Girly Beers

Alright people,

In the never ending quest to find a beer that my girlfriend likes, I cracked open 2 new, "girly" beers this weekend. To get an idea of the current state of the battle, let's recap...`

About a year  ago when we started dating, she told me she didn't like beer; ok fine. I can get through a few glasses of wine here or there, and if we're drinking booze, I like whiskey; done deal. Fast forward a few months and I have her trying almost every new beer I try, but there is an accompanying contorted face. Keep going a few more months until this summer, and after taking the tour of the brewery at Anheuser-Busch in St. Louis, I suggest she try Shock Top Raspberry Wheat. Boom. The first beer she finished without hating.

Then there was this weekend. Lately, I've been bringing out some American Wild Ales and traditional Belgian beers to see if she likes sours. So far, there have been mixed reviews; she doesn't like gueuzes, but likes the more fruity sours. In light of that, I opened a Russian River Consecration this weekend. I found it good, but not quite as good as RR Supplication. The flavor was a little heavier on the end due to the higher alcohol content. It provided a dullness when combined with some of the wild yeast in the beer, that made it slightly less pleasant that the Supplication was. Check out the review.

As for the girlfriend, I think the wild yeast and alcohol flavor did her in. She tried it, admitted that it wasn't bad, but didn't want anymore after the first taste. Now, this could have been because she discovered a more traditional, drier wine that she likes rather than the normal fruit wines, (a chardonnay that I found almost undrinkable surprisingly) but I don't think she actually liked it.

Attempt number two at a girly beer was the relatively new offering from Leinenkugel's; Lemon Berry Shandy. The description on the bottle of this fruity beer was basically the same as their Summer Shandy, but with blackberry flavor added. Surprisingly, I actually really liked it. It's a wheat beer that tastes like blackberry lemonade was added, but it wasn't so sweet to put me off. The best part about this brew was the fact that, unlike the Summer Shandy, it didn't need to be 100 degrees outside to enjoy. It was light and refreshing without being too simple (review). As for the lady's opinion, good, but not wine-good.

So the battle of beers continues to another day. I'm convinced that one day I can find a beer that my girlfriend would go into a bar and order. The sheer number of beers made in the world is just too large for this not to happen. Maybe a new approach is necessary, but oh well, the hunt is fun.

Until next time, cheers!
-Chris