It was when I realised that beer was more than just something drunk by the pint that I saw how brilliantly varied it was. That sidestep from 4% ABV pints to bottles and cans upwards of 6% ABV revealed a whole new world – and flavours I’d never experienced before.
I’d buy dark Belgian ales with deep, raisiny tones, rich and chocolatey stouts, IPAs that seemed to smell like a fresh fruit salad. I’d pour the beer into a fancy glass and contemplate it instead of just quaffing it, wowed by what I was tasting.
Things got even more interesting when I started thinking about what I’d like to eat with those beers. I loved the idea that I could have fun with it. I didn’t need to be making a fancy meal – often my mission was just finding the perfect beer for fish fingers and chips. Or perhaps I’d want to know the ideal chocolate biscuit or cheese to go with whatever beer I had. (Call me obsessive, but I also spent hours cooking dinners specifically for certain beers…)