Evolution of beer cravings.

Yes, my taste usually oscillates back and forth throughout the year. I had been on a Stout kick for good month or two, but for the last week or so have been craving Belgian Wits, Saisons, and Hefeweizens. I suspect by the end of the summer I'll be craving IPAs.

 

It definitely depends on the seasons for me overall. I will drink any beer that I am in the mood for any time of year, really. But generally my craving goes like this: Kolsch/pils/pale ale/saison/IPA/DIPA/blonde ale/hefeweizen/lagers/cream ales, English milds, and wits during the May-August months. September's a transition month for me: English milds, English bitters, amber ales, nut brown ales, hefeweizen, pale ale, IPAs, Belgium ales, Kolsch, and pils, are what I will crave in September. October-January I usually drink brown ales, stouts, porters, black ales, RIS, and barley wines. February-April: rye ales, rye IPA, DIPA, pale ales, English bitters, Belgium ales, honey ales, and blonde ales.

 

I'm still trying to wrap my head around sours. I'm not sure I truly ever will.

 

Summer is sour and IPA season to me.. I have some monster stouts and often I will plan on opening and sipping on one but when the time comes and the fridge is opened I seem to be drawn to the lighter beers like sours/IPAs/saison...

 

I'm very much the same way. When I first got into craft beer a few years ago, I was trying a lot of imperial stout, imperial whatever. I still like those types of beers but latelty I am prefering lighter sessionable styles.

 

Why?
What is it about the seasons that dictate what beers you drink?

 

Seems that I have had a progression from stouts, then Belgians, then IPAs and IIPAs over my drinking life. I have yet to hit the stage where I take interest in pilsners and lagers. I am still oscillating between the Belgians and the IPAs, and am pretty damn happy about that, to be honest.

 

I would say during the colder months I am more likely to drink dark, and during the warmer months I stick with lighter "more refreshing" beers. It's not a set system though, really just depends on what I'm in the mood for.

 

Seasons rarely dictate what I drink. I mean, I just had a KBS last night and it was disgustingly hot. Now if I'm going to be outside all day in the heat, well thats a different story.

 

It really just depends on my mood and if there is any food around. I usually prefer the big beers anyway, but I do go through phases where I drink mainly a certain style. I went through a barrel aged phase where all I drank were barrelled beers. More recently, I'm on a sour kick and I love the lambics and geuzes.

 

I used to only ever crave hops, especially when taking a break from drinking. But just a few weeks ago, I actually had a strong craving for some lactic acid from a sour beer. First time that ever happened to me.

 

it basically depends on how effed up i'm trying to get.

that hasn't really changed since age 17. The only thing that has changed is i'll grab a nice Barley Wine instead of a Colt 45 double malt these days.

Although sometimes I splurge on the old faithful Double Malt.

 

Well In the way of an IPA only I am looking for an expression of hops not a barrelling down of my gullet with bitterness and pine. In stouts I want a roasty bitter a suggestion of someothing burnt but not anything too burnt. In lagers I want clean crisp malt that is like dipping your fingers into the honey jar. As I keep getting to know beer, I keep getting fussier.

 

That is a good question... perhaps it's the kind of food I am more interested in eating during each season. I tend to eat lighter food when it's warmer, and heavier food when it's colder. I like pairing food and beer. Overall, my beer drinking tastes tend to change any time, really. Generally I will drink whatever sounds good at any given moment.

 

Im on the opposite kick. I was just drinking a ton of hefeweizens, witbiers, and saisons. Now im on a stout beer kick haha

 

Like others, the seasons play a big factor with me, as well as my personal tastes. I'll always love a sour no matter what, but I'm definitely digging lighter beers right now. Hefeweizens, witbiers, Saisons, lighter lager styles, Gose, Berliner Weisse, etc. All preferably with low abvs. There are exceptions, like the BCBBW I had the other night because we just got it in Houston and I had never had it before. But as it cools down, I'll gravitate towards stouts, barleywines, etc. IPAs are pretty much year round, but I'd rather be drinking pale ales and low abv IPAs over DIPAs at the moment. And of course, wild ales/lambics are exceptions because they're my favorite styles.

 

I.was.all.about.Ipa's.pretty.much.as.soon.as.I.discovered.craft.

Now.I've.found.myself.drinking.more.stouts.

The.past.few.days.all.I've.really.wanted.is.a.Labatt.or.Summer.Shandy...hmph.

 

I'm always in the seasonal mood. Although I believe stouts can be enjoyed 365.

 

I went on a biscuity beer bender last fall moving into heavy roasted stouts through the winter and spring and now starting on sours and low hopped APAs (really I shouldn't have to say low hopped APA but that's for a different thread). I guess I drink a beer from a style and enjoy it so much that I drink what I can find in that style until something else appeals to me more.