I like beer. I’m not a beer connoisseur by any stretch, but I know what I like.

I didn’t always like beer. What I have discovered is that I seem to prefer beer that doesn’t taste like beer. You won’t likely find me drinking a Budweiser, Coors Light, or Miller. Maybe a very occasional Corona (because I like the lime), but generally speaking, not a beer-flavored beer drinker!

I learned that there were beers that had actual flavors from my friends Steven and Brian, who actually opened and ran their own brewery for a few years. (Brian has since moved on to working for a beer distributor in the Florida keys, using his extensive beer knowledge and reputation to make a name for himself on the beer world. Steven is a brewer and part owner at a local brewery near where I live, so I still get to drink his beer, and it makes me happy!) My very favorite beer in the world is actually one Steven brewed at home and also ended up brewing when he was in business with his brother. It was called Stick to the Nuts (many of their beers had a hockey slant, as their business was named SlapShot Brewing. Stick to the Nuts had peanut butter in it, and it was just so tasty! But since I can’t enjoy Stick to the Nuts anymore, I thought I’d share a few of my favorites:

• Guinness, especially if it’s a nitro (I do love a good stout, and Guinness is just a comfort beer for me)
• Wells Banana Bread
• Abita Purple Haze
• Breckenridge Vanilla Porter
• Left Hand Milk Stout
• Hailstorm Hotel Life (this is one of the beers Steven brews)
• 3 Floyds Zombie Dust
• Pollyanna Fun Size
• New Glarus Spotted Cow
• Saugatuck Neapolitan Milk Stout