Comments on: Can you bring up your kids to like good beer? http://boakandbailey.com/2008/05/27/can-you-bring-up-your-kids-to-like-good-beer/ Sun, 12 Feb 2012 17:33:47 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v= By: Ally http://boakandbailey.com/2008/05/27/can-you-bring-up-your-kids-to-like-good-beer/#comment-1390 Ally Wed, 28 May 2008 16:07:08 +0000 http://boakandbailey.com/?p=593#comment-1390 What an interesting subject. My parents didn't really drink, in fact my grandmother thought alcohol was the devil's work. My mother would sometimes have a Michelob and I think she felt like maybe she was being naughty. I tried her beer once and it put me off any kind of beer for decades. My first experiences getting drunk on my own terms (not horrible stuff given to me at parties) was when I lived with a woman who worked at the Wine Spectator. We always had expensive wine around the flat which she got free and I had no idea what I was drinking, but it did turn me on to how wonderful getting drunk on nice stuff could feel. It spoiled me in the future for what I could actually afford-- maybe that's why I switched to beer? Wonderful beer is inexpensive compared to really good wine. What an interesting subject. My parents didn’t really drink, in fact my grandmother thought alcohol was the devil’s work. My mother would sometimes have a Michelob and I think she felt like maybe she was being naughty. I tried her beer once and it put me off any kind of beer for decades.

My first experiences getting drunk on my own terms (not horrible stuff given to me at parties) was when I lived with a woman who worked at the Wine Spectator. We always had expensive wine around the flat which she got free and I had no idea what I was drinking, but it did turn me on to how wonderful getting drunk on nice stuff could feel. It spoiled me in the future for what I could actually afford– maybe that’s why I switched to beer? Wonderful beer is inexpensive compared to really good wine.

]]> By: The Beer Nut http://boakandbailey.com/2008/05/27/can-you-bring-up-your-kids-to-like-good-beer/#comment-1389 The Beer Nut Wed, 28 May 2008 15:56:06 +0000 http://boakandbailey.com/?p=593#comment-1389 Oddly for someone who loves sweet beer, I never went the drinks-that-don't-taste-like-drink route as a nipper. I started out on pints of Guinness when everyone else was adding syrup to their cider. I don't buy the immature tastebuds thing. My tastes (in whiskey and beer) have only changed with what's been available to me. I don't think the young me ever rejected a quality product. Anyway, trying to raise kids to like good beer is like trying to raise them to like good music: if you start early and do it right, it's eventually possible. But you'll have to be prepared to watch them consuming a whole of of rubbish in between times. Oddly for someone who loves sweet beer, I never went the drinks-that-don’t-taste-like-drink route as a nipper. I started out on pints of Guinness when everyone else was adding syrup to their cider. I don’t buy the immature tastebuds thing. My tastes (in whiskey and beer) have only changed with what’s been available to me. I don’t think the young me ever rejected a quality product.

Anyway, trying to raise kids to like good beer is like trying to raise them to like good music: if you start early and do it right, it’s eventually possible. But you’ll have to be prepared to watch them consuming a whole of of rubbish in between times.

]]> By: YCC - Dubbel http://boakandbailey.com/2008/05/27/can-you-bring-up-your-kids-to-like-good-beer/#comment-1388 YCC - Dubbel Wed, 28 May 2008 14:51:47 +0000 http://boakandbailey.com/?p=593#comment-1388 My dad always drank ale when the extended family ate out at pubs. Theakstons and Ruddles were his favourites. I remember stealing sips from my grandad's bitter shandy when I was very young and enjoying it. Although I was never really exposed to booze by my parents. My early drinking encounters were few and far between but I learnt very quickly that I didn't like the taste of the mainstream lagers and could never drink them in any quantity. As a student in Leicester I started out drinking keg cider & blackcurrent before discovering Everards Tiger and Original, then Pedigree and Directors. After my first beer festival I was hooked. I don't believe a parent can coach a child into appreciating fine beer - kids will do what they want and develop their own tastes - though Boak's Saturday lunchtime experiences can't have done any harm! My dad always drank ale when the extended family ate out at pubs. Theakstons and Ruddles were his favourites. I remember stealing sips from my grandad’s bitter shandy when I was very young and enjoying it. Although I was never really exposed to booze by my parents. My early drinking encounters were few and far between but I learnt very quickly that I didn’t like the taste of the mainstream lagers and could never drink them in any quantity. As a student in Leicester I started out drinking keg cider & blackcurrent before discovering Everards Tiger and Original, then Pedigree and Directors. After my first beer festival I was hooked.

I don’t believe a parent can coach a child into appreciating fine beer – kids will do what they want and develop their own tastes – though Boak’s Saturday lunchtime experiences can’t have done any harm!

]]> By: Paul Garrard http://boakandbailey.com/2008/05/27/can-you-bring-up-your-kids-to-like-good-beer/#comment-1387 Paul Garrard Wed, 28 May 2008 12:31:13 +0000 http://boakandbailey.com/?p=593#comment-1387 I most certainly binged when I younger, each time it would put me off that alcoholic beverage for some considerable time. I think my parents reaction to getting drunk helped me to eventually realise that it was a pretty dumb thing to be doing. Rather than remonstrate they just laughed at and ridiculed me. Cured by embarrassment. I most certainly binged when I younger, each time it would put me off that alcoholic beverage for some considerable time. I think my parents reaction to getting drunk helped me to eventually realise that it was a pretty dumb thing to be doing. Rather than remonstrate they just laughed at and ridiculed me. Cured by embarrassment.

]]> By: Pivní Filosof http://boakandbailey.com/2008/05/27/can-you-bring-up-your-kids-to-like-good-beer/#comment-1386 Pivní Filosof Wed, 28 May 2008 09:51:19 +0000 http://boakandbailey.com/?p=593#comment-1386 I do believe parents should give some alcohol to their children, mostly to take away the taboo element. Parents must be pragmatic and understand that children will still drink, but behind their backs, and that is what will more likely get them in trouble. As for getting smashed, that can't be prevented, it is some sort of rite of passage, regardless of how educated you might be. My parents always let me drink a bit of alcohol with them or any other responsible adult, but still, pretty much as soon as I was 18 I got absolutelly trollied with some of my friends, and that was not the last time. Fortunately, though, I never developed an alcohol problem and none of my friends were of the kind that become idiots after a few drinks. We did our share of silly things, but nothing too stupid. I still get smashed every now and then, but it's a different thing. Back then we would drink pretty much whatever would get us drunk with the sole purpuse of getting hammered. Now, getting drunk is a side effect of having a good time with friends. I do believe parents should give some alcohol to their children, mostly to take away the taboo element.
Parents must be pragmatic and understand that children will still drink, but behind their backs, and that is what will more likely get them in trouble.
As for getting smashed, that can’t be prevented, it is some sort of rite of passage, regardless of how educated you might be. My parents always let me drink a bit of alcohol with them or any other responsible adult, but still, pretty much as soon as I was 18 I got absolutelly trollied with some of my friends, and that was not the last time.
Fortunately, though, I never developed an alcohol problem and none of my friends were of the kind that become idiots after a few drinks. We did our share of silly things, but nothing too stupid.
I still get smashed every now and then, but it’s a different thing. Back then we would drink pretty much whatever would get us drunk with the sole purpuse of getting hammered. Now, getting drunk is a side effect of having a good time with friends.

]]> By: Stonch http://boakandbailey.com/2008/05/27/can-you-bring-up-your-kids-to-like-good-beer/#comment-1385 Stonch Tue, 27 May 2008 22:53:43 +0000 http://boakandbailey.com/?p=593#comment-1385 To be fair I decided I liked ale pretty young. I started on sweet things like alcopops and ciders, but by the time I'd been drinking properly for a year I'd come round to liking bitter and Guinness. Working a very ale-y pub helped. To be fair I decided I liked ale pretty young. I started on sweet things like alcopops and ciders, but by the time I’d been drinking properly for a year I’d come round to liking bitter and Guinness. Working a very ale-y pub helped.

]]> By: Galapagos http://boakandbailey.com/2008/05/27/can-you-bring-up-your-kids-to-like-good-beer/#comment-1384 Galapagos Tue, 27 May 2008 19:15:57 +0000 http://boakandbailey.com/?p=593#comment-1384 Boak, is incredible how similar is your story to my experience or the experiences of my friends. And we are in different cultures, but in these things we are all the same! :) What is different here is that the family introduce the kids with wine. There is not a beer culture like in Britain. Boak, is incredible how similar is your story to my experience or the experiences of my friends.
And we are in different cultures, but in these things we are all the same! :)

What is different here is that the family introduce the kids with wine. There is not a beer culture like in Britain.

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