My girlfriend’s dad is a cool guy, even though he thinks I should be wearing those pants he gave me more often… He’s in his 60s and still goes to classic rock concerts like Kiss and ZZ Top (I love classic rock). He and I are both fans of the same types of books and generally get along. When we have a drink or go to dinner, we’ll drink irish whiskey or a dry Red wine because that is all he drinks. He thinks beer is terrible and would poke fun at me for my passion for it when I first came around. Since then it is obvious that he likes me more and so will talk beer with me and try some of mine. The problem is that I started with beer and went to wine so I really don’t know what beers to get to see what he likes.
The beers he has tried that I have had are hop bombs mostly. I think a heavier belguim beer or lambic may be good for him to try but his daughter took to stouts and browns so I don’t know. Basically, I am at a loss as to what to have him try. When he next comes over, I want to be “out of” wine and offer him something that I think he would like. I may even convince him to do a sampler platter. Help me out folks!
Dusty, As a wine drinker who occasionally drinks beer, I’d advise that you serve wine. I do have friends who try to serve the beers I might like, but they are better off selecting a $15 Malbec from Whole Foods as far as I’m concerned. But my advice is most likely useless as I’d never drink Irish Whisky.
Anyways here are some beers that I do like:
Duvel and trippels in general (but make sure they are not sweet or too hoppy). Orval is also a treat.
Lambiek and Geuze (probably misspelled) are occasionally eye opening.
NO malt liquor or overly malty beers.
When I go back to Denmark there have been a few beers that I’ve really enjoyed. Especially Herslev Bryghus as their stuff always seems to have a nice balance.
Article I wrote on this a few years back:
Classic Beer Styles for Wine Lovers
To help the maltose impaired amongst you take that first baby step into fine beers (the preferred drink of winemakers everywhere!), we present to you six beers with direct flavor / texture corollaries to classic wines:
The real Champagne of Bottled Beer is Boon Geuze, an austerely dry and yeasty beer aged five years on the lees Methode Champenoise. The Guide Michelin has even compared this amazing potation to Bollinger R.D.!!!
Lovers of aromatic wines made from Riesling, Gewurz and especially Muscat will flip over Blanche de Bruges and Blanche de Chamblay. These are the most winelike brews made, bursting with spiced citrus and floral flavors that lead to a crisp dry finish that will leave you wanting more.
Chardoholics will find comfort in the immense body and toasty, rounded flavors of Bokrijks Kruikenbier, the richest blonde ale we have ever tasted, with a creamy texture that perfectly balances the intensely aromatic bouquet. Warning: this is strong stuff duuuuuude!
Fans of the lighter end of the red wine spectrum will have to agree with the slogan (banned in the U.S. by the BATF) of Rodenbach Red Ale: “It’s wine!” Aged in large oak barrels for roundness but still exploding with deep cranberry and cherry flavors, this has been dubbed “the world’s most refreshing beer!” by top critics. Another delicious (and budget conscious) example of the style is Ichtegems, but take three as they’re habit forming…
Rhone-a-philes will appreciate the full, meaty, earthy flavors and mouthfeel of Chimay Grande Resérve. This truly World Classic ale has strong spice and pepper notes on the nose and a bigger body than any wimpy Bordeaux or Burgundy, great with either roast game or the big game and even comes in Magnums should you need them.
Love the beers from Trappistes Rochefort for their complexity.
I’m going to disagree with Roberto on this one. I have been a wine lover for a relatively short period of time - perhaps 10 years - and until this year, HATED beer, of all types. Not just disliked beer, hated it. I don’t think there really is a ‘wine-person’s-beer’ as it is completely different, and is typically an acquired taste, as is fine wine.
IMO, gueuze and Flemish Reds are the beers that taste most like wine. Actually, fruited lambics and fruited gueuzes may actually be even more wine-like. Of course, this doesn’t mean any given wine drinker will actually like them.
all that said, my recommendation would be gueuze, with these caveats:
- buy a good one
- don’t tell him the liquid in his glass is beer; heck, I bet you could get away not telling him it isn’t wine.
------- #2 is important because gueuze is completely different than what at least 99.9% of people think about when they think about “beer.” For most folks who’ve never tasted a gueuze, thinking and expecting “beer” while taking their first sip is about as shocking as expecting Pepsi and instead getting a big swig of grapefruit juice.
Chimay Blue is one of the best choices for you imo…and should be easy to find. Duvel is another good choice…though very different from the Chimay. The sours, lambics, etc are really different but wonderful.
Try the Chimay Blue
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I’ll probably spell it wrong but Marsedsous 10 is one to try as well.
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Oh and most anything from Unibroue
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I’ll be giving these tries. He is normally down to try something I am having now but just one drink doesn’t get you the full experience, especially when you are drinking something else that would throw off the flavor.
Brian, I laughed from what you said about the grapefruit and 
. I’ve given (beer loving) friends of mine lambics or lighter colored IPAs when they having been drinking light beer and they will take a drink without smelling it first and almost spit it out. Even though you like the beer, when you are not expecting it, it makes a huge difference.
I remember once taking a drink out of a cup I thought was water and found that it was very sweet tea that I forgot I had poured. I almost got sick.
I have a habit of getting a Dr. Pepper whenever I go to In-n-Out to get a burger. About once in every 25 times, I’ll get a lemonade instead. Almost without fail, whenever I get a lemonade, at some point during the meal I forget I got a lemonade, I take a big sip expecting Dr. Pepper and my tastebuds and brain are nearly blown when they experience lemonade instead. 
Gueuze, Russian River Sours esp Consecration and Temptation. If you can locate Vlad the Imp Aler from Cascade in Oregon, Basque Cider, Berliner Weisse.