Coop: My grandpa was old school German (from the old country) and used to make some great brews. He and a group of his friends in Racine, WI used to make different types of beer, depending on the season.
They’d make the heavier darks during the fall and winter and the lighter brews during the spring and summer. From about 12 years of age on, I got quite an education in all the various types of German, Czech, Belgian, Dutch, French and English beers.
Gramps disdained ALL American beers and most of the British ales, stouts, porters, etc.
The best beers (in his opinion) were German, Czech and Belgian (in that order).
There are some great resources on the web for recipes.
