What draws me to craft beer

   I have always liked beer.  At least since I was 18 or 19.  The problem I faced in the late 70's or early 80's was that I was very tired of the blandness of mass produced big brewery beer.  Very boring, no flavor.  A friend of mine named Doug bought me some Beck's dark in about 1982 or so...I loved it, but it was a special order--that was a drag!  So I just went back to Coors light or Miller light (and I am not knocking these beers--because they are very popular, I just don't want to do it anymore)  In Iowa Falls, IA, there was no flavorful beer to find.  The craft beer revolution was just starting and had no idea that Sierra Nevada and Samuel Adams were starting to develop very cool, thrilling beer...
   In about 1991 or so, I had my first Samuel Adams Boston lager, I thought it was very strong, but very good--at least very interesting, I wasn't sure what to think at first, but I was thoroughly intrigued!  I had be drinking a classic lager at that time--Leine's original or Leinenkugel's 24 pack long necks...they were only 11.99 at the time--as case.
  Needless to say after having that first Samuel Adams Boston Lager and trying a few others I was hooked--many people have called me a beer snob, I may be, but I just have a huge curiosity to try new craft beers and see if they are something I like...it is really fun!  As you get older it not about copious quantities, but about flavor (by the way, I don't feel Sam Adams is strong anymore)
  One of my goals with this blog is to turn people on to craft beer that may like Leine's Honey Weiss or Blue Moon, or Fat Tire and step out into some others kinds of beer that are NOT over the top with hops but accessible--to most everyone.  Join me please...
  I never want to offend the various "Light" beer drinkers--this blog may not be for you...if you want to explore flavor come along.  Like I said to my daughter who is in food science at ISU, craft beer is like chocolate chip cookies with walnuts, ghiradelli dark chocolate, real butter--and real vanilla.  Mass produced light beer is like store bought dollar store chocolate chip cookies...the "craft" is the most important part--craft brewers work so hard to produce flavorful beer that will excite and bring you back for more.  Their heart and souls are put into it...it is very important to create something very good and different--with much care--this is craft beer.
  Next time I will talk about some of my favorite breweries to visit--and why, and a few of my favorite brews...so many beers to try--so little time!