What’s a “Dad Beer” and Why Do People Drink Them?

My father doesn’t drink. He isn’t an alcoholic or anything, he just doesn’t really care to drink. Which didn’t seem so cool when I was a kid but is actually quite liberating now. Because, as an adult, I’m not forced to drink a shitty beer or two just to honor him.

For others, though, “dad beer” is big business at the moment. The hottest new spot in Manhattan is Boilermaker, a just-opened East Village joint trying to revive the lost art of a (dad) beer and a shot. I’ve likewise been noticing of late a lot of quality establishments—craft beer havens even—devoting a small portion of their well-curated beverage programs to dad beer with no shame whatsoever. The acclaimed Dinosaur BBQ even has a menu section titled “My Father’s Fridge,” which features those usual dad beer suspects (Genesee Cream Ale, Schafer, Yuengling, etc.) as a cheaper antidote to the pricy pints of local IPAs they also offer. And, dad beer made major headlines last week when Michelin-starred chef David Chang, had the gall to admit his favorite beer is…Bud Light... CLICK HERE TO READ THE FULL STORY AT ESQUIRE