How long have you been drinking craft beer?

2012, freshman year of college.

 

Thanks for reminding me about New Amsterdam. The bottled beer from Matts was good. I once visited their nearly empty ill-fated brewpub in Chelsea. There is still a Northeast inclination toward flagship amber ales and lagers: New Amsterdam, William Newman, then Yuengling Lager, Sam Adams Boston, Brooklyn Lager, Blue Point Toasted.

 

The beer that I drank in the 1960s was from local regional breweries. It is still available, nowadays made by craft brewers.
There were 30000 breweries in the UK in the 19th century, most of them small local concerns. Craft brewing is nothing new.

 

voted 6-10 years because I got serious about beer in 2012

truth is I feel in love with English pale ale (Samuel Smith, Young's, Fuller's, et. al.) in about 1995

those are pretty 'craft' compared to BMC macro-brews

but i drifted in and out of enjoying beer from 1995 until about November 2012

so fall of 2012 is my birthdate as a craft beer baby

cheers!

 

New Amsterdam was the first “craft” beer that was always in the cooler or on the shelf. It was excellent beer not much different than Sam Adam’s is today.

 

New Amsterdam preceded SA by a year or two, also. When Sam came around I even related to them as doing a 'New Amsterdam kind of thing'.

It was kind of like when Nirvana came on the scene and it was like 'cool, they're doing a Pixies kind of thing'.

So much for getting there first .

 

Well, the obvious connect is Joe Owades who developed both recipes - New Amsterdam's (well, really, the "Olde New York Brewing Co.") owner Reich even listed Owades as their "brewmaster" at one point. Somewhere I've got a quote from Owades about the two beers but last time I looked, couldn't find it (is it filed under "Owades" "New Amsterdam" or "BBC"...). Kinda deceptively some early articles about SABL quoted Owades without mentioning his connection to the beer.

Yeah it was over 2 years between the release of the two beers - NAAB - Fall 1982 vs. SABL April 1985
(Koch currently likes to claim 1984 as the founding of the company but the beer purposely hit the market on MA's Patriots Day in '85).

Notable differences were NA's use of Cascades in addition to Hallertauers and SABL's dry-hopping.

Owades also had a hand in developing Pete's Wicked, Pastorius' Pennsylvania Pilsner, XIII Colony Amber (GA), Olde Huerich Amber (DC), Jersey Lager, US Tuborg and, of course, Gablinger's (so, via second-and third hand - Meister Brau Lite and Miller Lite ) and a few others.

 

Hmmm... found it (sure after my edit period's up). Maybe I forgot where it was based on the cringy comment at the end. (And "Tooth Man" - was he a minor Marvel superhero I've forgotten?)

* Owades was called a "brewmaster" often (see again below), but he admitted that he never actually brewed beer.

Not even New Amsterdam Amber Beer from 2 years ago, Joe?

 

Looks like a lot of you started drinking craft beer right around when I was born. That’s a long time lol.

 

22 years old & like every other young guy I used to drink for quantity no doubt (sometimes I still do.) But, a year ago I really started to get into craft beers, really changed the way I look at beers & my appreciation for the art of craft brewing.

 

Proud to be a member of the new guard! Turning 23 here shortly, and I really dove into craft beer as soon as I was legally able. In the short time I've been in the scene I've already become an old curmudgeon muttering under my breath about smoothie beers

 

Owades was certainly a Master Brewer (honored by MBAA). He didn't need to have his hand directly on the process to be the brewmaster.

 

Around 18 years. I didn't think I liked beer, having had Bud light, Coors light, etc. Then I had a Boulevard wheat, and shortly thereafter a SNPA, and the rest is history.

What really got me into craft beer was visiting London about 16 years ago. Tried all different kinds of English cask ales, session bitter was my favorite, followed by a few milds. It's still really hard to find them in the USA. With all the different craft breweries in the US, I still find it odd that cask ale is still so hard to find.

 

At least in my neighborhood cask never took off. For at least a while, I believe Blue Point under their original ownership was trying to promote its cask beers. They had a cask available at their tasting room, and I believe they purchased some kegs specially made for cask. I don't think that effort got very far. Not enough cask fans to seek it out, and beer can go stale at the bar.

 

I hate this thread. It's making me feel old as fuck. Man I hate facing reality.

 

Reality. What a concept.

 

It's a bitch, isn't it?

 

Great Lakes Eliot Ness was my gateway drug too

 

Well, I would rather be 69 going on 70 and drinking beer than the alternative. I am not a fan of Dead Guy Ale.

 

I hear you brother. I'm 51 going on 70, and it sure does beat Dead Guy Ale.