Comments on: Discussion: What Was Your Beer Revelation Moment?

By: When Did You See the Light of Better Beer? | Thank Heaven for Beer

When Did You See the Light of Better Beer? | Thank Heaven for Beer — Wed, 29 Jul 2009 17:17:59 +0000

[...] few weeks ago St. Louis Hops posted an article asking readers to describe the moment in which they turned their back on their buddy, Budweiser. [...]

By: Matt T

Matt T — Tue, 07 Jul 2009 09:07:37 +0000

In the early 90s, I dated a girl whose father was an IMF economist from Belgium. When I’d visit her in DC her dad would always be drinking either wine or Corsendonk Brown. It’s just like a Belgian to smirk at the MGD and Beast I was drinking at the time and offer me some of his nectar.

Then came the mid-90s micro boom. Sam Adams commercials on TV (“Do you love beer?”), Growler’s opening, and living down the street from the Clayton Schnucks with its big selection got me buying something new every time. My roommates and I would get a sixer or a couple bombers of the good stuff (early faves included Guinness, Blackened Voodoo and Pete’s Wicked) and a 12 of cheap cans almost every night.

One night I was sitting with a girl at the now-closed St Charles Growler’s, deep in conversation, and ignoring my Corsendonk for long stretches of time. Every time I put the goblet to my lips, it was a different beer. I think that was when I really got it.

By: JimL

JimL — Mon, 06 Jul 2009 18:58:30 +0000

I used to buy different shit so I could pinpoint who was drinking/stealing my stuff at parties. I grew fond of Red Stripe and Mexican lagers while DJing at Blueberry hill in the late 90s. In late 2007 I found out that I could buy a kit to make my own beer for ~$100. Christmas came around and my family bought me a gift certificate to STL Wine and Beer. I didn’t know shit about beer (at all) so I made an American wheat which turned out, well, drinkable. It was all downhill from there when I drank my first La Fin Du Monde. 30 batches of homebrew later I’d say I’m addicted.

By: Kelly

Kelly — Mon, 06 Jul 2009 14:13:52 +0000

I was really hoping Jerad would respond here.

When I met him, he was a Keystone Light kind of guy. I’m not kidding; please give him shit about that! We worked at Piasa Winery together, a place that carried a lot of good beers but he was still partial to those tallboy cans.

One night we were at Erato in Edwardsville, and I told him to order a La Fin du Monde. That did it for him. Afterwards, he began his journey into beer nerdiness.

I think I’ve created a monster.

By: btkrebel

btkrebel — Mon, 06 Jul 2009 13:44:29 +0000

I was 21 and living in Cooperstown, NY doing my undergrad research and living with six other students. Not a whole lot to do around there on weekeends but one weekend we toured Ommegang Brewery and sampled some beers. I was hooked on Hennepin for the rest of the summer and toured a few more breweries in the area including Matt which brews Saranac. Got back home after the summer and found a place to special order cases of Hennepin for me. Man, that was a great summer.

By: Derek Bean

Derek Bean — Mon, 06 Jul 2009 04:45:00 +0000

Not sure about one defining moment; for me, I’ve always been inquisitive and kind of against the grain/ open to new ideas, whether it’s with music, food, beer, whatever.

When I was like 18/ 19, my friends and I were really into Red Stripe, and I started getting into Beck’s and St. Pauli Girl bomber bottles while living in Albuquerque in ‘90/ ‘91 (not a huge leap from BMC, I know; but, for a teenager from North County, this was quite a leap).

The two biggest factors, though, had to be a)moving to Kansas City in 1991 and discovering the beers from Boulevard Brewery–their Pale Ale and Irish Ale 6-packs became my “payday beer”, while Molson Golden 12-pack cans was my “everyday beer”; Guinness draft also became one of my fav’s while living in KC. And, b)moving back to St. Louis in 1993 and discovering the beers at The Schlafly Tap Room. Then, getting a keg of Newcastle in 1994 for my St. Pat’s Day party without ever even tasting the beer yet, that was also pretty pivotal.

From that point, it was full-on. My friends and I would scour the shelves at Bevco Liquors on Delmar, Bob’s Liquors, Starr’s, D&J Liquors, Hampton House, Schnucks Ladue and Schnucks Brentwood, Dino’s (Edwardsville); and frequent bars like Brandt’s, Cicero’s, Llywelyn’s, Dressel’s, Kent’s Deli (anyone else remember that place in Chesterfield Mall?!), Cheshire Inn, O’Connell’s Pub, Schneitthorst’s, Olympia Kabob Hosue, Off Broadway, Broadway Oyster Bar, and any other bars who served Watney’s, Newcastle, Guinness, Double Dragon, Young’s, Fuller’s, Paulaner, Franziskaner, Old Peculier, Blackened Voodoo, Sierra Nevada, Anchor, and any other “weird beers” we could get our hands on!

Oh to be young again! Fucking drinking Watney’s Red Barrel and Cream Stout draft at places like Brandt’s, Double Dragon at Dressel’s, and the first time I ever drank Sierra Nevada Stout (all night long) at the old Cicero’s! My best friend hadn’t died yet, he was underage and he’d get served just about anywhere we went! We were on top of the world without a care in the world! Good times, good times!

By: BMock

BMock — Fri, 03 Jul 2009 19:38:24 +0000

In 1997, I turned 21. Up until then I drank Busch Light just like everyone else in SE Iowa. I hated it. I thought it, like a lot of people, taste like piss. I think the first time I ordered my own beer, I ordered a Killians on the advice of my fellow nerds (not beer nerds…like AD+D nerds.)
I thought it was great. I would occasionally dip into other waters like Guinness, Bass, Harp.
Then I quit drinking.
Fast forward to 2006. I had a life reboot. I had moved to Lexington, Kentucky and found a place called Liquor Barn.
I was exposed to the first big selection of craft and import beers ever. I bought every sampler I could get my hands on, started buying homebrew making stuff and gained a fair amount of weight in the process.