When he was twenty-one, Sam Masotto was in a serious motorcycle accident. When he recovered, naturally he found himself shaken by the experience and wanted to make sure that his days would be spent appreciating life and all it has to offer, so he headed west with a friend on a road trip and along the way was introduced to a variety of beer flavors and styles.
In today’s coming-of-age drinking experience, beers such as New Belgium’s Fat Tire, Alaskan Brewing’s Amber, and Samuel Smith’s Oatmeal Stout might not sound like revelatory beers, but back then they were, and they expanded Masotto’s mind and desire to learn more.
His burgeoning beer journey took him to Europe, and in England (like so many other travelers before him), he came to realize that real ale—cask ale—was not the warm and flat concoction that is often mischaracterized and maligned, but delicate and vibrant, a true marvel in a glass. Milds became his obsession.