This is, I guess, a continuation of a discussion that started in the Beer Review forum for Bud American Ale.

To recap, how do you sway a Bud/Miller/Coors/Light/Lite/whatever drinker into craft beer? 

I'm of the opinion that said swill guzzler has to be taken as far away as possible from his usual rut, get him to question his basic definition of beer.
Light lager won't do it; Czechvar is great, but is it twice as good as  Bud, at twice the price?

Hit him with an Impy Stout, that's like nothing in his experience, or a seriously tangy IIPA, something that makes him say, "this is Beer?"

How do you approach a swill sucker?

I usually have them try Lagunitas Czech Pils or Squatters Provo Girl...some thing along those lines that will show them a beer with actual flavor but wont kill them

fat tire is to pot as pliny the elder is to heroin

often times BMC drinkers are easily persuaded by marketing and popularity, so fat tire may be the beer to get them past the monotony.

if they are more open minded and have just not discovered craft tastes, many of the beers mentioned earlier in this thread would be great. All I'm saying is that you mention a name like Squatters Provo Girl to a closed minded BMC drinker and they may think you are crazy.

"fat tire is to pot as pliny the elder is to heroin"

I can see it, but I think Pliny the Elder is more like hash oil! ;-)

I knew, by age 16, that I didn't like Bud/Miller, and Coors wasn't sold east of the Mississippi (at age 20, I was in Oklahoma with $1 sixers of Coors; turns out, Coors gave me a headache!) I drank Little Kings Cream Ale until I joined the USAF, and I discovered Guinness... drank little else for 25+ years.

What moved me away from Guinness?
Magic Hat #9, and Christian Moerlein OTR Ale (APA) at a beer tasting. Way out of my comfort zone.

Therefore, you get a Bud drinker as far away as possible from light lager!

Right?

Many of my crappy bud drinking friends argue that the cost of budweiser, and such is "the best of the cheap" yet I reply what $6.49 a sixer of bud, why you could get a whole better selection for the same cost. Only in large quantities (30 pks) might save you a few. If I only have a couple bucks I would rather buy a half of whiskey or brandy than a 40oz. I can drink ten millers, buds, Coors whatever (12oz) and want to go to sleep,I rather have 6 different beers I haven't tried. To win the argument I will take them to have a beer with me (that I pay for) at the local micro brewery or introduce them to the beginners plan. Surprisingly Anhieusers busch has a few Decent starter beers like shock top, hop hound, and beach bum they work to start to change the minds off the swill drinkers.

I know here you can buy microbrews on sale almost as cheap as the macros. So why would they choose that watered down swill over something with flavor? Habit? Because that's what their Pa drank? Who knows.

Good point, 1mcbeerface. Schlafly's and Abita's regular beers are $6.99/6 locally. At $5.99/6, Lischer is a pretty unremarkable german lager, i.e, a far sight better than Buttweiper!

Good beer can be had at swill prices!