As a newbie in the Craft Beer society, I felt it would be necessary to give our readers and listeners a taste of where I am coming from. Matt and Kate have the jump-start on me and are already experts compared to my experience but I am a fast learner and I love beer, so I will catch up sooner or later. I think it will be cool to bring you guys along as someone who is an avid beer drinker but is still being introduced to the world of Craft Beer as a millennial. When it comes to what I like to drink, I go through phases. I like to experiment and try new things so that when I am an old fart, I can look back on all of my experience and come out of it with an expertise knowledge and have a beer ready for every situation or pairing.

Living here in the sunshine state, it gets a little toasty sometimes. Nothing beats the heat like a cold Teddy Brewski in my opinion. I wouldn’t say I am a simple beer drinker, but I really do still enjoy a nice Bud Heavy, Miller Light or even a Coors (Stoutout Papa Romes). I do not think I will ever grow out of them, but I do sense that they will find their way on the bottom of the totem pole once I really start diving into these craft beers. There are some serious brew masters and innovators out there doing God’s work, so I cannot wait to see what they have in store for me.

So to cap this blog off in fashion, I decided I would attempt to rank my top 10 non-craft beers so that you can get a sense of where I am coming from and how my pallet compares to Matt, Kate’s and of course, all of yours. So let’s get to it.

10.) Coors Light

9.) Bud Light

8.) Bud Heavy

7.) Miller Light

6.) Dos Equis

5.) Yuengling

4.) Corona Extra/Light

3.) Blue Moon

2.) Modelo

1.) Stella Artois

As you can see, my order begins with the most basic of Lagers and Ales but in order of my preference. Then I get into my real loves right now and what I buy when I am really trying to enjoy my drinking experience. My top 6 are my strong favorites when I am stepping out of the basic comfort zone. I threw the classic Wheat Beer, Blue Moon in there because for me, that is one of the most refreshing and delicious brews I have ever had. It’s unique but not overpowering sensation of orange and wheat is a beautiful combination and serves as one of my go-to choices. I do not mind an orange slice in there either, but I usually go without. Modelo, coming in at number two, stands alone in my eyes and almost took that top spot because my friends and I have been enjoying these since college. This is a Cerveza to perfection and is one of the best tasting beers known to man. Then, of course, Stella has to take over that number one spot for me. That is simply because this is by far the smoothest and most tasty Pilsner out there. It isn’t too light or too dark. It isn’t too bold or too watery. It is the perfect balance of hops and flavor and never ceases to hit the spot.

So there it is. I hope this can serve as my jump-start into the world of craft beer and can hopefully function as a way to reach out to see where everyone else got started and where they are now.  I will also be doing some taste test blogs coming soon so you can follow my journey that way.  So, let us know what you think about my rankings, and feel free to give me some tips, comments, suggestions or just tell me how much of a fool I am. All is welcome here, as we taste the good and the bad so that you know what the hell you are doing when you step into the craft beer section of a Total Wine or wherever you get your poison. Thanks for reading and as always, stay tuned for more content.

Nick