What was your gateway craft beer?

The year was 2001.... I remember because the Diamond Backs had just won the world series...I was visiting some old friends from high school at Purdue. It was a warm night for October in Northern Indiana. As I sat on the balcony of the 8th floor college apartment, overlooking the strangely quiet town of West Lafayette, 3 sheets to the wind, someone brought up the topic of beer. "I've got a six-pack of Honey Brown in the fridge!" Mike exclaimed... "What's that?" I said. "It's beer that actually tastes good" Mike said. I asked for one, and a few minutes later... there I was.... Honey Brown in hand. As I raised the glass to take that first drink, I couldn't help but notice how I could see the warm amber glow of the street lights through the beer as I drank deeply.... and how the warmth of the night, and the warm glow of the street lights seemed to match perfectly the warmth I felt in my soul as those first few glorious ounces of amber goodness danced across my palate. And I understood then and there, something that I've never let go of... since that night.... That there is still some goodness left in this world.... And there are still men brave enough to brew it....

 

Yuengling Black and Tan pushed me out of the boat, onto the plank.
Sam Adams Cream Stout pushed me to the end of plank.
Young's Double Chocolate pushed me off the plank...
...and into a world of craft beer forever!

Good thing I had my floaties on

 

Hoegaarden, my roomate turned me onto it and open my eyes to a new world of beer that doesn't taste like canned urine.

 

Don't kill me; I'm still a fan of my gateway: Rebel IPA. It was just tough enough to show me what kind of flavor a beer could have while weak enough to keep me from running away. I now proudly hammer the hopps from all over the world.

 

I started with Rebel IPA aswell,also bluepoint brewery Toasted lager which I still enjoy. but I'm also fairly new to craft beer.

 

Bruery 6 geese a laying. I've tried a few IPAs and other things prior, but when I tried that beer at a New Years Eve party is when I realized there's a whole world of beer out there that I'd been missing out on.

 

In college, I spent a lot of time with a couple of grad students who drank Pete's Wicked Ale, Boston Lager, and Guinness. Prior to that, I'd had maybe 6 beers in my whole life.

 

The first beer i ever had was coors light at 15. Turning 21 i didnt want those watery yellow beers. I bought a 6 pack of Newcastle the day i turned 21. Drank that and Guinness for about a year. I didn't like Boston Lager. Kinda got into PBR, Rolling Rock and the like.

Dogfish Head 60 Minute IPA

I bought just because i heard somewhere they brewed good beer. No idea what an IPA was. Or craft.

It blew my fucking mind. First thing i noticed was head retention and pine smell and the beer was hazy and bronze not piss yellow with crazy bubbles yet no foam. After that i kind of forgot about it and went back to my regulars. I went to the store looking for Shock Top Twisted Pretzel. I ended up buying Shock Top Applecrisp and Carton Boat instead. The Applecrisp hurt my stomach. Too sweet. I cracked that boat to hope to wash the taste out and boom. I got that taste and feeling similar to 60 minute and put together these beers are similar and why. Pale ale means it tastes like bitter flowers. (At the time) It doesn't mean its pale in color like rolling rock (which says pale on the label)

Bought all the pale ales and IPAs i could find. Belgian IPAs got me into belgians and Prima Pils got me into German styles. Now im fully into all styles over time by loving hops and weening off hops into other styles.

And now im on the road to be Cicerone. With my favorite styles (odd enough based on that history) being Saison, Imperial Red and varying English styles like bitter/strong ale etc...

I wish i could have that first 60 minute all over again. There was nothing like it. not even close. I still remember the taste and smell i was on my back deck at like 4pm i still gave the glass i poured it into. Cemented that experience in my brain. If i revisit that beer, its not as i remember. not as glorious and hoppy as i remember. My early craft days were spent trying to replicate that experience. I should have just kept drinking the 60 minute but whatever.

 

I was never a big drinker. My experience was limited to wine coolers and coronas until I started to want to cook and pair wine and beer with food. Then I noticed that in my grocery there a variety of beer. I started with the imports. Anything German or with a cork and cage. Bombers. I started with bombers, Belgians and when I turned around in the aisle I was looking at the whole United States from coast to coast.

 

Sierra Nevada Pale Ale. It was readily available and has a good price point. The beers I grew up on now taste to me like someone threw some grain in a bucket, left it out in the sun for a week and then put it into a bottle.

 

I came late to the craft game, drank macro most of my life. Wasn't till 6-7 years ago that I discovered craft. The beer that did it for me was Drifter Pale Ale from Widmer.
Once I had it, I regretted all this years I missed out on the good stuff. Cheers.

 

It does!

 

Sam Adams many moons ago.

 

aside from the obvious Sam Adams I tried to desperately like in high school/college...

Stone Go-To IPA when it first came out got me hooked on hops.

 

Sam Adams Boston Lager was the first beer I could tolerate, branched out to their seasonal's and Blue Moon. Now I can't remember the last time I bought either of those.

 

Spaten Optimator, Unibroue Maudite and Unibroue La Fin Du Monde were the first 3 that made me say "beer can taste like that?!" in a good way.

 

Drinking Schlenkerla in Bamberg was the moment that set me down the path. Chimay Red was the beer that made me realize the range of flavors possible. I still love Schlenkerla.

 

New Glarus Spotted Cow. Turned me and many other Badgers onto craft beers (before we even knew what that term meant). Was certainly a nice change of pace from returnable cases of High Life, Point, and Leinie's.

 

For me it was a combo after moving to Boston - Long Tree Limbo and Sixpoint Bengali

 

I haven't found my gateway beer yet. Still looking.