This week we brew an American-style barleywine that will serve two purposes! It will be the celebration beer for after our baby is born; however, we’ll also be wax sealing a few of them to save them so that hopefully they can be eventually be our kid’s first beer! We chose the barleywine style precisely because it should hold up for a relatively long time in the bottle.
This led us to a discussion of the ethical question: When is an appropriate age for a child to try alcohol at home with their parents – if any? Do you wait until they are 21 (the legal age in the U.S.) or might it be appropriate sooner?
Had my first taste of alcohol been barley wine, I’m sure I would have wound up a teetotaler. Don’t get me wrong, I love barley wine. I just had to practice, practice, practice to get ready for it.
I was the opposite! I had a macro lager first and hated it, and thought I hated all beer until I tried an Arrogant Bastard. I guess you never know what path will get you there.