Significant Others and Craft

That's an interesting point. For most of us, I think we've become somewhat desensitized to the booze factor in most beers, unless we're talking about a big beer. My wife doesn't drink beer very often, but she will occasionally have a sip of one that I'm drinking. For anything over 5.5 or 6% she really tastes the alcohol. Beers that I consider very smooth and drinkable, she considers them too strong in terms of alcohol attributes.

 

My wife tolerates my hobby for the most part. I'll get her to sample almost everything, she usually enjoys the smell of most beers but doesn't care for the taste. The exceptions are chocolate stouts, which she likes. The more chocolate and lactose the better. Of course she likes KBS and any other super limited, super expensive BA stouts. She's into expensive clothing and shoes so I suppose it makes sense...

My nearly-3 year old always smells my beer and will say "delicious" no matter what it is.

 

*as she's looking over your shoulder*

 

My ex wife hated my beer hobby. I've told my story before but basically I got into craft beer and she called me an alcoholic. I told her an alcoholic has problems at work and in life, and is dependent on them. She then said I'm a "high functioning alcoholic". If I ever had a beer before noon I was shamed, "isn't that a little too early" even if I just finished mowing the lawn at 10 AM after the dew dried and I was parched. We moved into a house and the downstairs had a fridge which I claimed for my beer. My collection grew but I had to sneak 6 and 12 packs in shamefully so she wouldn't see. I remember coming home from grocery store trips or outings and praying the bottles wouldn't clank as I walked down the stairs to the basement.

Thankfully those days are over.



...I'm with a gal now who loves trying new things, and while we have our "issues" here and there, none of them involve beer and none of them are even close to overwhelming. My girl would say, "try everything you want before we leave, because we're already here and I'll drive us home if need be".


Last fall she took me on a trip to Portland and Seattle to go bottle hunting. One of our outings is pictured above. This chick is a keeper, man.

 

On our first date we went to a beer bar had a tart of darkness among other beers. She has gone to multiple beer fest and different tasting events. Recently she has also sent me to the store to buy beer with money. And is helping me look for a fridge or freezer to make a kegorator or keezer. I consider this winning.

 

This sounds like my wife and me, especially the sentence regarding her tolerance level for the hobby/obsession. My wife doesn't understand beer; I keep asking her to at least smell, if not sip, most everything I bring home to find something she would like... no dice. She buys a 6-pack of cider on occasion, but that's about it (she can throw back tequila like nobody's business though, which has to count for something).

I'm really of two minds about this. On one hand, more beer for me. But there are times I wish she enjoyed beer like I do; as others have already said, it can be a great way to bond with each other. I guess it's all in how you look at it.

 

I quite literally met my wife in line at the Bruery. Our first date consisted of going hiking and then shooting the breeze at Pizza Port.

I tell you guys, I found a unicorn.

 

My girlfriend actually introduced me to the world of craft beer when I turned 21 and I just ended up running with it. Lucky me!

 

My wife has tolerated it and understands I don't ask for much so.... She has taken me to a brewery on my birthday (last time I was truly shit faced), gave me and a friend a Beer Bus brewery tour for father's day, gave me a membership to Rare Beer club for my last birthday, and tolerates me being at a Tap Takeover every Thursday night. In return, when we go out to eat, I make sure they have they style of wine that she likes by the bottle or the glass.
But I will say this, Houston has a slew of great beer restaurants (great taps, great wine, great food) so we have had a lot of fun over the past year and a half. So yes, raise a glass to those who put up with our shit

 

Worst thing I ever did was to train the better half into liking good beer. Now I open the fridge and think "where the fuck did it all go". She likes to drink it but is not a big fan of going and shopping for it.

 

My better half doesn't like beer at all. She'll have the occasional vodka tonic or margarita. She does however tolerate my visits to the beer store and believe it or not actively encourages my home brewing hobby. I just received a recipe kit and some accessories for my birthday. Not only that, the kit was for a style I haven't tried before that she thought I'd like and I'm pretty sure I will. It'd be great to share a brew with her but it least she understands my love for the yeasty malty hoppy beverage.

 

Opened up one of my bottles of this years Sucaba while doing a tasting with my brother. My wife asked for a sip and went "wow, this is so delicious!". It was right then that I knew I had gotten her in too deep. Now I can't go out for a beer alone. I have to bring her AND buy her food. My wallet says I should have just let her stay used to Mike's Hard

 

Wifey drinks vodka like a Russian sailor, but won't touch beer. That being said, she's a trooper about keeping the fridge stocked with Heady and SOS, which she finds at the grocery.

 

My wife hates it when I'm on these forums and/or reviewing beer. Good thing she's not home now.

 

My wife loves beer as much as I do. She is a huge fan of IPAs and stouts. For the past few years we have scheduled "no kids" beer vacations. Last year was Colorado and this April will be San Diego. Can't wait.

 

My beautiful wife was a craft beer and even macro noob when I met her. Fortunately, she hated the taste of macro swill and was naive to fine ales and lagers. I introduced her to new beers by sharing mine. She vehemently hated IPAs from the start. She knew my passion for beer was strong and encouraged me to enjoy myself. Of course I've taken it too far with ordering an extra beer when I shouldn't have a few times, but she has always supported me. Now she enjoys having an IPA with her dinner.

 

My SO is celiacs as well - so she loves to share my hobby when she can. Stone Delicious IPA and the mostly g-free brewery in Jersey City (Departed Soles) have been great for us. That said, she loves watching me geek out over a hard to find brew or a new one from my local favorites. And she appreciates good can art (hello Other Half).

 

Lori pretty much only drank American Standard Light beers (like Milwaukee's "Best") with her dad and brothers. Despite being Irish she'd never tried Guinness, Smithwick's not to mention any craft beers or homebrew.

Now she loves stouts, porters, dunkels, shandies...although she still drinks "shitty beers" sometimes with a slice of lime. It's progress...

 

My father-in-law was one of the OGs at Victory in the late 90s so my wife grew up around good beer; her first beer was a HopDevil I believe. They subsequently introduced me to the good **** when we met in college. As you can imagine, she doesn't have any issues with my interest in craft beer.

That being said, if I started to spend the amount of time/money that a lot of guys do on this site with the trading/cellaring aspect of the hobby, she would not be supportive. Fortunately we're synced up on the amount of beer we should consume and the amount of money that should be spent on said beer, so I have no worries there. And she loves to take our vacations to areas with great beer, which I'm very thankful for!