Logical Steps In Exploring Craft Beer?

Allagash White is a good first step IMO. I dont know many beer drinkers who don't appreciate this beer.

 

Saisons, saisons, saisons.

 

I experimented with putting together six packs for a few weeks at my local bottle shop, read all about them on Beer Advocate, rated them, took notes. Then I took a Beer 101 class at a local community nonprofit for breweries and vineyards. Visiting some local breweries and asking questions probably would have been just as good. If you're talking about specific "gateway" beers, Sierra Nevada and Boulder Beer Co. are great, approachable craft brews to begin with. Then treat yourself with a Chimay.

 

My gateway beer was Rogue Shakespeare Stout but I don't know if I'd recommend that to everyone trying to broaden their craft horizons. I'd probably say the usual suspects.

Sam Adams Boston Lager
New Belgium Fat Tire
Sierra Nevada Pale ale
North Coast Old Rasputin (if you're feeling extra adventurous)
Anchor Steam Ale

 

Variety packs were gold for me when I was first starting to dabble in craft beers. Helped me get a sense of the styles I enjoyed.

 

I think Witbier & Hef's are good starters. They help prove to BMC drinkers that lighter beers can be very flavorful. I think Saison's would be a good next step.

 

Uhh, put it in your mouth?

 

Read Tasting beer by Mosher
http://www.amazon.com/Tasting-Beer-...8&qid=1353100565&sr=1-1&keywords=tasting+beer

And drink early and often.
Try all kinds of stuff. Find a store where you can make mixed sixes.

Mot importantly, just because you don't like something today doesn't mean that you wouldn't like next year.

 

I posted this a while back for a Blue Moon fan looking to expand their horizons. I think it's a good crash course progression.

 

Day 15: Saison Dupont

 

You're doing it wrong. You're supposed to say Logsdon Seizoen then tell him you'll trade it for some wales.

 

You're talking about the "beer drinker accustomed only to the usual run-of-the-mill BMC products"? Good luck w/ that.
And Seizoen Bretta is even betta.

 

agreed. Imma drink one this weekend just cause you said.

 

leedorham's list looks about right. I went Wits/Wheats -> Tripels -> Quads and then we were off to the races.

 

I find it very hard to predict what will make non-beer geeks start liking craft beer. Three different cases from my circle of friends, all recent "craft converts", illustrate this (names have been changed to protect the innocent):

Tony - Die-hard industrial lager drinker, actively disliked other beers as tasting "weird". Tried wheat beer and liked it. Now a semi-committed craft drinker who enjoys wheat beers, wit, ambers, pales and the occasional IPA. Still dislikes anything "too dark".

Orville - Default industrial lager drinker but open to experimentation. Now prefers porters and stouts. Dislikes most high-ABV beers as 'too boozy'.

Harriet - Default lager drinker but preferred "better" brands to BMC (i.e. Czech and German pilsners rather than pure industrial lager). Tasted sour beers for the first time at CBC; not turning back. Now prefers lambics, geuzes, wilds, saisons, and other sours, but can't always get them in her area so falls back on pilsners.

There is some good advice in this thread to be sure. But likewise there are no sure-fire paths to craft conversion - if that is even desirable.

 

Gueuze's, old ales and barrel aged imperial stouts of course!

 

This is how i progressed (staying in Indianapolis) and still am, on my way

Budweiser/Miller/Coors
Corona/heineken/Becks
Leinenkugel/Dundee/Shocktop
Samuel Adams (Boston Lager, Octoberfest, Winter ales and a lot more)/Blue moon (Belgian white and some others)
A three Floyds IPA at a pub
Samuel Adams Lattitude 48 IPA (which my friends didnot drink beyond a sip)
New Belgium (Amber ale, summerfest, Ranger, Belgo and some others)
A lot of other IPA stuff in between (Goose Island/Triton/Flat 12/ Sun king/Shipyard/Troegs)
Sierra Nevada/Stone/Victory/New Holland/Six point
Founders

 

It was 15+ years ago when I started with a Pale Ale at a brewpub, thinking that the 'pale' might mean mild like an MGD. I liked it, and it wasn't anything like MGD! Then I bought a sampler pack from the same brewery before leaving that night, and that's all she wrote.

 

I would simply suggest that they try every single beer they can, and in a few months start over again. It is impossible to tell in advance what a person may or may not like, and it really doesn't do much good to try and predict it. Even after 40 years of beer drinking I still use this approach, even with beer styles I know I don't normally enjoy. My wife is a wine drinker, but sometimes she likes a good IPA(normally hates hoppy beer), sometimes an Imperial stout(won't touch dark beer), sometimes just a Spaten Pils.