Most Nostalgic Beer

I grew up in England, and right from the get go was introduced to "Real Ale". Fullers ESB always brings back good memories of old friends in old pubs, most of whom I only see every few years.

Also, Selin's Grove brewpub in Selinsgrove, PA, their Peche beer. My daughter went to college at nearby Susquehanna Unversity and we both loved that brew. Many a happy evening in early fall was spent on the back deck with her and her friends/professors sipping that brew.

 

Probably Weihenstephaner Hefe. That beer pretty much started it all for me. At the time I didn't know beer could be like that because up until that point beer had always been a means to an end. So, thanks Germany! Prost!

 

Pig's Eye.
Long story.

 

Heineken and Sierra Nevada Pale Ale for me.

 

Smuttynose Finest Kind. That's the one that introduced me to hops and hence craft beer in my case.

 

We moved to Minnesota in 1976 from Missouri. Beer to us was Bud, Michelob, Busch (well, my roomate in college worked at A-B), the occasional Miller's for the wife and some awful stuff called Stag. We found a store that sold 24 bottle cases of Schell's Deer Brand returnables for $4.99 and sometimes on sale for $4.29. It was not craft beer by 2015 standards, but it was a step up from Bud and a helluva lot cheaper. Our adjunct from Schell's is now Nordeast.

 

MacAndrews Scotch ale a.k.a., Caledonian Strong Ale
Youngs Special London

 

Spaten Optimator (80s) - Pony key in college got me into thinking of drinking non-American lagers.
SPA and Pet's Wicked Ale (late 80s) - Start of the micro brew movement. No going back to piss water beers.
Double Bastard and Victory at Sea (2012) - Holy crap. This isn't the good old micro beers of the 90s.

 

What a bunch of young pups on here.... My most nostalgic beer is one I picked up at a drive in grocery during Spring Break of 1979, headed to Sommerville Lake with my girlfriend of 4 months who would eventually become my wife of 34 years come this May... Schlitz Erhlanger. It was something different IMO from the other beers out there at that time...perhaps my first introduction to a beer that tried to rise above the mass produced beers of the time.

 

Genesee. probably the first beer I ever had, as a child. Went through a long stretch as a Cream Ale drinker in my 20s as well. Lots of good memories involving Genny products.

 

My brother-in-law's stepfather always had Beck's and Beck's Dark in his fridge back in the 70's when I was a teenager and he'd always offer them to me because even though they lived in Michigan City, Indiana, he was German and German custom prevailed. My parents didn't raise any objections.

Second would be Michelob because when we were in high school and wanted beer, that's what Rick's older sister would get for us.

You know, given the relative wasteland of beers back then I made out pretty well for an underage kid.

 

Deuchars IPA on cask in Edinburgh ....had lots during a series of business and pleasure trips to Scotland since 2001 or so. Beer that got me hooked on cask.

 

Probably my first choice in 1980-83 when I was at Ball State. Haven't had it since, to the best of my recollection.

 

7oz glasses of Old Style at the Post Lake (WI) Inn in the 80's/90's

 

I will never forget my first pint of Guinness. We were in a pub in London. I had been enjoying plenty of bitter and brown ale, so my host suggested I needed to try something different. After a clink of glasses and the first taste, he looked my straight in the eye. "It's like black milk." Truth.

 

Since this brought back my memories of Michelob I went searching for a clone recipe. None of them mention wheat as an adjunct but I recall it being listed on the label back in the 70's, although I don't see any references to that in my Google search. Mostly they mention two-row barley and rice. I'd buy into rice but still think a small percent of wheat (maybe 5-8%) would be appropriate. Low alpha hops of German extraction in small doses. American Lager yeast.

Any home brewers out there ever brew or taste a "Michelob"-style beer?

 

Yuengling was my first illegal and legal beer

 

PBR and Abita Turbodog.

PBR because it was the first beer I consumed legally.....and Turbodog because it was the first micro I ever tried...way back in late '95...a couple years before the legal PBR lol. I still enjoy both to this day!

 

Anchor Steam. Back in my Rainier days of the mid-70's, I came across this and it's mate Liberty Ale was in a keg at a Bicentennial party. Thought they were great! When I managed to track down a local supplier of Anchor Steam at a specialty bottle shop in Kirkland, it was pretty expensive, so it was a novelty treat for me. Another nostalgia beer is the original Redhook Ale before they changed it to 'ESB' in the mid 80's.