp
     
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  6. Dan_K

    Dan_K Pooh-Bah (1,980) Nov 8, 2013 Colorado
    Pooh-Bah Trader

    I guess mine (using all CO beers) would be:

    Left Hand Polestar Pilsner -or- Upslope Craft Lager
    NB Fat Tire Amber Ale
    Odell Cutthroat Porter
    Telluride Face Down Brown Ale
    Left Hand Milk Stout (non-nitro)
    Odell Easy Street Wheat or NB Sunshine Wheat

    Dry Dock's Apricot Blonde would be a good sub for any of the dark beers if they were more inclined to fruity beers. When I first got into craft beer I found most to be too bitter including all of Oskar Blues and Odell Offerings (minus Easy Street)
     
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  7. Hesscabob

    Hesscabob Initiate (0) Mar 16, 2014 Illinois

    Arrogant Bastard - Because that's what we become after our craft beer knowledge grows
    Weihenstephaner - Solid and will grow appreciation of beers other than American brew
    Breakfast Stout - Great representation of the style and will deter or entice newbs
    Lagunitas IPA - A staple of IPA goodness with good malt presence and enough hops to see if a person is a hop beer fan
    Victory Pils - Smooth easy drinking, good stepping stone to American pils and slightly hoppy beers
    Anderson Valley Gose - To get the new person thinking of what a beer can really be
     
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  8. otispdriftwood

    otispdriftwood Initiate (0) Dec 9, 2011 Colorado

    First, I would only include three styles, with 2 different beers of each style. And my choices reflect what I started with.
    For a new craft drinker, six styles is overkill, IMO.

    Pale Ale - SNPA and anything else widely available under 7%
    IPA - Torpedo and anything else widely available under 7%
    Lager - Sam Adams and anything else widely available under 7%
     
  9. nick0417

    nick0417 Initiate (0) Jun 13, 2014 Illinois

    With national distro for someone entirely new to craft beer:

    Lager: Great Lakes Dortmunder/Great Lake Eliot Ness
    APA: SNPA - a classic, a must.
    IPA: DFH 60 minute
    Amber: Bells Amber
    Porter: Deschuetes Black Butte
    Stout: Deschuetes Obsidian

    Pretty standard, but a good set to ease them in. If you wanted to get a little crazy and really expand their mind, I'd consider:

    NB Abbey
    Left Hand Milk Stout - nitro or non
    SN Otra Vez
    Boulevard Tank 7
     
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  10. SammyJaxxxx

    SammyJaxxxx Initiate (0) Feb 23, 2012 New Jersey

    1.) Sierra Nevada Pale Ale
    2.) Allagash White
    3.) Victory Prima Pils
    4.) DFH 60 minute
    5.) Founders Porter
    6.) Newbie's Choice :Anything that looks cool/interesting
     
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  11. TonyLema1

    TonyLema1 Pooh-Bah (2,890) Nov 19, 2008 South Carolina
    Pooh-Bah

    Founders Porter
    Bell's Amber
    Dale's Pale Ale
    Weihenstephaner Hefe Weizen
    Weihenstaphaner Original Lager
    Leffe Blonde

    Nice mix of Euro/Domestic, and widely available
     
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  12. GOBLIN

    GOBLIN Pooh-Bah (2,676) Mar 3, 2013 Ohio
    Pooh-Bah Trader

    GLBC Edmund Fitzgerald Porter . . . feel free to disagree.
    Columbus IPA . . . love this stuff fresh.
    Sierra Nevada Pale Ale . . . classic.
    Brooklyn Lager . . . underrated.
    North Coast Ol' Rasputin . . . it's everywhere.
    Troegs Dreamweaver . . . not the best just a good introduction

    La Fin Du Monde . . . if one of the above are not available.
     
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  13. UrbanCaveman

    UrbanCaveman Pooh-Bah (1,866) Sep 30, 2014 Ohio
    Pooh-Bah Trader

    Hmm. I can't really cover a mix-a-six for someone who either natively enjoys hops, or can learn to appreciate them, as I can't. I know that a mix-a-six where I literally couldn't drink 4 or more of the beers therein would have nudged me on my way out of craft beer. So, if you suspect your newbie drinker may be "blessed" with extreme hop sensitivity, I'd roll with something like...

    Pilsner: SA Noble Pils, or similar. Illustrate right off the bat where craft beer whips AALs where they claim to live, to pique interest and set the hook.

    Vienna Lager: GLBC Eliot Ness or Schell's FireBrick. A step darker, but still an accessible lager. Even Boston Lager can set off someone who's particularly hop sensitive - it's barely drinkable for me. Alternatively, if it's Oktoberfest season, you could roll with an Ayinger in this slot. If they're into this, consider expanding towards dunkels, bocks, browns, and/or ambers/reds, depending on what they say they like about it.

    Hefeweizen or Witbier: Weihenstephaner Hefe or Allagash White. This is Intro to Yeast Flavor 101. If they like this, start walking them down the Belgian and weizenbock roads.

    Porter: GLBC Edmund Fitzgerald or Deschutes Black Butte. Basic, but well-executed - an introduction to roasty flavors beyond the Guinness they've probably already tried on various St. Patty's Days. Founder's is out, because for supertasters (or at least my particular manifestation of it), that is unfortunately akin to drinking Pine-Sol. If they like this, guide them towards other porters and stouts.

    Pale Ale: I can't really suggest one here, because every single one translates to me as raw concentrated perfume on my tongue. But this would be a great litmus test to see if they may ever be able to tolerate hops - if they react to one of these like you literally just punched them in the mouth, they may want to expand their palate in other directions first. If they love it, head for IPAs.

    Gose or Berliner: I'd really suggest going with the Leipziger or similar here, for a preview of sour taste profile. If they're into this, point them towards other sours.

    Just how I'd go about it. Mileage may vary, and all that.
     
  14. Scott17Taylor

    Scott17Taylor Initiate (0) Oct 28, 2013 Iowa
    Trader

    I wouldn't go with anything to big.
    Sierra Nevada pale ale
    Sam Adams Boston lager
    Funkwerks Saison or tropic king, they're both great
    Great lakes Edmond Fitzgerald porter
    Sixpoint crisp
    Weihenstephaner hefeweizen
     
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  15. R3ason

    R3ason Pundit (950) Aug 13, 2014 Colorado

    Don't have an entire list, but depending on availability, I'd throw in a darker Belgian (Chimay Premiere, or Rochefort 8 / 10). Heard so many times, "didn't get beer until I tried Belgians".

    Other than that, all the suggestions here seem pretty solid.
     
  16. nick0417

    nick0417 Initiate (0) Jun 13, 2014 Illinois

    Eddy Fitz is a stellar, world-class porter, though I wonder if its roasty quality would be off-putting? That's why I went with Black Butte, aside from it being my favorite, easily accessible porter:slight_smile:

    And good call on the Brooklyn Lager - wholly underrated beer. You could probably lump NB's 1554 in that same category as well - vastly underestimated beer.
     
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  17. stompilator

    stompilator Initiate (0) Dec 23, 2014 Texas

    SNPA
    NC Red Seal
    Weihenstephaner Hefeweizen
    BP The Commodore
    GD Colette
    Founders Dirty Bastard
     
  18. chuckgietzen

    chuckgietzen Initiate (0) Nov 10, 2014 Michigan

    Bells Amber
    Sam Adams Boston Lager
    Founders Porter
    Bells Oberon
    Sierra Nevada Pale Ale
    Dogfish Head 60 Minute
     
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  19. HorseheadsHophead

    HorseheadsHophead Grand Pooh-Bah (3,732) Sep 15, 2014 Colorado
    Pooh-Bah Trader

    Samuel Adams Boston Lager
    Sierra Nevada Pale Ale
    Sierra Nevada Nooner Pilsner
    Guinness
    Hoegaarden
    Anchor Steam Beer
     
  20. HopsDubosc

    HopsDubosc Pundit (803) Apr 24, 2015 Vermont

    All Vermont Edition

    Lost Nation Gose
    Fiddlehead IPA
    Wolaver's Coffee Porter
    Hill Farmstead Edward
    Magic Hat #9
    Otter Creek Couch Surfer
     
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