What was your gateway craft beer?

Killians was actually a very accessible "gateway" beer for a lot of folks. Most people used to swill weren't going to jump straight to an IPA.

 

I think the most interesting thing now is there’s a huge group who didn’t grow into beer like a lot of us. Their world begins and ends with juicy ipas and barrel aged stouts. Will they come around? Or just think the only good beer is the shit pushed on IG?

 

I can happily say that my sister who is vegan and "hates" beer had a sip of some KBS I bought the other day and said it was awesome. She doesn't even drink but she loves chocolate and coffee so I guess it should translate to liquid form.
As for myself I can't really remember what my gateway craft was but chances are it was something along the lines of rolling rock.

 

Samuel Smith's Oatmeal Stout, followed closely by SNPA and Anchor Steam.

 

Was too long ago to accurately remember. I drank imported beer, German and Belgium, long before there was craft beer in the US. It was probably a wheat beer, from someone like Boulevard.

 

Samuel Adams Octoberfest

 

Good ol' Sierra Nevada Pal Ale was my gateway into a pleasurably bitter world followed shortly by Arrogant Bastard and Stone Brewing.

 

Gonna show my age.... Beck's Dark, Grolsch- RIP Dad!, Pete's Wicked Ale, Pete; Wicked Winter Brew, Stoudt's "Gold".

Man, life is GOOD!!!!!

 

Circa 2009, a friend's tasting with beer nerds everywhere. I don't recall the year, but likely a 2007 Abbaye De Saint Bon-Chien from BDM. Go figure, didn't know that sours were a thing and that beer (technically a "French Bière de Garde") blew my mind...

 

I was out on the West Coast in mid-80s doing a tour of Navy facilities as a NROTC middie and ran into Anchor Steam for the first time. It was a far cry from my experience of exotic brew in the Midwest of Moosehead or Beck's, and the Cinci standards of Little Kings and Hudy. From that point on, I was in search of better beer and the great types beyond the lager-fests of old. Sam Adams was the next memorable find and more accessible when not on the Coast.

 

Taps in NYC that said dark, taps in Newark, NJ that said porter, Grolsch, Yuengling Porter. First new beer was New Amsterdam.

 

I don’t even know anymore. Probably Anchor Steam Beer and Sierra Nevada Pale Ale. From there, it was probably whatever Gordon Biersch had on tap at its San Jose location.

Before that, I just remember thinking that Yuengling Lager was better (in hindsight: less bad) than the usual cheap bar offerings back in the day, and that any “12 degree” (Plato) beer served in a Czech or Slovak pub was way better than what you’d get in Germany (I bummed around central Europe for part of my formative years.)

So it’s been a pretty steady progression for me, I guess.

 

thats the one!

 

Sierra Nevada Ovila Quad is really what piqued my interest and set me on the journey to cicerone. Up until then I either like the taste or didn't. Unfortunately, I missed out on many years of great bier experience. Now my palate transcends all the bier styles and I'll ride many miles to try something new.

 

SNPA created the ah-ha moment for me. 1998 Phish Lemonwheel festival- someone gave me one. i was blown away by the hop flavor. tasted fruity and dank, which was a huge shock because i thought all craft beer was malty.

before that point, i had tried a handful of malty imports (sam smith, newcastle, guinness), long trail ale, double bag, sam adams, and none of them were enjoyable to me so i never ventured too far into craft.

i drank a lot of SNPA. but i also stayed true to macros like bud and heineken because i was still young and guzzling beer just to get drunk was chosen over sipping and appreciating beer.

fast forward to 2002. i was working a college intern gig for 94 HJY at the Great International Beer Fest in Providence. someone came by the booth, wide-eyed, telling me the DFH 60 min was awesome and that it tasted like outdoor Vermont ... um, plants. i immediately took my break and got a sample. loved it.

the search for hops has never ended. although i did end up gaining an appreciation for malty beers, and a plethora of other styles including sours...oh boy the sours! i immediately loved those. couldn't believe beer could taste like that, and i thought they brewed it just for me as i always felt odd for enjoying intense sour flavors in other foods/drinks.

 

I guess I never thought of Sam Adams as craft is because I grew up in the Northeast and always saw their commercials. It was readily available at every store in NJ before I reached legal drinking age. My impression was that they were too big a player to be considered craft. I thought of them as premium macro, kinda like some of the euro lagers, but American. It was a misconception, but that's what I thought at the time.

 

I remember when I saw the first Sam Adams commercial. I couldn't wait until it was available in South Jersey. When it was, I tried it and I loved it. Yes, I'm a old fart.

 

Two Hearted

 

Back when Dogfish Head used to export internationally, I tried their 60 minute IPA (I think the label at the time said ‘Continuously hopped IPA’. I’d never tasted anything like it before; my eyes were opened, and my mind was broadened.

 

After Rolling Rock, Blue Moon, Killian's, Amber Bock then came Sam Adam's and all of their beers. Amber and brown ales seemed to be my gateway beer as I would try any that I saw.