In my formative years, you drank one of three beers -- Schlitz, Schaffer or Bud. And it was like Chevy vs. Ford. Bud drinkers didn't mix with Schlitz drinker. If you wanted a change, it was Schaffer -- probably because they sponsored the Red Sox.

I cut my beer teeth on Bud. And when they opened a brewery 1/2 mile down the road, I was hooked. Unfortunately the first batch from the Merrimack brewery tasted like it came right out of the Merrimack River -- and that's when you could walk across to Litchfield without getting your feet wet -- of course your feet and legs would have disintegrated from all...