Coffea , Tea and Beer. Good recommendations for a beginning drinker?

StarKnightX

StarKnightX

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This may seem like an odd question or thread , but I'm going to ask anyway.

I've never been much of a drinker of the 3 above listed drinks , and the few times I've had them I did not really like them , but I chalk that up partly to poor choices or bad experiences. I've always heard people say that you have to get used to drinking them or that some are easier to drink than others. So what would be some good brands to get or places to go for someone who is not used to drinking coffee , tea and beer yet?
 
Beer = Boddingtons, Fullers, Guinness, JW Dundee Honey Brown, Sam Adams Cherry Wheat, Corsendonk Abbey, Delerium Tremon/Nocturnum, etc

Tea = Tetley

Coffee = Dunkin Donuts blend
 
Be a man. Down the beer. Stop bein' a loser.

If you really are the big pussbag I assume you are, when you arrive at a party, grab a red cup, any red cup in sight and just fill it up with any liquid in sight....
 
Tea- Tetley, or some of those bottles easily obtained in an Asian market.

Not coffee, 'cause I ain't manly enough to be a masochist by drinking coffee.
 
Please don't get sucked into drinking beer.:shame: It's best to save your money IMO.

As for Coffee, just be warned that it's easy to get addicted to it (some I knew never drank it, but once they had it, they drink a lot).
 
[quote name='The Mana Knight']Please don't get sucked into drinking beer.:shame: It's best to save your money IMO.

As for Coffee, just be warned that it's easy to get addicted to it (some I knew never drank it, but once they had it, they drink a lot).[/quote]

An occasional drink every now and again is good for you mana.;)

My dad is a big coffee drinker but my mom hates the stuff. My first brother kinda likes it but can do without , my youngest brother has never really tried it.
 
Tea= PG Tips+ Milk + 2sugar

Beer= Dickscusting. Stick to the hard stuff. For me I can only stand the watered down stuff, so Coors Light.

Coffee= White Chocolate Mocha. Iced :)

All that stuff is great for people who normally don't like drink X.

The tea is nice and sweet and cooled a bit with the milk.
The Coors Light taste mostly like water with a hint of that beer taste so you can at least stand it if not enjoy it.
White Chocolate Mochas iced or otherwise are nice and sweet and the coffee taste is barely there.
 
Tetley...? Really? Eeuh. *elitist looseleaf drinker* Chase has it right, if you don't mind caffeine free teas. And Rooibos (red tea) compliments whatever it's flavored with. For breakfast this morning I had Earl Grey Red. My favorite flavors are Red Chocolate Mint (York's in a cup), Red Ginger, and Hawaiian Punch Red (not actual hawaiian punch.)

As for beer and coffee, I'm clueless. Beer's too weak and caffeine makes me puke.
 
Mocha's are easiest to get into.. Basically hot chocolate with coffee flavor. Can be exceedingly good if you get one from a good cafe. If you want something less sweet, get a flavored latte of some kind.

Loose-leaf green tea or white tea (tea bags are leftovers from processing machines). Go to black teas from there.

As for the beer I've always found a nice thick Hefeweizen to be the easiest on the palate. From there, amber ales are good, work your way to pale ale and IPA.
 
Beer: Buy a sixer of the cheapest stuff you can find and then one of some of the recommendations in this thread. I've been a big fan of Rogue's Dead Guy Ale lately, but just something decent. Drink one of the good stuff. You'll hate it. Then, choke down the entire sixer of the cheap stuff. That doesn't have to be done at one sitting. Then try the good stuff again. If you can't tell the difference, then beer isn't your drink.

Coffee: Any of the mixed drinks that Starbucks sells, cappichinos, machianos, mochas, whatever are a decent introduction. Just remember that they have a lot of milk and other things added. I don't think there's a good way to start drinking it black except maybe to just force yourself to drink weakly brewed pots of it and work your way up to something normal.

These really are acquired tastes and if you've had them a few times and they aren't growing on you, your choices are to either keep at it until they do or quit.
 
I would say that coffee and beer are definitely an acquired taste. Use lots of cream and sugar when you start with coffee. Eventually, you should be able to drink it black. Beer is mostly a trial-and-error thing.
 
Coffee - focus on roasts. Don't buy any "blends" or flavored coffees. Figure out if you like dark and smoky, light and nutty, and how acidic you like it. In most stores, Peets/Caribou/Starbucks will give you the better roasts, and they won't use cheap/shitty/multiregion beans.

Tea? Hard to say. I like Twinings myself. They have a nice sampler pack of black teas, which is a nice place to start. Try the peppery flavor of an Earl Grey, the lighter, somewhat citrusy flavor of a Lady Grey, or the more mild English/Irish Breakfast teas. Read up on types of leaves. Don't buy a tea if it's orange pekoe or oolong. That shit's just floor shavings.

Beer? Hmm. Again, this really depends on what you learn to like. Someone who adores the hoppiness and scent of an IPA may not like the lighter bite of a proper pilsner, or the dark chocolates in a porter or stout. Read up on a few styles; get a stout/porter, an IPA, a hefe-weizen, a bitter, and a few other varieties. Go to a liquor store, and not a market, for these selections. Taste them slowly, see what it is you like. Work from there.
 
You got a few bucks to spend? Belgian wheat ales kick ass. I recommend Hoegaarden, Blue Moon is cheaper and not as good but still great. Definitely better than most American bullshit beers, although Sam Adams does kick ass.
 
Coffee: For best results, buy whole bean and grind your own. The oils in the beans oxidize easily, so grinding right before brewing will keep those volatile flavors in. I'm a big fan of Starbucks, with the Yukon Blend and the Pike Place Roast being my favorites. To be honest, if a coffee is vacuum sealed and whole bean, the quality is going to be good (even if the roast isn't up your alley). Just make sure not to leave an open bag hanging around too long... stale coffee sucks pretty bad.

Tea: Gotta agree with myke on this one... Twinings makes a great product. I buy loose-leaf, which bit messier than bags, but easy to prepare and much better quality. Just opened a box of Ceylon Breakfast Tea which is fantastic, but the stand-bys of Earl Grey, Lady Grey, and English Breakfast are all great places to start.

Beer: I drink quite a bit, but forgive me if my information isn't 100% accurate. First off, what was it about beer that you didn't like? As previously mentioned, different styles bring completely different experiences.
I personally think that the best place to start would be the lighter styles... American pilsners, Belgian whites, Hefeweizens, and so on. Avoid anything heavily hopped, at least at first.... hops are an acquired taste, and can be very off-putting to a novice beer drinker.
If you enjoy one of these styles, great. If you find them a little weak for your tastes, move up to something more robust... IPAs, lagers, etc. Still not enough? Maybe a stout or a porter is more your taste. Play around, there are great beers out there from all over the world.
 
[quote name='PhrostByte']You got a few bucks to spend? Belgian wheat ales kick ass. I recommend Hoegaarden, Blue Moon is cheaper and not as good but still great. Definitely better than most American bullshit beers, although Sam Adams does kick ass.[/quote]
Ever tried Franziskaner? It's a great Weissbier, awesome yeasty flavor. My fav, but not readily available near my home. I usually stick with Blue Moon.
 
[quote name='Dream to Dream']I buy loose-leaf[/QUOTE]

Good on ya! There's a local roaster that has their own teas and coffees that I've yet to try. I must. I have a tea ball somewhere, but I was going to use that to add spices or post-fermentation hops the next time I brew. Beats the fuck out of me where it is, though. ;)

BTW, OP, you could always, if you've got the money to spare, order from these guys. Incredible roasts, inexpensive for the quality, and helps small businesses. As much as I like Starbucks' roasts, I can't say the same when I buy there.
 
For tea in a bag I like... Stash

However the Snapple Orange-Inality is damn good too, but only that flabor. Plus it's cheap. :)
 
[quote name='mykevermin']I have a tea ball somewhere, but I was going to use that to add spices or post-fermentation hops the next time I brew. Beats the fuck out of me where it is, though. ;)[/quote]
You home-brew, huh? How's that work for you? Always sounded neat to me, but I never got around to trying it.
 
[quote name='Dream to Dream']Ever tried Franziskaner? It's a great Weissbier, awesome yeasty flavor. My fav, but not readily available near my home. I usually stick with Blue Moon.[/quote]

Have not.. but always interested in pouring beer down my throat. :lol:
 
my great grandpa or uncle made his own beer, he had a whole setup in the basement. It was supposedly amazing, however the barrel split and that was the end of that.
 
[quote name='bigdaddy']my great grandpa or uncle made his own beer, he had a whole setup in the basement. It was supposedly amazing, however the barrel split and that was the end of that.[/quote]
Yeah, homebrewed beers can be amazing. You can put the average American pils to shame with a little know-how...

Check out the Samuel Adams "Longshot" Homebrew Competition (http://samueladams.com/promotions/LongShot/Default.aspx). Top-rated homebrews from both the public and employees of The Boston Brewing Company are made into limited-edition brews by Sam Adams. One helluva way to show off your handiwork.
 
I have loved coffee since I can remember. Probably drink four cups a day. Definitely try "roasted" blends, as myke mentioned. Experiement with sweeteners; if you didn't like the taste before, you may with Sweet 'N Low or Splenda added.

I don't drink tea. Not my thing.

As for beer: it's an acquired taste. Try a few different kinds. I don't drink anything fancy, but I like Heineken.
 
I don't drink beer so I can't offer my opinion there.

Coffee: I like mild, low-acid coffees. Green Mountain Coffee Roasters makes a good brew, but Dunkins will do in a pinch. Coffee should always be freshly ground. When I'm feeling ultra-snobby, I occasionally like to buy raw coffee beans and roast them myself in an old hot-air popcorn popper that I picked up a tag sale a few years ago.

Tea: I've only recently developed a taste for tea. Tazo makes an incredibly bold chai that I've grown to love.

If there's a Teavana store near you I would definitely suggest trying a cup of their MatéVana chai. It's obscenely good.
 
[quote name='ph33r m3']Be a man. Down the beer. Stop bein' a loser.

If you really are the big pussbag I assume you are, when you arrive at a party, grab a red cup, any red cup in sight and just fill it up with any liquid in sight....[/QUOTE]

How much do you charge for Internet Tough Guy lessons?


Seriously, even if you come back and say you were joking.... probably the most ignorant comment ever.


Anyways, I'll add:

Beer: Once you're into slightly darker stuff, Try a Theakston Old Peculiar.
 
Beer. I like a good, strong imperial stout. North Coast Brewing Old Rasputin and Oskar Gordon's Ten Fidy are two of the best.

I also like about everything from Stone brewery: Russian Imperial Stout, Ruination IPA, Smoked Porter, Arrogant Bastard Ale etc. Troeg's makes some taste one's as well, as does Southern Tier.

There's lots of good Belgian beers as well. Corsendonk Abbey Brown Ale, McChouffe Belgian Brown, Delerium Nocturnum, Delerium Tremens.

For more mass produced stuff that's easy to find anywhere, my fall backs are Sam Adams, Sierra Nevada Pale Ale (their stout and porter are decent as well) and Guiness. All the stuff from Anchor is solid as well (Steam, Porter, Bock etc.).

Anywho, I could go on as I'm a huge beer snob, but that's probably enough for now! :D

I'm not big into to tea, for Coffee I generally just buy a bag of some kind of bold/extra bold coffee beans from Starbucks and grind them myself. The Komodo Dragon blend is pretty good. Though I'm no coffee aficionado.
 
TEA - A Tetley or a Lipton is good place to start. Really, all those generic tea bags taste the same. A good trick is to put sugar in it until you like it, and then over time gradually put less and less sugar in it. Ease yourself into these things. If you're looking for a good beginner's loose leaf tea (good man, going loose) then I can't recommend enough Darjeelings, particularly summer Darjeelings. Darjeeling was the tea that made me love tea, and it's still my favorite even after drinking many different leaves, most of them a lot more expensive.

COFFEE - Dunkin Donuts, ask for extra sugar to get yourself used to it. Again, bring yourself down gradually. Unless you're one of those people that likes black coffee the first time they have it, aka those people that don't exist, it's the easiest way to get yourself into it.

BEER - Don't bother with anything really expensive when you're starting out, and for the love of god don't drink light beer. Force yourself to drink a few Budweisers or maybe Foster's or Molson. Once you can drink those and almost enjoy them, try Killian's or Bass, and if it's available on draft, try a Sam Adam's. If you want a trial by fire, RedHook ESB or really any ESB for that matter (stands for extra special / strong bitter. I love them.). Stay away from IPAs until you're sure you're ready for them, otherwise you may never like beer ever.
 
[quote name='Maklershed']Beer = Boddingtons, Fullers, Guinness, JW Dundee Honey Brown, Sam Adams Cherry Wheat, Corsendonk Abbey, Delerium Tremon/Nocturnum, etc
[/QUOTE]

This is good advice. Although I wouldn't go with Sam Adams Cherry Wheat as a first beer. Also haven't had the last two Mak mentions.

Basically I'd stay away from hoppy (bitter) beers when getting your feet wet. So no IPAs. Pick up something a beer geek would call a good 'session beer.' But try an IPA before too long. They're :drool:

If you want to go with a good American beer just get a Sam Adams Boston Lager.
 
[quote name='bmachine']Tea: I've only recently developed a taste for tea. Tazo makes an incredibly bold chai that I've grown to love.[/quote]

I'd agree - Tazo makes a good tea, I like their spiced chai.

Stash makes a good green tea, it's got real flavor unlike some other brands that taste like grass.

For a "go-to" tea I like drinking Bigelow's Constant Comment - something about that combination of tea, orange rind and secret spices is delicious!

If you're in the East try to find some Autumn Spice tea - I got some at Greenberry's the other day and it was delicious.
 
[quote name='wubb']This is good advice. Although I wouldn't go with Sam Adams Cherry Wheat as a first beer. Also haven't had the last two Mak mentions.

Basically I'd stay away from hoppy (bitter) beers when getting your feet wet. So no IPAs. Pick up something a beer geek would call a good 'session beer.' But try an IPA before too long. They're :drool:

If you want to go with a good American beer just get a Sam Adams Boston Lager.[/QUOTE]

Sam Adams simply does not make bad brews. While I personally prefer the Winter Ale... right now is probably a good time for Oktoberfest.
 
I got some chai from publix a while back and it took forever for me to get it to where i liked it, wans't worth the effort. One tea bag wasn't enough, was week as hell. I used two and added milk and honey until i got it tasting alright.

If the "ancient Tibetans" drank that as the box claims, they must have had no sense of taste.
 
Coffee wise, if you can get ahold of Paul Delima's coffees, they're FANTASTIC. I get them at my college, and I'm in love.
 
I can't comment much on beer since I don't drink alcohol, but just be sensible about it when you do drink.

For coffee, if you are drinking just Folger's or something like that, it depends if you want to use cream, flavorings, etc. That is what really makes the taste. French Vanilla and Hazlenut creamers are fairly standard and quite tasty. I say keep it simple.

Tea depends on if you like it hot or iced. I personally like hot mint tea. I also like the iced Earl Grey from Snapple (not everyone likes the aftertaste though). Once again, keep it simple.
 
[quote name='Ikohn4ever']dont drink any beer with the words bud, coors, miller, Milwaukee's, or Natural Ice(Natty) in it.[/quote]

This man speaks the truth!!
 
[quote name='mykevermin']Tea? Hard to say. I like Twinings myself. They have a nice sampler pack of black teas, which is a nice place to start. Try the peppery flavor of an Earl Grey, the lighter, somewhat citrusy flavor of a Lady Grey, or the more mild English/Irish Breakfast teas. Read up on types of leaves. Don't buy a tea if it's orange pekoe or oolong. That shit's just floor shavings.
[/quote]

With you on the tea, I drink Twinings Early Grey as well, very good stuff.

I'm not very picky about beer or coffee, I do like grinding my own coffee beans though.
 
not sure where you live, but cost plus lets you build your own six pack. go there, grab 12 different beers and some pretzels to clean your palate in between beers. find out what kind of beer you like. go all over the place, stouts, pale ales, pilsners, grab a dopplebock for the winter, maybe a pumpkin ale, hefeweizen, white ale, brown ale theres plenty more out there.

[quote name='dmaul1114']Beer. I like a good, strong imperial stout. North Coast Brewing Old Rasputin and Oskar Gordon's Ten Fidy are two of the best.

I also like about everything from Stone brewery: Russian Imperial Stout, Ruination IPA, Smoked Porter, Arrogant Bastard Ale etc. Troeg's makes some taste one's as well, as does Southern Tier.


[/QUOTE]

are you from norcal dmaul, your beers tell me yes. also, anything from lost coast brewery (great white, alleycat, 8ball stout, downtown brown)
 
Budweiser in a bottle (no fucking cans!), Raspberry Lipton tea (in a fucking can!), and the french vanilla cappucinos from Sunoco. Yeah, gas station coffee. I'm a connoisseur.
 
Bass Ale
Great taste, and it goes down smoothe. Way too easy to drink three of them without even noticing. Fairly easy to find in the US, and it's much, much better then Sam Adams.
 
It's fun to experiment and see what you like/dislike, but don't bother with something just because "everything but xxxxx is pointless" as other people will say. Too many people blurt out something like "Try Strongbow, it's the best!" when you might not even like cider beer. Take the time to figure out the basis of the beer/tee/coffee you're drinking before you dismiss it as a whole because of the brand.

I'll enjoy a fine beer every once in a while, but 99% of the time I have a beer it's to party so I just buy whatever I can down like it's water (bud, miller, coors, ect) as long as it doesn't give me a wicked hangover (natty, busch). Case in point, if you're going to play beer pong and asshole all night, skip the Sam Adams. Beers are fun but don't forget to experiment with liquor as well.
 
Hmmm...my coffee tastes seem to run more towards Dunkin Donuts. I know that 7-11 sometimes has a certain type of special blend each month. There was one that was insanely smooth but I can't remember the type. Could always try going to a REAL coffee shop and try different stuff there

For tea, I usually just do iced tea, for that I go Luzianne preferably. As for hot tea, well I haven't had much in that area. Though green tea hot or cold is my number 1 type of tea of all time

Beer? Eh, I'm a cheap fuck and buy Steel Reserve malt liquor lol. Though I love Killians, Guinnes, Labatt Blue to name a few
 
[quote name='RAMSTORIA']
are you from norcal dmaul, your beers tell me yes. also, anything from lost coast brewery (great white, alleycat, 8ball stout, downtown brown)[/QUOTE]

Nope. I live in the DC area currently. I just love good beer and a lot of it is from California--Stone, North Coast, Lagunita's etc. and thankfully they're easy to find around here. Pennsylvania has some good breweries as well--Troegs, Victory etc.
 
[quote name='RAMSTORIA']not sure where you live, but cost plus lets you build your own six pack. go there, grab 12 different beers and some pretzels to clean your palate in between beers. find out what kind of beer you like. go all over the place, stouts, pale ales, pilsners, grab a dopplebock for the winter, maybe a pumpkin ale, hefeweizen, white ale, brown ale theres plenty more out there.[/quote]

Never heard of Cost Plus so I doubt there's one near me. Is it anything like costco? A make your own six pack sounds like it would help me out a lot. I would be happy just being able to buy single cans/bottles of a certain brand but I can't really do that either.

[quote name='QiG']Beers are fun but don't forget to experiment with liquor as well.[/quote]

Oh , I have no problem with this , that's already been done.;)

Been a lot of recommendations coming so far. Been taking notes and giving me a lot of things to look for.:)
 
[quote name='StarKnightX']Never heard of Cost Plus so I doubt there's one near me. Is it anything like costco? A make your own six pack sounds like it would help me out a lot. I would be happy just being able to buy single cans/bottles of a certain brand but I can't really do that either.


[/QUOTE]

cost plus is like a yuppie chain store, but they have a nice selection of wines and beers. check some grocery stores too, they might do it. i know the savemart around the corner does it as well.
 
[quote name='Tyrannical']Bass Ale
Great taste, and it goes down smoothe. Way too easy to drink three of them without even noticing. Fairly easy to find in the US, and it's much, much better then Sam Adams.[/QUOTE]

I'd have to go with Sam Adams over Bass myself. Though assuming your talking about regular Sam Adams, that's a lager rather than an ale so it's not really a fair comparison anyway. I mean one can say what they like better, but it's tough to say more about that when comparing across beer styles as a beer can be a great example of that style of beer but a person may hate it just because they don't dig the style.

In that vain, Sam Adams is one of the few lagers I like. Brooklyn Lager is another decent one, and Yeungling is ok as far as cheap beer goes. I'm more into stouts, imperial stouts, IPAs and Double IPAs, ESBs and Barleywines myself. Also dig a good belgian abbey ale (mainly the brown ales) and the occasional hefeweissen on a hot day.
 
[quote name='RAMSTORIA']cost plus is like a yuppie chain store, but they have a nice selection of wines and beers. check some grocery stores too, they might do it. i know the savemart around the corner does it as well.[/QUOTE]

Also, there are some good sites to look up good beer stores in your area.

www.beeradvocate.com is one of my favorites. Has tons of reviews of beers, beer stores, and beer bars. I use it when I travel to find good beer bars.
 
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