Have you had more friends "turn on" to craft beer or "turn off"?

Keep trying with your friend until you find another beer - any beer - that he does like. Then find another one. From there it's only a matter of time until he learns to like more and more different beers. Your friend is too young to give up on. Yes, he's a Bud Light-only guy right now, but it's not like he's been drinking only one beer for the last forty years. For his sake, don't let that happen to him!

 

No matter who was invited, or the reason for the invite, if I bring out craft beer, they drink it down in quantity.

 

I didn't really like anything but swill until I left college and had more money to spend. Cheap beer made sense in college and I saw some people with craft beer but I thought every beer I tried with them wasn't good. That's because I had this notion in my mind that every beer is supposed to taste like Bud Light so yeah craft beer definitely tasted different. It was the same with most of my friends, we all like it now even though we don't see each other very often we all drink better beer because I guess thats what you do when you grow up and realize there are better options (as long as you have the money for it). Don't give up on him, he will come around.

 

I'm in the same boat as you, but I think a big factor is age. I'm 21 as are most of my friends and they refuse to go to the good craft bars with me or even buy/try most crafts simply because of price.

 

If they were "turned off" by Craft Beer, they would no longer a friend of mine.

 

Fortunately I've helped turn far more on than I've turned off. I hope to turn on a few more wine elitists I know before I graduate. Gotta finish my college career strong. 1 more semester. Let's do it!

 

Perhaps it's important to him that he is identified as a blue collar beer drinker and not a craft fellow and just doesn't want to give it a whirl. Yet.

If that's not the case, show him a Kirin (on the lighter side) or Boston Lager (if he can handle a richer beer). If they get a thumbs up, continue a soft nudge in those directions.

I have had friends and family members that I have slow walked down the craft path. Also have one friend that is dedicated to Coors Light. He's had some of my beers, even drank cask beer in the UK but always comes back to Coors Light. Just easier for him to enjoy socializing while drinking without putting too much effort into what he is drinking. Worthwhile to mention that he'll also do shots while drinking. If I were to shoot Jack while drinking, I'd likely stick to Bud Light as well.

 

On>>>>>>>>>>>>Off

Really don't even try--just have nothing but good beer in the house and it takes care of itself.

 

I will also add that about every mix six people bring me are awful. Most places that offer them have ancient stuff on the shelves.

Last pale ale mix six someone got me AVERAGED 6 mos old--for the three that even had a date.

Give a porter to a Bud Light aficionado and you might as well have crapped in it.

 

The idea that there must be something wrong here and that it needs to be corrected is what is, in fact, wrong.

We discuss and debate which IPA is better, or which limited release BA stout is better, or which brewery is better, and allow ourselves to have differences in taste and preferences, yet we never allow the general public that same courtesy. Light lagers are the world's best-selling style of beer largely because that is the beer most people prefer to drink.

 

I don't try to "convert" any of my friends to drinking different beer because I respect their ability as adults to make their own decisions. With that said, most of my friends have tried, and continue to try, a wide variety of beer, but they still drink cheap beer and spirits the majority of the time.

 

I tend to think proselytizing is annoying in any form it takes. You put in a nice effort, but the best way to reach a person is through their stomach, and brewpubs serve up some mighty fine grub that tends to pair with good beer really well. Leave it at, and let them figure it out from there.

 

Turned on I suppose but most people still stick to a certain style most of my friends still prefer a good, or bad pilsner over a good IPA,because not everyone likes everything, I myself dislike most fruity beers, lambic, framboise, and the like. But I'll keep trying them personally. Though one young lady told me she would stick to Bud Lime, I left her and met my wife the next week .

 

My wife wasn't a fan of craft beer when I started drinking it. Mostly because I started drinking big hoppy IPA's. When I moved into Belgians, Weiss, and other styles she was a much bigger fan of those styles and now won't go back to drinking domestic. Her favorite beers at the moment are La Fin Du Monde & Weinstephaner Hefe.

My advice is start with small steps, cream ales & wheat beers are pretty mellow styles that may be to his liking.

 

My best friend only drinks Coors Lite - and has done so for about 20 years - back to our college roommate days. I always stock it when he comes over. Our kids play together, our wives catch up with each other, he drinks Coors Lite, I drink some great craft beers, they leave. The last thing I want to do is change that relationship. I love that guy!

 

Most of my friends are converts (thanks to New Glarus, Leinie's, and Left Hand Milk Stout, not counting my weird friend that only likes sours and AALs), but not counting the friends I met because of BA, none of them are as serious about beer as I am. Many are still in the college mindset and drink for effect rather than taste, so while they prefer drinking craft, in the end it doesn't really matter to them as long as it gets them where they want to go.

 

if he likes bud light, make sure you buy bud light next time you have your friend over. simple.

 

Craft beer with my friends has been 2 steps forward and 1 step back. My best friend will drink some good local craft beer when we go out but has nothing but Yuengling at home. My other buddy drinks pretty good stuff now when we go out as well as at home. My only gripe is he never decants any beer into a glass. He'll have some nice IPA and just pop the top and hand me the bottle. I know it's a little trivial but I like to smell and look at the beer too.

Luckily my wife has really gotten into craft beers with me and we hit up local breweries several times a month.

 

How adventurous is your friend when it comes to food and other types of drinks?

If he only eats 'meat and potatoes' and avoids most ethnic restaurants other than those that are highly 'Americanized' then you will have a tough time getting him to drink beer for flavor when he doesn't choose flavor in other aspects of eating and drinking.

On the other hand, if he likes fancy coffees, get him some coffee beers and some roasty porters and stouts. If he likes wines, get him to try some beers with wine-like qualities. If he does like some ethnic or other flavorful foods, have him try some beers that pair with those foods or mimic some of those flavors.

For some people, beer is just an alcohol delivery method and flavor is just not a consideration.

 

People don't "turn off" of craft beer... they just take a break.

 

I agree 100%. In fact, I'd sooner drink an American pale lager than an imperial stout.

 

I drink my coffee black. Some people take cream and sugar. Our differences make the world more interesting! Who freaking cares if your buddy likes Bud Light? I assume there are other things you like that he doesn't, so don't worry about it. If he's interested in learning about craft, he clearly will have a good ally.

 

Craft CAN be a better value if you consider how much more flavor and satisfaction per beer. I've never heard of someone drinking a case of any craft beer. And 21 yr olds probably appreciate the higher ABV.

The only person I know that would pick macro over craft is my mom. But she will still try a sip out of curiosity and then think it's gross. Oh, well, more for me!

 

Totally agree! Wish more people would see the light haha

 

Yeah, but most people who are drinking to get drunk don't care about flavor, and the satisfaction comes from alcohol's intoxicating effects, not the taste of the beer. So take a college kid with thousands and thousands of dollars in debt, and probably either no job or one with a very low paycheck, and point them towards a $10 four pack of some 9% stout or a $15 30 pack of...anything.

Nine times out of ten, that kid isn't buying the four pack. He just wants to get drunk and party, not sip on a good beer and enjoy the nuances of it.

 

Probably more on than off. A guy i work with found out that he LOVES ipa's and now tells me his untappd distinct count every day. even if it stays the same

 

Perhaps he does actually enjoy the flavor of Bud Light. I know many people on here will shout blasphemy at this, but believe it or not there are people (actually a lot of people) that enjoy the flavors behind Budweiser/Coors/Miller. I know I do, they have their purpose as well as a time and place. There is a larger world of beer out there though, which brings me to my second thought....

Another possibility is that he is actually not as much a beer fan as he wants to believe. Maybe he likes the lighter, milder flavor because he does not like the true taste or tastes in beer. Maybe he simply wants the least offensive option he can find. Which if he wants an unoffensive option, that makes me think of this.... http://www.beeradvocate.com/beer/profile/252/712/?view=beer&sort=&start=0

As far as craft options go, this is one of the most unoffensive options out there. It is a very mild, clean, crisp flavor profile and is still in his lager wheel house but a bit of a 'craftier' option. It is pretty hard to find fault with this lager.

 

I have very few friends that don't drink some version of craft beer and the few that used to not, have all gravitated towards fine crafted beers. I hosted beer tasting parties as early as the early '90s and even introduced more craft brews to a new crowd last year -- usually with excellent results. I usually get "ohhhh, that IS good." You have to allow people to move slowly into a world of craft. A big black stout or double IPA may not be the wise choice for a newbie. Just recently, I provided a local brew's Saison and a Dogfish Pumpkin' Ale to a person dedicated to Miller Lite. Sure enough, went I went to his house, he had a variety pack of craft in his downstairs fridge.

My work is done with him. Onto my next conversion.

 

lets just say this, all of my friends like craft, but I got one friend to be obsessive like me. And he now home-brews his own beers.

 

Definitely more turned on than off. A couple of them a little "ti turned on", they raid my out-of-the-way bottle shops before I can.

 

I weirdly have a need to find a beer for my friends and family that they will enjoy. At Christmas my cousin hates craft beer, but drinks Jack straight. I had him try Sucaba and he loved it. Wants me to grab him a bottle. Then at a Christmas party later that night a friends girlfriend whos a wine drinker, she trys everything but hates it all. I had her try Allagash interlude, ale aged in red wine barrels with Brett. Lets just say she polished off the bottle. I'm convinced with all the different styles, there's a beer out there for everyone

 

Some people don't like beer. Some people like BMC. Some people like craft. I buy Sam Adams for holiday events so everyone has something to drink - the others grab Yuengling that my brother has, or bring in some BMC of their own. Everyone is happy, everyone gets what they like.

It is not my job to convince others about what beer to drink. I will advocate for what I like if asked, but that just doesn't happen much.

 

Every time I stand on line at a beer release I greatly regret every person I ever turned on to better beer.

 

I disagree. The vast world of beer, there is most likely a style they would enjoy at least somewhat. Even if it is a pilsner or lager, there is company that does it better. Cant come up with a better example because its early, but that's like saying some people only like McDonald's beef/chicken. But not any other way beef/chicken can be made. Maybe a very small percentage but most would enjoy a better quality more tasty version. I don't really go way outta my way, but I enjoy sharing the passion

ad·vo·cate
noun
noun: advocate; plural noun: advocates
ˈadvəkət/
1.
a person who publicly supports or recommends a particular cause or policy

verb
1.
publicly recommend or support.


Now I'm just being a smart ass

 

I've never converted anybody one way or the other. I have lots of friends who drink "good beer" on their own, though.

I have found that a lot of BMC drinkers will appreciate a lot of my homebrews that they wouldn't have thought they would have. Which I take as a compliment, kinda.

 

I like your capitalization efforts

 

I gave my recent college graduate brother in law a mini-snifter of DBH the other day. He was grateful. Although I think he knew better than to spit it out

 

I nursed many a Two Hearted when my friends bought pitchers of it until I developed a liking for it. Now it's a good session beer for me. My GF almost gagged when I gave her a Zombie Dust and now she's pounding them down like a boss. She still can't stand BA beers yet.

I've turned my whiskey drinking friends into loving stuff like Backwoods Bastard. I really can't say I know anyone who fits into the turned off category.