Anheuser-Busch Michelob Rye PA
It’s Gateway Beer Week here at BDR. All week each of us will reminisce about the beers that set us out on our personal craft beer journeys.
When Keith mentioned the idea of a gateway beer post for us to share what beer opened out eyes to the world of great craft beer, I could not think of what beer it was but I was sure of the time-frame.
I distinctly remember Michelob Amber Bock being my brew of choice when we moved from Savannah to Winder in late 2006. Our realtor was also a fan and we discussed meeting up in the near future to share a pint or two somewhere. My wife Nicole would pick on me when a waiter or waitress would ask me what I wanted to drink because I always asked what beer was available. We both knew I would pick Amber Bock but I still asked. I think that was my inner beer geek trying to get out.
A few years later, while on a long term field assignment in San Antonio, I went to the grocery store to get some beer for my hotel fridge and saw a mixed pack of Michelob that included a Rye PA and a few others I cannot remember except for a Porter but the Rye PA sticks out as the most distinct. I would like to taste it again and give it a proper review but it was only available for a short period and I am pretty certain I will not find it anywhere. As much as I hate to say it because it is a beer “crafted” by a non-craft brewery, this was the beer that started me down a path of trying something other than my go-to beer. The next beer that came back with me from the grocery store was Shiner Wild Hare Pale Ale and I think I got something different nearly ever time after that. When the field assignment was over and I was back in Winder, I was glad to find out that I live in a pretty great area for craft beer and started tasting different beer every chance I could get.
You can join the conversation as well, give us a call at (781) 76 – DRINK (781-763-7465) and let us know what your gateway beer was. You just might hear yourself on one of our upcoming podcasts!
