Beer is one of the oldest and most loved beverages in the world. It is as American as apple pie and baseball, yet at the same time it can be as exotic as fine Latin woman or an exquisite French meal. Beer has an extremely broad flavor spectrum. You can drink a beer that tastes closer to water than anything else or you can drink a beer that has hints of coffee or even fruit. Beer is the drink of the people. Beer can quench your thirst or fill you up like a meal. Beer has many qualities beyond its alcoholic content.

My concern is that many Quinnipiac University students are forgetting this and are only concerned with binge drinking. This deeply concerns me and this is the reason that I am writing this article. I am sure that there are many students here that drink a large variety of beer, but from what I see people drinking on the weekends the average Quinnipiac student seems to be wearing blinders when they enter the liquor store.

I do not consider myself a connoisseur by any means (if it’s even possible to be one in regards to beer). I am also very far from being a beer snob. My philosophy about beer is not one of elitism, but instead focuses on well-roundedness and the idea that “variety is the spice of life.” Many local liquor stores sell a great variety, numbered in the hundreds, of domestic and imported beers, yet all I seem to see my fellow student drinking is Bud Light, Coors Light, and Miller Light. The budget-minded party-goers seems to enjoy Keystone, Natural, Busch, and Milwaukee’s Best light beers. I do, quite often, enjoy these beers myself, but too many students don’t see past these everyday options. I recommend supplementing your typical purchase with a six pack of something you have never had before.

I am not going to suggest any higher end beers, because I believe that each person should try them themselves and figure out what they like. I do feel like it is necessary to inform Quinnipiac’s more budget-minded that there are many other options for them. In my opinion the best value for your money is Pabst Blue Ribbon Beer. A nice bonus from Pabst is that on the bottom of their caps for their bottles you can find a playing card which lends nicely to several games. Other inexpensive beers that taste just as good as everything else out there include Schafer, Genesee, Balantine’s, Schmidt’s, and Rheingold.

The important idea is to enjoy your beer, but why not live a little and broaden your horizons while you’re at it? There are hundreds of delicious beers available around the corner and I strongly urge you to check some of them out.