The (micro)evolution of my beer preference...

It all began in college when I went to my first party with beer. The keg stood like a precious artifact in the corner and everyone was waiting in line with a five dollar plastic cup ready to get their fill. What was in the keg, you ask? It was none other than Natural Light.

So throughout the rest of my college life I drank Natural Light and on special occasions the king of all southern Illinois beers, Stag, was brought out. If you have never enjoyed the beauty of Stag beer, you must have some the next time you are crossing Illinois on interstates 70 or 55.
You won't regret it.

After I graduated college in 1998, my beer tastes took quite a turn. I gave up the cheap stuff and moved into the wonderful world of cider brews. No longer was I drinking what tasted like animal urine - I was drinking a sweet fermentation of apple pulp. It all started at a Jars of Clay concert at the American Theater in downtown St. Louis when I took that first sip of Woodchuck. It literally changed my life. And as good as Woodchuck was, cider beer got even better when I went to Scotland in 2000 and the smooth dry taste of StrongBow cider encountered my taste buds. Since that moment, I still crave a good StrongBow from time to time...

A couple of years after my cider awakening came a dark day in my beer preference. In late 2002 I fell prey to the low carb craze and decided to limit my beer completely to Michelob Ultra. I wish that a good friend would have slapped me upside the head at this time, but all the faithful ones were duped as well. For almost a year I drank this recycled badger urine mixed with turpentine and I have since been convinced that I lost a good 3 or 4 years off of my liver's lifespan because of it. Because of this I refuse to give it a picture.

In 2003, I was pulled out of this prison by taking a sip of Sam Adam's Octoberfest. This was a beautiful moment in my life. The taste was remarkable and the calories were welcomed by my gut. My beer future was now bright once again and I was primed for the best that that brewing has to offer.

I had tried Guinness before but I didn't love it until 2004. It became the drink that fed my deepest thirst for beer. I had given up on the beers that I could see through and was now embracing the very likeness of motor oil. In fact, I was now convinced that domestic beers were trash and would laugh at and mock my friends and family who settled for anything made in Milwaukee or St. Louis.

In 2005, Guinness allowed me to try other imports and I have now been enlightened to operate on a seasonal calendar. In the spring, I drink Newcastle. The summer, Heineken. The fall, Bass. The winter, Guinness. I do step out and mix and match, but surely this is the way I plan to enjoy my brews throughout the calendar year.

Now, I am thirsty...