Have I Become One of Those Beer Drinkers? 

Friday night I went out with some former colleagues of mine to a Milwaukee Admirals game. It's been a while since I'd joined that group for anything, and I haven't seen a hockey game in a while, so it was fun. I also realized... it's been a while since I've had a macro-brew beer. When I buy beer, it's usually Leinie's Red, or Killian's Red. I enjoy both very much. I like red beers a lot, and I also enjoy even darker beers. It wasn't until I was at the Bradley Center that I realized how much I enjoyed them. One of the group decided to buy a round at the Bradley Center (which is of course ridiculously overpriced), and came back with bottles of MGD. Back before my micro-brew snobbery began... MGD was my beer of choice.

I honestly couldn't finish it. It was a bit skunky... and oh so bitter. Was it just this bottle? Was the Bradley Center stocking up on old out of date beer, and trying to pass it off to hockey fans who are seemingly willing to drink anything? Was there something wrong with me? Was I actually only able to drink half a beer before deciding enough was enough? Did I just throw away beer?! Hell... in college I used to drink Milwaukee's Best! You know... the cheapest, crappiest beer around. Cheap being the operative word of course.

After the game we went back to the bar, and someone was coming around giving away promotional bottles of Budweiser Select to try. Now normally, I'd never drink anything that was pasteurized through a Clydesdale... but it's also rare for me to pass up a free beer. I managed to down one gulp. Enough was enough.

Could it be? Have I turned into a beer snob? Is there something inherently wrong with that? Or does it simply mean I've matured in my beer drinking to the point where I now know what good beer is, and what bad beer is?