It is Sunday, late in the afternoon. Sunday is a day not only good for church or football; it is a day when draft beer is half off. My husband Adam and I drive downtown to a local pizza joint, not for pizza but for the beer. We slide our one-year-old daughter into a high chair and order: Bell’s Two Hearted Ale for Adam, Great Divide Fresh Hop for me. This particular restaurant has a selection of beer that beats any other local bar or eatery: some 35 beers on tap and almost three times as many bottled beers.
This is all thanks to Free the Hops, a grassroots non-profit whose primary goal was to bring high quality craft beer to the state of Alabama. In May 2009, after years of lobbying, legislation was passed to raise the alcohol limit on beer in the state from 6 percent to 13.9 percent by volume. For beer lovers in Alabama, this was good news.
Adam and I always enjoyed our beer, but our exposure had been limited. Since the early days our marriage we have been partial to Yuengling. It was our standby beer, reasonably priced, and we seldom deviated from it. When we did it was for something like Blue Moon or Sam Adams.
For the nine months previous to the Free the Hops legislation we drank very little beer as we awaited the birth of our daughter, then drank barely any in the following six months. To say that we were out of the loop was an understatement, not just in the beer world but in general. Having a newborn will do that to you.
Just in time for us to get back to our regular drinking habits, a new pizza joint moved in downtown and with it came a rush of new-to-Alabama beers. We met friends there for pizza one evening and walked out quite fond of a few new brews: for Adam, St. Bernardus Abt 12 and for me, Magic Hat #9. Soon after we found of another pizza joint with a healthy sampling of beer around the corner from our new home (a dangerous thing to have nearby) and made it our mission to try any craft beers we could. The only problem? We couldn’t find most of them at the store. So we drank our trusty standard at home and often ventured out to one of these pizzerias for a brew. Even with a little person in tow, we became regulars.
Adam started reading up on different types of beer, and in turn educated me on differing beer styles. When we went out, we didn’t just guzzle our drinks; we paid attention to their flavors and determined which we most enjoyed. Adam prefers beer rich in hops or dark and malty. I like hops, too, but also enjoy any beer made with wheat. Good things to know when making the great leap of faith that is trying a new beer.
Eventually local markets started carrying more craft beer and some offer a “create your own six pack” option or sample packs. When we’re feeling adventurous and have a few extra bucks in our pockets, we try something new in the comfort of our own home. Still we often find ourselves at the local watering hole on days when the pricey craft beers are half off. We sample new pints and revisit favorites. For us, this is part of the good life.
Adam’s Top 5 Beers
Lindsay’s Top 5 Beers
