# Are there some people who will just never acquire a taste for beer? **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Tags:** beer\ **Created:** [May 24, 2011, 9:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-there-some-people-who-will-just-never-acquire-a-taste-for-beer/583073 "2011-05-24T21:51:37Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![Sierra\_Indigo](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/f0a364/32.png) [@Sierra\_Indigo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sierra_Indigo)\ **Post date:** [May 24, 2011, 11:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-there-some-people-who-will-just-never-acquire-a-taste-for-beer/583073/21 "2011-05-24T23:09:10Z")
I’ve heard tell that you can learn to like beer, I’ve never been able to. I’ve also heard you can learn to like coffee. That seems hugely unlikely to me as well. I’m happy with cider. There are some very nice ciders and perrys coming out on tap and in bottles in my country these days, so I just trundle along wit my own bad self, drinking my fermented juices 😃 ---
**Author:** ![Little\_Bird](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/3ec8ea/32.png) [@Little\_Bird](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Little_Bird)\ **Post date:** [May 24, 2011, 11:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-there-some-people-who-will-just-never-acquire-a-taste-for-beer/583073/22 "2011-05-24T23:09:35Z")
There’s a great liquor store around here that has huge yearly wine and beer tastings, and we have found it very helpful! Go to the tasting, taste around, find something you like and drink that over the year. Next year your tastes may have developed and you may like more types, or you might not, that’s fine too! Turns out I like wine with big, fruity flavors, not overly sweet, not too many tannins, preferably a Zin or a Cab. I like dark, rich, complex, somewhat sweet beers–Porters, Stouts, Scotch Ales. There are also **tons** of wine and beer types I know I’ll hate and I know to stay away. Worst that can happen is you go to the tasting and decide there really are no beers you like, and you can just put beer out of your mind. (PS: 19 weeks in, 21 weeks to go…I miss beer) ---
**Author:** ![needscoffee](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/needscoffee/32/1076_2.png) [@needscoffee](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/needscoffee)\ **Post date:** [May 24, 2011, 11:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-there-some-people-who-will-just-never-acquire-a-taste-for-beer/583073/23 "2011-05-24T23:14:28Z")
R, why does it surprise you? Surely there are other foods you’ve never developed a liking for. ---
**Author:** ![Der\_Trihs](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/der_trihs/32/233_2.png) [@Der\_Trihs](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Der_Trihs)\ **Post date:** [May 24, 2011, 11:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-there-some-people-who-will-just-never-acquire-a-taste-for-beer/583073/24 "2011-05-24T23:19:57Z")
I’ve never developed a taste for beer or any other alcoholic beverage. Or seriously tried, for that matter; the idea of drunkenness just never appealed to me. ---
**Author:** ![Markxxx](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/5daacb/32.png) [@Markxxx](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Markxxx)\ **Post date:** [May 24, 2011, 11:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-there-some-people-who-will-just-never-acquire-a-taste-for-beer/583073/25 "2011-05-24T23:22:51Z")
I don’t drink at all, in fact the smell of alcohol and beer in particular makes me ill. ---
**Author:** ![Muffin](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/muffin/32/4341_2.png) [@Muffin](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Muffin)\ **Post date:** [May 24, 2011, 11:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-there-some-people-who-will-just-never-acquire-a-taste-for-beer/583073/26 "2011-05-24T23:25:34Z")
> [@Malthus](#): > > Are you me, from the (reasonably near) future? > > If so, please tell me what to invest in. 😉 Same province, same profession too. Some folks figure that Canada is small enough that we all know each other. What they don’t realize is that we are each other. ---
**Author:** ![SeaDragonTattoo](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/df705f/32.png) [@SeaDragonTattoo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SeaDragonTattoo)\ **Post date:** [May 24, 2011, 11:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-there-some-people-who-will-just-never-acquire-a-taste-for-beer/583073/27 "2011-05-24T23:48:42Z")
I enjoy Guinness and other darker beers occasionally. I really can’t stand stuff that comes in 24-packs. I don’t drink much any more, but when I was in my 20’s and drinking every weekend, I preferred vodka tonics. I did get used to cheap beer in pitchers while in college, because the goal was drinking and getting drunk, and that was the cheapest way to get there, but as soon as I could afford different, I dropped that stuff and never looked back. Hard cider is good, but I won’t drink stuff like Mike’s Hard Lemonade - that malt beverage stuff is worse than Bud. A snakebite where I can get it is always awesome - Guinness with hard cider in the same glass. ---
**Author:** ![aruvqan](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/aruvqan/32/2891_2.png) [@aruvqan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/aruvqan)\ **Post date:** [May 24, 2011, 11:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-there-some-people-who-will-just-never-acquire-a-taste-for-beer/583073/28 "2011-05-24T23:50:53Z")
> [@gotpasswords](#): > > I like wine, liquor and spirits just fine, but dislike beer. Mostly to me, they just taste bitter, turn your head inside-out nasty. > > I also despise cilantro - I understand there’s a connection with that. Same, the hops are just nasty. I have tried a gruited beer that wasn’t too bad, but I will generally go for a mead, perrey or cider if I cant get a sweet wine. ---
**Author:** ![BrotherCadfael](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/977dab/32.png) [@BrotherCadfael](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BrotherCadfael)\ **Post date:** [May 25, 2011, 12:36am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-there-some-people-who-will-just-never-acquire-a-taste-for-beer/583073/29 "2011-05-25T00:36:07Z")
No, you’re not alone. My dad let me have a sip when I was six - I didn’t like it then, and don’t like it now. I can drink a glassful, but for some reason, the last swallow just wants to come back up, no matter how big or small the glass. Curiously, the beers that I find least bad are the very dark ones - I don’t particularly like them, but they are less distasteful than the lighter ones. ---
**Author:** ![Superdude](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/superdude/32/13450_2.png) [@Superdude](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Superdude)\ **Post date:** [May 25, 2011, 12:39am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-there-some-people-who-will-just-never-acquire-a-taste-for-beer/583073/30 "2011-05-25T00:39:13Z")
I can’t stand beer. Tastes like warm, sour piss. ---
**Author:** ![Sierra\_Indigo](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/f0a364/32.png) [@Sierra\_Indigo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sierra_Indigo)\ **Post date:** [May 25, 2011, 12:42am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-there-some-people-who-will-just-never-acquire-a-taste-for-beer/583073/31 "2011-05-25T00:42:23Z")
> [@Superdude](#): > > I can’t stand beer. Tastes like warm, sour piss. So Bear Grylls will love it? ---
**Author:** ![Robot\_Arm](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/robot_arm/32/18280_2.png) [@Robot\_Arm](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Robot_Arm)\ **Post date:** [May 25, 2011, 1:11am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-there-some-people-who-will-just-never-acquire-a-taste-for-beer/583073/32 "2011-05-25T01:11:53Z")
I’ve never developed much of a taste for alcohol. I try some every now and then; a glass of beer, liquor, or cider when I’m out with friends. I’ve found just a few that are okay-to-good, but still now my beverage of choice. Sometimes I’ll make an extra effort if the occasion demands. I had four Killer Bees at a beachfront bar on Nevis, because everyone has to go drinking with sailors at least once in life. And I’ll have a glass of chianti when I go out to an Italian restaurant, or when the census taker drops by. I’m also making an effort to try every different coffee drink. Just had something called a “mocha” and kinda liked it. > [@gaffa](#): > > I don’t particularly like alcohol and I’ve never been drunk, but it is helpful to have fall-back beverage when in a beer-drinking location - like England. I was at the Oktoberfest; had a hefeveisen. It wasn’t bad. ---
**Author:** ![PeskiPiksi](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/e495f1/32.png) [@PeskiPiksi](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/PeskiPiksi)\ **Post date:** [May 25, 2011, 1:15am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-there-some-people-who-will-just-never-acquire-a-taste-for-beer/583073/33 "2011-05-25T01:15:17Z")
Another one here who hates beer despite having tried many different types, and also can’t stand coffee…even the smell is sickening to me. And I’ll add another…tea. Can’t drink it, hot or cold. ---
**Author:** ![Superdude](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/superdude/32/13450_2.png) [@Superdude](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Superdude)\ **Post date:** [May 25, 2011, 1:41am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-there-some-people-who-will-just-never-acquire-a-taste-for-beer/583073/34 "2011-05-25T01:41:15Z")
> [@Sierra\_Indigo](#): > > So Bear Grylls will love it? It’s certainly possible. And, before anyone asks how I know what warm, sour piss tastes like, I’ve been to a Dopefest before. ---
**Author:** ![Acid\_Lamp](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/d6d6ee/32.png) [@Acid\_Lamp](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Acid_Lamp)\ **Post date:** [May 25, 2011, 1:57am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-there-some-people-who-will-just-never-acquire-a-taste-for-beer/583073/35 "2011-05-25T01:57:04Z")
There is a chance you simply don’t like beer, and that’s okay. Not everybody will. However the language in your post makes me think that perhaps you’ve never tried a wide variety of decent full taste beer and that might be accounting for your inability to appreciate it. Most commercial big name brews are one note, simple recipes designed not to offend. If you don’t like that note, then you’re screwed. Many local craft brewerys offer tours and tastings, and if you live anywhere near a city there ought to be a local place that has lots on tap. May of these places off samplers that have six or eight two ounce samples of different brews. If you can, get a good spread from pale ale all the way down to imperial stout. The trick to this is all about contrast. If you Find an IPA to be nasty and bitter, you might find a porter, belgian, or red ale to be sweet and malty in comparison. Much better… Now try the stout, too much? then you prefer medium bodied beer. YMMWV . From that point you can explore different brews within your taste range and probably find a style you enjoy enough to cultivate a taste for. If you don’t find anything to your taste at all, then you just don’t like beer. No biggie. ---
**Author:** ![Cub\_Mistress](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/ea666f/32.png) [@Cub\_Mistress](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cub_Mistress)\ **Post date:** [May 25, 2011, 2:23am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-there-some-people-who-will-just-never-acquire-a-taste-for-beer/583073/36 "2011-05-25T02:23:06Z")
Over the years, I have tried many beers and don’t like any of them. I can choke a bottle down over the course of an evening, but I just don’t like beer. I do like coffee and tea, and I am 1/2 German. Go figure. ---
**Author:** ![elfkin477](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/a9a28c/32.png) [@elfkin477](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/elfkin477)\ **Post date:** [May 25, 2011, 2:28am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-there-some-people-who-will-just-never-acquire-a-taste-for-beer/583073/37 "2011-05-25T02:28:43Z")
I also don’t like beer, coffee, or tea. And apparently I’ve only ever had bad hard cider because it tasted like beer to me, yuck. ---
**Author:** ![Infovore](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/infovore/32/420_2.png) [@Infovore](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Infovore)\ **Post date:** [May 25, 2011, 2:30am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-there-some-people-who-will-just-never-acquire-a-taste-for-beer/583073/38 "2011-05-25T02:30:02Z")
I don’t like beer, wine, coffee, or most alcohol. Never have, and don’t really expect to acquire a taste. ---
**Author:** ![panache45](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/panache45/32/64_2.png) [@panache45](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/panache45)\ **Post date:** [May 25, 2011, 4:00am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-there-some-people-who-will-just-never-acquire-a-taste-for-beer/583073/39 "2011-05-25T04:00:49Z")
I’m not much of an alcohol drinker anyway, but I don’t mind an occasional glass of wine. Beer, however, tastes like concentrated dishwater with some cat urine mixed in. And I can taste no difference between cheap generic beer and the good stuff. (At least Americans drink it cold; warm beer is an abomination.) Aside from alcohol, there are damn few foods or drinks that I don’t like. ---
**Author:** ![HazelNutCoffee](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/ac91a4/32.png) [@HazelNutCoffee](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/HazelNutCoffee)\ **Post date:** [May 25, 2011, 4:24am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-there-some-people-who-will-just-never-acquire-a-taste-for-beer/583073/40 "2011-05-25T04:24:55Z")
I like certain kinds of beers depending on the situation. If I’ve just had a long day and am getting ready to eat something greasy, a good beer is the perfect drink. But I can rarely have more than one glass. Half a pint is perfect for me. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-there-some-people-who-will-just-never-acquire-a-taste-for-beer/583073.md?page=1) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-there-some-people-who-will-just-never-acquire-a-taste-for-beer/583073.md?page=3)