I love a good classic Rauchbier, don't get me wrong: but if I'm at a bar and I see a Piwo Grodziskie (Gratzer, to the Germans), I'm going to pass that Rauchbier right on by.
Gratzer (which we'll call it from now on, because I'm German and writing "Piwo Grodziskie" is time consuming) is another classic, historical style that was all but dead. Craft (and home) brewers have led its comeback, though, and this beer is one that's close to my heart. Gratzer was one of the first beers I had that really hooked my imagination. I'd tasted a small range of "good" beers up to that point, but nothing magical.
Then, one fall afternoon, my brother-in-law pulled out a bottle of this as we were sitting on his back deck, admiring the cool autumn weather and leaves. He opened it up, poured, and I did that thing we beer geeks do when we're surprised and excited with a beer: I took a sip, then looked with widening eyes at the glass, and then went back for more.