Craft Beer Recommendations For Your Stubborn Macro Beer Drinking Family Member: From Your Pal, Sean

My Dad and I have a bit of a Thanksgiving tradition. He comes over and asks to try whatever beers I recommend from my refrigerator and I oblige. His sampling usually goes on for several hours. He calls it his “Trip Around the World.” At the end of it, he will pick his favorites, as well as tell me which ones he did not enjoy. He will then go home and the next beer he will buy on his own will still be Heineken, Corona or Guinness. While I have nothing against those beers, I still hold out hope that one day he will find a beer in my refrigerator that breaks this habit. One that is so good to him that it finds its way into his regular drinking rotation. I know I can't be alone in this. We probably all have a family member that regularly drinks macro beer when we wish they would find their way into the craft beer domain. So instead of reviewing beer this week, I am going to recommend what I consider several gateway beers that I use to try and steer people into craft beer. They are not crazy, complicated beers, they are just solid beers that are an excellent introduction to their respective style.

I mentioned earlier that my Dad likes Guinness. I gave him Left Hand Milk Stout Nitro for the first time and his mind was blown. Think of this as a slightly sweeter, more boozy version of Guinness Draught. At 6%, the booze is beautifully hidden behind semi-sweet chocolate and roasted malt. This is a perfect beer for the cooler months ahead. It's also super fun to pour...

(Sweet shirt, right?)

Saisons are not the easiest beer to give an inexperienced beer drinker. Some of them are too spicy. Some of them are a bit too funky. I have even had some that have tasted like I was drinking an ashtray. Brooklyn Brewery makes one of the best saisons I've had. It's a wonderful showcase for the sorachi ace hop. It has a beautifully light lemon note and a wonderful malt backbone. It's easy to drink and deceptively strong at 7.2%. If you know someone or are someone who absolutely despises saisons, try this one. You and/or they might be pleasantly surprised, I know I was.

Ithaca Apricot Wheat is a beer I had back for the first time in 2004. It was also one of the first fruited beers I tried. In my early days of craft beer drinking, I did my best to steer clear of fruit beers. I immediately enjoyed this one and to this day find a way to have a few. I actually got my wife into craft beer by having her try this beer. Because of that we actually served it at our wedding. It was a big hit with some people and too big of a hit to others. Simply put, this is a super easy drinking, fruit-forward beer. If you like apricot, you will probably like this.

Finally, I couldn't write this blog without touching upon something hoppy. Jack's Abby Calyptra Session India Pale Lager is perfect for your macro lager drinking friends. It has a wonderful lager backbone with a beautiful but not overwhelming tropical and citrus hop profile. At no point does it get too bitter. It is just an easy drinking 4.9%, and is perfect for a long, drawn out holiday celebration. This has also become a favorite of my father, I just can't seem to get him to remember the name. He just calls it “the purple can” and encourages me to bring it over when I visit. I have a fridge full of it for Thanksgiving, so I hope with repetition he finally remembers its name.

All of these beers are easy drinking and a beautiful example of their respective styles. Each one is extremely easy to drink. I just hope you err on the side of caution if you decide to have a session with the Sorachi Ace. I also hope that these recommendations help you, or help you get a friend or family member a bit more into craft beer.

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Thanks for reading and Happy Thanksgiving Sláinte!