By Rob:

Well, Father’s Day is upon us again this year.  This was not my dad’s favorite holiday, nor was his birthday (June 21, so they often shared the same day), nor was Christmas.  So this year, it made me think, what about writing a bit about our Dad’s, and maybe about having a beer with them.

Growing up, from what I recall, my Dad was a pretty simple beer man, often consuming Coors Light or a similar variant.  But I remember when he spring for Fosters for the first time, that big oil can, weighing in at 25.4 ounces.  Wow, what a beverage.  

He raised a pinky soon after that, and would regularly drink St. Pauli Girl, and this was really a nod to the German Style Pilsner that became the beer he really wanted to drink.  My dad is diabetic, so he allows himself a single beer each night, before he shifts to something with fewer carbohydrates, like red wine or bourbon.

Now-a-days when he is through town, he enjoys a nice RoHa Three Deep American Ale - that lighter body, lighter hop beer.  He usually refers to this beer as “aaaah Rob, how about one of those one beers, ya’know….the one”  Which I interpret for him, pour in a frosty mug for him to sip and enjoy.

By Josh:

We grew up close to the Pabst Blue Ribbon Brewery in Milwaukee, WI. Needless to say, our German heritage pairs well with beer. 

The first beer I had was put of a canteen on our first visit to Arches N.P. My Dad didn’t bring water in his canteen, just beer. I was so thirsty my Mom had me suck on a rock, like they do. And, it didn’t work. So my Dad reluctantly gave up a sip of warm PBR from his canteen. Yuck! The next time I had a beer with my Dad was when we were deer hunting together. That one tasted pretty sweet. It was a coming of age thing, and I was feeling pretty grown up sipping on that can of beer. 

The strange thing about the old timers in the Midwest is that they’d salt their beers after they poured them into steins. So, I took a page from my Father and his paternal roots and dashed a few sprinkles into my beer. Even salt doesn’t make cheap beer better I discovered. My Dad and I still enjoy a quiet pint together fishing, camping or just watching the Green Bay Packers.  However, we’ve upgraded our beer selection to RoHa. Big Green Couch is my Father’s favorite RoHa. From PBR to the BGC. Good work Pops!

By Ashley:

Growing up in Cedar City, Utah meant I didn’t see much alcohol consumption. My mother raised my siblings and I in the LDS church, in a small Southern Utah town (that to this day only has three bars, including Policy Kings, their first brewery). My Dad, however, lived in Boise ID and was not a church going man. I always remember visiting my Dad in Boise, and seeing him pair homemade meals with the appropriate beverage of choice. Tacos meant there would be fresh lime margaritas, pasta meant a bottle of red wine, and pizza and burgers always had a beer in front. I remember his brews of choice typically came in 62oz. growler form from a local pizzeria, Flying Pie. They have about 30 tap handles with an assortment of local beer selections. 

I remember the first time I had a sip of a beer with my Dad, and my first reaction was "good hell, this tastes like water mixed with metal". My dad laughed at the expression on my face and said the classic line, "it's an acquired taste". Now that I have a finely tuned "acquired" taste for craft beer, my Dad & I love to geek out on a good cold pint. He recently moved outside of Denver, Colorado and I can't wait to check out all the local micro-breweries with him and the fam. Thanks for introducing me to the finer things in life, Dad!