Mickey Reese What was your “gateway beer” - the first beer you remember trying that made craft beer appealing to you? Bridgeport IPA was my gateway beer. I thought it tasted like apples. I still enjoy one once in awhile. What’s your favorite place to drink? If I’m not sharing beer with friends at my house or one of theirs, I’d say TapWerks is the spot that’s most reliable to have good stuff consistently available. Which styles of beer do you think are currently underrated or overrated? I’d say Saisons don’t get the credit they deserve. They often get lumped in with “sours” (which isn’t even a beer style). Saisons and Farmhouse styles have a lot of subtle complexities that get overlooked for big stouts and hoppy beers. Many people who get obsessive about tasting and collecting beers had other hobbies before. What did you collect before beer? I’ve collected movies, movie posters, vinyl, comic books, baseball cards, you name it. Though, I’d say beer is the worst I’ve ever been at collecting, as I can’t keep it long. I always end up drinking it. Desert island beer? Atrial Rubicite by Jester King. It’s a Raspberry Wild Ale and I think it’s what Jesus drank. Juan Saldana What was your “gateway beer”? So there was a point where I actually hated beer because all I knew was the taste of the big beer crews. Then I caught a glimpse of something that I thought was pretty outlandish at the local supermarket in Los Angeles . . .Samuel Adams Cherry Wheat. I gave it a try and it became my gateway beer into Craftdom. From then on I started delving deeper via some well-known liquor stores that hoarded great beers in the back. You’d have to ask the owners about them. Go-to macro and craft beers? Probably a Negra Modelo, if that’s not available, then a good ol’ High Life. I keep buying twelvers of Torpedos whenever I don’t find anything new. Which styles of beer do you think are currently underrated or overrated right now? I still don’t have much love for Pilsners. IPAs will always be underrated for me. It’s hip to hate right now, I guess. What did you collect before beer? Music, anything ROBOTECH, and magic mushroom figurines. Yeah, I know. What is your advice to somebody who is new to becoming a serious beer drinker? Try everything and anything. Don’t follow the trend. Let the beer snobs laugh at you. In the end your palate will be far more sophisticated than all them Pseudo-Sophisticados.