One of the most frequent questions I get at work is- "What is your favorite beer?" It's an interesting question because sometimes I can see that the person asking the question is genuinely interested in my answer. Other times though I can see a look in the eye of the curious which means they are testing my "beer knowledge". I guess if I were to answer Bud Light or PBR I would fail their grand test and not be worthy of selling them beer. I don't really care. You can test my beer knowledge all you want. I don't pretend to be all knowing. But what answer would appease them? Rochefort 8? Westvleteren 12? Surly Darkness? Three Floyds Dark Lord? Pliny the Elder? Oh yes, I can name drop with the best of them.
The truth is there is no correct answer to that question. Generally I'll give them my standard answer of- "That's like asking me which is my favorite kid. Can't answer it." Now granted I have spawned successfully but only once so I only have one favorite kid. Either way, it's an answer that has too many variables to reach just one conclusion.
What time of day is it? Is it cold outside? Is it warm outside? Where am I? What am I doing at the given moment I have said favorite beer in my hand? Is there a local brewery around? Am I naked? Those are just a few situations that affect my beer mood. When I worked at NOLA Brewing my loyalty ran deep and I could answer your question with a quick answer. Cask Conditioned Dry Hopped NOLA Blonde. But then again it was only my favorite beer of the moment. Things change. If it's cold outside I prefer darker beers. Warm outside? Lighter beers. Darker beers and lighter beers? Hell that's just a general answer. I could break it down further from there but the answers could be mind boggling.
I'm not even really sure I can give you my top 5 favorite beers of all time because then you have to break them down again. Are you asking me my top 5 favorite DIPAs? Stouts? American Wild Ales? The list goes on and on and on and on...you get the idea. You can look at my reviews here on The Beer Buddha and see which beers get the most Buddhas but then you have to think that maybe I drank that beer at the right moment for it to earn 5 Buddhas. And maybe a beer that earns 5 Buddhas from me won't earn jack squat from you. Just cause I like a beer sure as hell doesn't mean you will.
I guess the easiest way to answer this question is to turn it back around on the person asking the question. My favorite beer isn't what is important. You can sit there and read my reviews and think that Beer X must be the best beer because I gave it 5 Buddhas or Beer Y must suck cause I only gave it 1 Buddha but in the end it doesn't really matter. What matters most is what beer you find to be your favorite and that's it.
Cheers!
The Beer Buddha
