A lesson in beer: gateway beers

As a beer advocate, I am often thinking of ways to get my friends and family into craft beer. While pontificating until I am blue in the face is a strong suit of mine, it turns out to be an ineffective method of proselytizing. A much better way off going about beer-advocacy is getting my friends and family to enjoy a craft beer. As such, I have developed a list of “gateway beers” that are accessible to the unaccustomed palate and provide an entrance into the world of flavorful brew.

Criteria:

The list is comprised of beers that meet the following criteria:

Flavorful: But not overwhelmingly so - no hop bombs or liquid bread.

Attractive: Appearance matters in the world of beer, particularly when trying to entice a wary friend into trying a craft beer.

Affordable: No need to make your friends feel uncomfortable about the price of a beer. There are plenty of flavorful offerings at a reasonable price.

Available: All bets are off if they can't even find your recommendation in a local bar or store.

The Beers:

Hoegaarden: Well-known and ubiquitous Belgian style wit beer. Hoegaarden offers a nice entry into flavorful beer, pouring an appealing hazy yellow with lemon and spice notes to the nose. It is crisp and refreshing, perfect for warmer weather and a salad on the patio. For a local wit-beer try Celis White from Michigan Brewing Company. Both the recipe and the name are courtesy of the original Hoegaarden brewer Pierre Celis.

La Fin du Monde: Brewed by Canadian brewery Unibroue, this Belgian style tripel is well priced and readily available. True to the style, the beer is full of flavorful (and alcohol) but not heavy. It offers pleasant notes of spice and sweet fruit on the nose. The palate is smooth and sweet upfront, finishing with a yeasty dryness and warming alcohol.

Weihenstephaner Hefeweissbier: Poured properly into a Weizen glass, this beer is a stunner. Clearly discernable aromas of banana and clove are sure to entice even the most hesitant consumer.

Samuel Smith's Nut Brown Ale: Many beer drinkers encounter Newcastle Brown Ale at the beginning of their path to beer enlightenment. Skip the Newcastle and go for a Sam Smith's Nut Brown instead. Nutty and caramel malt flavors offer a nice exposure to the flavors of malt without being cloying. Brown ales in general are good entry points into craft beer. For a local offering, go with Short's Bellaire Brown.

Ryan Sloan is an employee at Morgan and York, musician and beer writer. He maintains a personal blog and can be reached at rysloan4@gmail.