I’ve never been much of a beer drinker. To this day when I find myself at a happy hour, I will more than likely reach for the cocktail menu instead of the draught list. However, in the past few years my education in the field has been expanded and I’ve learned that in a lot of cases, beer can have actual flavors beyond... what’s that stuff called? Hops?

I suppose my lack of information on beer came from college, where the best tasting beer was the free kind. Add the fact that none of my peers were connoisseurs, so our typical beer brand was simply a matter of what was on sale. Up until this point all beer tasted the same to me. I had heard once or twice that beer was typically better on tap, but I didn’t really know the difference. Beer tasted like beer, end of story. On one fateful day, my opinion was changed for good.

On a rainy fall day I found myself in Philadelphia with a handsome young gentleman who for for privacy reasons we'll call Thor. We were scouting for a random Tuesday night happy hour, as we both had the good fortune of having no evening or early-morning commitments. We stumbled upon a big ol’ place called The Fox and Hound on 15th and Spruce Street. It looked bar-ish enough to us and the menu had cocktails, beers and burgers which are the base ingredients of any good evening.

Turns out, Tuesday meant $2 drafts all day.

At Thor's suggestion, I got a Sam Adams Cherry Wheat. Honestly, it was the only beer I recognized besides Guinness. I took my first sip, not expecting anything too revealing or exciting. Lo and behold, it tasted like cherries! Crisp, sweet, cold cherries! Who knew? There was a massive confusion happening in my world: it was a bit of sensory overload. It was beer, but it was fruity (and I like fruity). Revelations!

It was true what they say: it’s almost always better on tap. I do believe that evening I had at least three of them, which is more than I ever really order when it comes to beer. Generally speaking, I’ll have one, call it a day, then move on to anything that comes with a little umbrella in it. It just goes to show you that even a girly-drink expert like me can find a pint to call their own. 

If you have a craft beer that's drawn you into the world of craft beer, tell us all about it! Just email info@philly.thedrinknation.com with the subject heading CRAFT BEER.

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