Recently I was reminded of a piece that Martyn Cornell wrote back in 2013 where he critiqued (quite correctly) a silly list of “The 20 most influential beers of all time”. He sensibly and systematically tore it down, and presented his own list to replace the US-centric nonsense. The original list was generated by First We Feast and was of course ridiculous for the same reasons that often afflict the USA , i.e., the idea that prior to 1776 nothing existed, and that after 1776 everything outside of these shores is worthless. Regular readers will know that observation is a common one where I’m concerned, but the purpose of this post isn’t to remind you of that (despite the fact that I’ve now achieved that), rather it’s a more reflective and personal post.
Like (hopefully) all of us, no matter what sphere we consider, as I have aged I have become increasingly reflective. If I’m honest I’ve always been that way, and that’s especially true of my relationship with beer. As such, and in the wake of reading Martyn’s post once more, I decided to compile my own list of, “Most influential beers”. As is true of the other ‘influential’ lists mentioned in the articles above, this is not necessarily a list of my favorite beers, nor is it similar to Martyn’s list where he attempts to speak about the true influence of beer across the globe, rather it’s just MY personal list – the beers that have special significance for me.
Now, it may well be that some of my favorite beers of all time do appear on this list, and I suppose that’s inevitable, but at the same time please note that this list and my favorites list are most definitely not the same thing. Frankly, there may be a few beers on this list that some would think embarrassing, but that’s not inconsistent with then being beers that have influenced me. What does ‘influenced’ mean in this context? Well they have perhaps had an effect on me personally, taught me a lesson, pushed me in a new direction, have a special nostalgic place in my heart, or have somehow been central to some important aspect of me and my life.
So, here we go with those beers, each with a reason why. They are in no particular order, but some will be more influential than others, and in some cases I offer honorable mentions which basically did a similar job as the chosen beer in a similar manner.
- Bass – when I was a kid, at the very beginning of my beer journey, I would occasionally meet my dad at The White Hart in Exeter, Devon, England. He would buy me lunch and absolutely insist that I drank Bass from the Wood – he literally wouldn’t buy any other beer for me. Seminal days, seminal moments, special moments.
- Webster’s Yorkshire Bitter – after I had been told what to drink by my dad, the next step was to break out on my own. At this time in early-mid 80s England you were either a bitter or a lager drinker. There were complicated social constructs surrounding each category, and the beer that was most often available to me at that time was kegged Webster’s. I suspect that it simply wasn’t very good, but my gosh, was this ever an important beer for me?
- Leffe Brune (honorable mentions Pelforth Brune, Hoegaarden) – pure nostalgia beers for me. Some of my very first forays to Belgium and France these were front and center. Seems insane now given the relationship with Belgian beer that I developed quickly thereafter and now have had for the best part of forty years since, but that doesn’t take away from the truth.
- Chimay Blue (honorable mention Duvel) – the first Belgian – perhaps even the quintessential Belgian – to open the floodgates after those above. Incidentally, a beer that led me to beeradvocate … so there’s that!
- Orval (honorable mention Fantôme Saison) – a beer that taught me that beers that one doesn’t understand the first (or second or third) time around, can still be beers that one grows into. Not understanding a beer is not the same as not liking it, and sometimes it takes a while for one as a beer drinker to catch up to a particular beer. Orval was that beer for me, and I suspect, many others.
- Fuller’s Vintage Ale – This is a beer that makes this list and my favorite of all time list, in fact it’s a top 5, maybe top 3 beer for me on that list. It’ hard to explain the depth of this beer, and for me it totally re-defined what an English Strong Ale could be, and it had a knock on effect in the ESB category for me too – unparalleled in its class for me.
- Stone Ruination – There was a time when I had a very clear idea of what US craft brewing meant. It all seems so strange now; so long ago. American brewing has always been about irreverence, and being loud and being crass, BUT there was a time that even when considering those adjectives it still seemed to operate within a set of guardrails. Stone was that brewery on the West Coast, and DogFish Head was that brewer in the East. As outlandish as some of their beers were, and even though it was true that not every beer was a hit, it always seemed to me that there was something recognizable at the core of every beer that they brewed. This was true of Ruination for me. Although it was a revolutionary beer in one way, it remained unmistakable as a beer of a certain genre. So much of that has been lost in US contemporary brewing. It’s a complete mess now.
- Timothy Taylor’s Landlord (honorable mention Tetley’s Bitter) – Astonishingly – to me at least – there are folk who think that Timmy Taylor’s is a cliched choice. I think that says a lot about the current state of beer and beer commentary, but suffice to say that for me its a beer that kept well, still offers a quintessential window on English brewing at its best. There’s a lot of other beer of a very similar ilk that could fulfill a similar role here, and picking one isn’t easy, but Landlord is a simple choice that doesn’t compromise things in any way.
- Westvleteren 12 – Much has been said and written about the “best beer in the world”, and we all have our opinions about that, but for me this beer, along with just a small handful of others, has consistently proved that the lofty praise has been justified. Even now, after all of this time, when I drink this now it STILL feels really special.
- Gouden Carolus Cuvée Van De Keizer (Blauw) – Another top five beer that taught me everything that I now know about Belgian Strong Darks. Also, a beer that almost NEVER disappoints when aged. That’s simply not all that common.
- Saison Dupont (honorable mentions Boulevard Tank 7, Boulevard Saison Brett) – Saisons are right there among my favorite styles, and the latter two, American beers really saved me from losing my mind for many years here. Even with their notable impact, it’s hard to mention them without mentioning the quintessential Dupont.
- Sam Adams Boston Lager (honorable mentions Sweetwater 420, Sweetwater IPA, Sierra Nevada Pale Ale) – a beer that saved the day in many a bar and an airport across the USA between circa. 1995 and 2005. It’s not a “great” beer per se, but it sure kicked the ass of 99% of the taps that were so pervasive in that decade.
- Holsten Pils (honorable mention Kaltenberg Pils) – student years were experimental, and alcohol hits were important. These two beers offered tastes and bang for the buck n smaller volumes. They also suggested bottle beer from Europe had more to offer than I had first thought.
- Courage Directors – My dad would also say that Courage beers tasted ‘soapy’ to him. I never really got that hop character from them and Directors (along with Best), with their characteristic Burgundy and Blue pump clips got me through a large part of university!
- Otter Head (honorable mention Cotleigh Tawny Owl) – I associate these beers with the great pubs of my home county, Devon, and as such they represented a time and a place that have absolutely no comparison for me.
Even taking into account the fact that these are not necessarily my favorite beers of all time, there could still be others that I’ve left off this list of the most influential.
