My Beer Five

I wasn't always a drinker; I'm not sure the term would be accurate now. Years of cautionary tales from my mom about one of my uncle's youthful problems with alcoholism made me avoid the stuff until a few days short of my 21st birthday, when just a sip at a college party led to a few glasses, embarrassing dancing, and photos that would resurface on the internet more than a decade after I'd forgotten about them. But that's a story for a never time.

At any rate, once a month or so I will enjoy having a beer or three at a happy hour or a party, and over the years these have become my five favorites:

1) Corona:
I love this stuff, and pretty much the only time I drink something else is when the bar I'm at just doesn't have any. It reminds me of Summer, thanks to a really effective ad campaign that focuses on the golden bottles shimmering in the sun in an exotic beach location. Of the various beers I've sampled, I like the taste, especially with the mandatory slice of lime in the bottle.

2) Samuel Adams:
One of the things that steered me away from beer in my youth was the taste. When I did get around to Bud and another brand I'll mention shortly, I learned that they really weren't that good unless they were ice cold. Just after college, I tried my first Sam Adams at an afterwork bar gathering while playing darts. It was darker than other beers, and had a richer taste. When a girl I was seeing moved to Massachusetts, I'd order Sam Adams while visiting her and got to try authentic Boston beer in Boston. While Corona replaced Sam Adams for me years ago, it's good to have a “plan B” when that first one isn't available.

3) Coors Lite:
Plan C is the old Silver Bullet. It's one of those beers that has to be ice cold to enjoy, but when it is, it's very satisfying and very refreshing. Thankfully, the last time I had one, at a NASCAR race, it met the desired temperature requirements.

4) Bud Lite Lime:
This is a fairly new discovery. I was at a party a few weeks ago and mistook the bottle in the host's refrigerator for a Corona. The similarity is more than just cosmetic, and it's basically like a Corona with the lime flavor already added. I definitely went back for seconds and possibly a third, and suspect this one will be moving up my list.

5) Heineken:
Ah, Heineken. It's cheap, and clear, and closer to ginger ale than beer. But it was a great way to get started back in college, and I have many fond memories of the first parties I was ever invited to, at which Heineken was served. As my tastes changed and I sought more flavor, it became a thing of the past, but will always have a place on my list for introducing me to other sides of myself. Heineken got me to dance, although it would take vodka to eventually get me to sing. But we'll save the stronger drinks for another five....