I was a good boy (mostly) and didn't really have beer until I was legal. So by then (in college) it was Keystone Light and Busch Light, neither of which I liked at all. I settled in to Coors Light as that's all I could afford when I went out, and it was plentiful. At the time is was working at a 7-11 knock-off in Eugene Or. in the early 90's and purposely tried one of each of the beers in the cooler (at home of course). The best choices there were Sam Adams and Heineken, Henry Weinhards, before the Miller era (Wienhard's Scottish Red is still one of my favorites). But I would soon learn that there where at least 4 brew-pubs in Eugene (before Rogue and McMinimans bought them all), and Widmer Hefe was starting to show up lots of places. At that's, is as they say, all she wrote. I stayed on Hefe's for awhile, but now it's just about anything that I haven't tried before. Unless it's from Rogue or Pelican. Those I get by the case when I can. [:D]

Good topic.

Never really cared for the fizzy yellow stuff everyone around me was drinking. If we went tubing it was Bud Light, at keg parties (whatever was available)or concerts -Shiner Bock, those were the times i had beer.I stuck to hard liquor for the most part from 18- mid 20's. My uncle turned me on to Guinness Stout, it took a few but it became my drink of choice for several years. One day my buddy and i noticed the quality went down, they seemed to be really watered down, after some research we found that the Guinness being sold in this area was being made in Canada. I started looking for a subsitute. I was in Central Market up in Austin and saw a bottle of Rochefort 10, having recently looked at this site i recalled that it was one of the top rated beers. I figured what the hell, 6 bucks is pretty pricey (so i thought at the time) I was absolutely blown away after trying it, and have been chasing that 'high' ever since.

I started up before cool beer started really showing up in ALberta. Started looking for different things and started up a bottle collection. The collection drove me to get everything possible and after having horrid things like Tremens,etc I began to love it and love having something different than anyone else. After that I used to pour beer on my thighs and rub it in slowly and gently which always led me to waking up with a headache and an empty bottle with a wig taped on it and the label crumpled up on the floor beside the bed.

quote: Originally posted by Brett quote: quote: Originally posted by Clash I first got on a beer rating site in 2002, then discovered Beerpal in 2003. Wow 10 years here! [:0] 10 more months til my 10th BP anniversary. Congrats and thanks for the incredible amount of work you've given to us!

general yellow fizzy until college (hamm's, stroh's, MHL, pearl), drank Genny Cream ale, Buckhorn and Pfiefer through college, then, mid 80's came across a Genny Bock beer... Holy Crap!! something not yellow nor fizzy. It was like going from McDonalds to Steak and Shake. Looking from today's vantage point, not a huge change, but at the time it was massive. After that, it was time to seek out different ones from all over. Great topic Mike.

Well that didn't seem to work so well. It was a sweet pic of the interior. Can't wait to check this place out.

The building and grounds are absolutely epic. The place is bigger than I could have imagined and just as impressive. I love their beers. Gotta say though that they are trending more and more corporate. Each company store nearly identical to the others. Prices getting a little out of control at the bistros. Arbitrary rules to charge more...ie 8%+ (or the majority of their) beers are only poured in 8 oz servings (for far more per ounce of course) and draft and food prices (already high compared to relatively good bottle prices) have gone up even since last time I was there 11 months ago. Still one of the best, but others are making up ground. Hell...Great Divide (kind of a shitty little tap room unfortunately) pours tasters of beers that cost more in the bomber than stone, but half as much in a small pour. 4 Yetis for $4? Why yes, thankyouverymuch.

[img]http://www.californiacraftbeer.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/05/liberty_main_700.jpg[/img]

That's just one of the rooms. The other is bigger, and has side rooms for private parties and theoutside has enough room for a large weeding and it's own bar. Crazy big. And conveniently close to the airport.

quote: Originally posted by Suds McDuff [img]http://www.californiacraftbeer.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/05/liberty_main_700.jpg[/img]