What was you first Craft Brew?

Probably Yuengling when I was 17 or 18. It's not considered craft here, though.

 

Whatever Goose Island was serving in their original location in October 1988. That would also be my first brewery visited -unless you count Hudepohl in Cincinnati in the summer of 1985.

I am old.

 

1. I don't remember trying any craft beer in high school, so it's likely either Fat Tire or Buffalo Gold in 1991.
2. Either Boulder Beer Co., Oasis Brewery, or Mountain Sun in Boulder. Early to mid-90's.

 

First beer was probably Anchor Steam beer in the '70s.

First brewery would be Schell's about the same time.

 

I know what you mean, but being older than fuck, I have a special message. Good God Almighty! I could never have imagined all of this really cool beer awareness when we were out striving in the desert. In 1973 I was very careful to keep my Bass Ale at 55 degrees F. in an old country pantry. I broke those boys out like they were the great beers that they really were! Who knew? Ain't it great?

 

Falstaff killed Kerouac, most likely. An odd irony.

 

First one was Sam Adams Boston Lager many years ago. Next one that I really remember would have been Oberon in 2004 or 2005. Not a huge fan of either one. The ones that really got be back into craft were BBA Plead the 5th and Two Hearted about 2 1/2 years ago.

 

Debatable what is considered "craft beer". Back in the day early/mid 80's Coors was exotic, maybe not craft but exotic for sure. Drinking Coors where I was from then was bootlegging. So we thought were we outlaws when we could drink it. Also we considered Moosehead and Molson Golden craft back then. As for modern day I have to go with Pakos IPA from Snake River Brewing as my first I was fully aware of what craft beer was beer. Still one of my favorites and my beer fridge all the time!

 

1) New Glarus Hop Hearty IPA
2) Bull Falls Brewery. What a great experience there. Some old dude with a hooker called it "heroin beer" -- he was very happy about it -- and later that night, a biker gang came in like they owned the place demanding beer and then called it "shit" because they are used to BMC.

 

New Glarus Spotted Cow (it's a gateway craft beer for basically all of Wisconsin)

Potosi Brewery in southwest Wisconsin

 

The first American "craft beer" that I recall having was Goose Island IPA in the late 90s. But I might be remembering the wrong beer and the wrong period... and it probably wasn't the first one anyway. Imports predated that.

The first brewery that I went to was the Schlenkerla tavern in Bamberg in 2003. OK, it's not actually the brewery, but it's the public interface/face for it.

 

Newman's Pale Ale in the early 80's.
This may be sacrilegious, I have never visited a brewery.

 

Either Saranac(Matt's) Pale Ale, or Ithaca Pale Ale(now retired). Don't remember. Ommegang Rare Vos & Abbey Dubbel (same day- late '97?) were the first that told me that I liked beer in general, not just occasionally, in the right mood.

 

A Sam Adams (lager), ca. 1985 (age of 15)
First brewery visit probably Waterloo Brewing, Austin, Texas, circa 1994.
[thanks OP for that vague nostalgia memory effort].

 

Schaefer helped, too - along with many other alcoholic beverage brands.

(there's also a photo of Jack and someone else [?] with 16 oz. cans of Ballantine Beer.)

 

First craft beer was Anchor Steam
First craft brewery visited was Firestone Walker

 

First craft beer was i think: Palm (long time ago)
Firs craft brewery i visited was the La Trappe brewery.

 

Also, the amphetamines likely helped balance out the beer buzz and increase his typing speed..... What is that in the background?

 

I had a Boston Lager a week after turning 21 at a bar in a casino, though I might've had some Chimay Blue before that.

 

This. I lived in Germany in 1995 and enjoyed many German brews at fests, monk breweries, etc.

First American craft beer was Sierra Nevada pale ale from what I can remember. That's always my go to answer as it's the first I can remember being blown away by a beer with a full flavored body. Prior to that I was an American lager drinker like most.

Pales, browns and ambers were my go to before I eventually started loving porters, stouts and ipas.