When it comes to alcohol, beer tends to be seen as that distant cousin you never want to see at family gatherings; that one person who never seems to showers, is overweight and shows up in stained sweatpants and velcro shoes. Yet to those who chose to educate themselves, there as as many subtle differences to the palette with Ales as there are with Merlots. And most often than not, these differences are fairly easy to pick up.  While it might not be as posh as sipping red in a leather chair, every man should know why you don’t order a Budweiser when there are others available.

Across the pond in Chiswick, stands the historic Griffin Brewery, London’s only remaining traditional family brewer. Since 1845, Fuller’s has been brewing high quality ales, running pubs and winning awards. For the past 12 years, Fuller’s Head Brewer, John Keeling has been crafting limited-edition bottle-conditioned Ales (meaning yeast is left in the bottle to continue fermenting). These Vintage Ales are more like fine wines; maturing slowly over time and made with the years finest collection of malts and hops.  With only 160,000 bottles produced, the 2009 Edition of the Vintage Ale is a strong, dark ale with a creamy white head. At first taste, you’ll be overwhelmed with perfumy hops, caramel and an almost fruity smell. Unlike lesser-quality brews, it goes down very smooth without a strong alcohol aftertaste. Yet if you keep this in the cellar for a few years, the taste will evolve into something even more spectacular.

If you can find it, this Vintage Ale makes the perfect gift for any beer lover, unless of course they’re the type to wear their free Budweiser t-shirt whenever the chance arises. If that’s what you have on your hands, might as well go shop at Walmart and pick anything with a Nascar logo on it.

For more information on Fuller’s, tasting notes and where they are distributed, visit their website.