Upgrading Your College Beers

When I graduated there were no brands that would be an upgrade.

 

As a freshman in college drinking Keystone, my friends used to laugh when I make a bitter beer face after every gulp. Now a Keystone and other AALs go down like water to me and most of my friends make the bitter beer face when they try an IPA I hand them. Times sure have changed.

Sorry that wasn't really on topic, but thought it was a fun addition to add.

 

My college beers were San Miguel, Cobra, Brahma, Tennent's, Tiger and Fosters. Even if I wanted to continue drinking them I can't anymore because they're not sold where I am now. Not that I would buy them anyway. Maybe for the sake of nostalgia every now and then.

 

In college before I started drinking craft, my roommate and I would drink half the can of PBR, and fill it back up with box white wine. Called it "The Strong Beer"

Things have changed

 

Currently in my college days, heh. Late bloomer and all that.

Prior to Navy, Bud and Bud Light.
During Navy time mostly Icehouse and Yuengling.
Post Navy, start of college was Yuengling, sometimes Strongbow cider (before they changed to selling Gold), Killians, and Guinness
Start of university saw me going more into craft, Bold Rock Cider and Devil's Backbone Vienna Lager.
Senior year of university and I really got into the craft scene which is where I'm at now (grad school).

 

Alcohol Delivery System with Flavor as an Afterthought to Flavor-Based Alcohol Delivery System.

 

I drank Genesee Cream Ale when broke and SNPA when 'flush'. Not much has changed.

 

I didn't drink any beer in college. Occasionally had one of the Seagram's Escapes fruity drinks, but even that wasn't often. Then the year I graduated from college I tried hard cider and shortly afterward started trying all kinds of beers (starting with Blue Moons and various Mexican beers.)

 

Lots of Natty and Olde English, when wanting something "good" i went with Blue Moon (and it's multiple seasonal variants) and Hoegaarden with some Stella/Heineken/Beck's mixed in.

my first craft was GLBC Dortmunder Gold, it was full flavored yet still a lager. it was a very easy transition from natty. i used to pregame with a Dortmunder Gold 6pack power hour then hit the natty all night after.

beyond that, i tried better Wits and Hefes. Allagash White and Weihenstephaner Premium/Hefe along with SN Kellerweis were the major substitutes. as for other lagers, Prima Pils and Samuel Smith's pale lagers.

the worst part, which i regret now, is in college i lived 1 block away from a restaurant (Eddie George's grille in Columbus, OH) that had DFH 90 Minute and Two Hearted on draft all year round, as well as at least 6 other local rotating taps (including Columbus Brewing IPA, etc). but who cares? i can always go back to visit! Go Bucks

 

Lots of Bud Heavy and Bud Light in college, but also a lot of Killian's and a decent amount of Guinness.

I've upgraded to... well, snobby craft beers, 'cause they taste damned fine and I no longer drink for the purposes of getting wrecked at the lowest cost possible.

 

I just scored a 12 pack of Old Style and a Schlitz 6er and never went to college

 

In '87, it was difficult to find a lot of "craft" in NC--"better" beer after the obligatory Natty Light and PBR included "imports" such a Grolsch/Newcastle/Bass but we were just getting some Anchor from time to time. Saw more light of day in the 90s.

Would love to have a photo of the beer cooler then.

 

College beers for me when it money was low, King Cobra or Magnum 32 ounce bottles, 99 cents plus tax and CRV, also Keystone Light 30 packs don't remember the price but they were really cheap, when times were decent Budweiser in any package, and when times were really good Samuel Smith Oatmeal Stout and Taddy Porter, Redhook ESB, and Guinness Extra Stout. I would also hit a local brewery for 64 ounce growlers for $6 they brewed a really good oatmeal stout.

 

I drank alot of Keystone Light.Now i've upgraded to anything that isn't light.

 

Depending on the situation, I made the changes below (for the most part)

- Busch Light to Budweiser (easy, everyday drinker)
- Sam Adams Seasonal to GI Seasonal (special occasions)
- FBS to (still) FBS (fall, getting colder out)
- Three Floyds IPA's to Second Shift IPA's (location change)
- nothing to Abraxas (for things that I have to wait in line for)

 

Well maybe if you went to college you wouldn't be buying that stuff. I kid, I actually still drink quitea bit of schlitz and old style. Sometimes you just want a cold refreshing AAL.

 

Sometimes who you're drinking with is a lot more interesting than the brand of beer.

 

I have a soft spot for any of the nostalgic 'shit' beers. All of them taste better than bud light. Now that grilling season is here they taste even better

 

College: Beast, Natty Boh, 40s, $5/all you can drink college bar beer
Post college: Budweiser and this really hoppy thing called SNPA sometimes.

 

Avery Twenty Three