Your first real craft beer experience?

I suppose you might be able to define early Henry's as "craft", since the concept of "craft beer" wasn't even developed in the 70s. I did not say that the beers I mentioned were craft brewed, nor did I think that Micelob tasted anything like Henry's. I meant that they were in a defined category (super-premium price lagers) that Henry's entered and had several brands.

 

I went from drinking malt liquor to my first Old Rasputin in tap same day.
I never liked the beers my friends would drink . They were usually Modelo, Tecate, Carta Blanca, Corona and the like. Always thought they were awful and the low ABV was a turn off.

One day I was hanging with my friend when he invited to go visit his girlfriend at work cuz she offered to hook us up . She worked at the restaurant/bar at the Lax Radisson . We got shots of Patron then she asked if we wanted any beer ,at this point in life i had never even seen a tap handle in lerson, and i asked what she recommends . She pointed at the Old Rasputin handle and said, "People really liked this one. " She proceeded to pour me a pint of it and it was love at first sip after that.

 

A little over a year after Blitz-Weinhard released Henry Weinhard Private Reserve in late 1977, Pabst bought the brewery - so the brand has been macro-owned for most of its near 50 year existence.

 

I was 21 and in college at the University of Alabama. In those days the abv limit in the state was 5 so craft beer didn’t really exist. I was at a Food World with a buddy and saw Blanche de Chambly in the cooler. My curiosity led me to buy it and when I tried it my mind was completely blown. Not long after, I moved to NYC with my wife and really started my craft beer journey.

 

Mine was a bit over time.

Turned 21 in NC - drank Yuengling, Guinness, Killian's and other similar beers just because I hated the smell of American adjunct lagers (all AAL's I associated with alcoholics). It was a generalization I know - but I just never knew anyone that actually liked Budweiser and could stop at just one or two. Not sure why Yuengling was different for me but it didn't smell the same, something about amber lagers.

Moved out to Colorado around the age of 27 and tried Fat Tire and Blue Moon. Had a few craft beers but didn't really buy a bunch of variety.

I had a friend from NC move to New Mexico and invited me to visit. He had a friend homebrewing one day so we went and I got hooked on the process. I started buying nothing but craft beer and homebrewed myself since.

Since 2008, I've brewed over 55 times, won 28 awards (one gold at AHA National Homebrew Competition), brewed 2 of my own recipes on professional systems (Pro-am) for commercial breweries and have had over 7,700 different beers since I joined BA in 2010 and UnTappd in 2011.

 

Interesting thought, but mostly wrong. Almost all AALs were (and still are) between 4.5 and 5.0% alcohol (ABV). Bargain brands and low calorie entries are usually around 4.0%. Even malt liquors and ales usually didn't exceed 6%, and were often lower. I had the privilege of drinking 3.2 ABW (4.0% ABV) Schlitz Malt Liquor. Compare those numbers with the strengths listed on the array of "stovepipe" cans that BA members and others are now putting away.

 

Yeah totally goes both ways now. But at the time (circa 2001) all the examples I saw were of people drinking AALs (particularly sporting events, college parties, kegs, etc) Again, all I saw were people mass consuming beer to get drunk, not appreciating it.

 

My wife & I met a guy at Rochester Mills Brewing Co. in 2010. Neither of us had tried an IPA before.

The guy bought us an IPA and told us to “smell it and tell me that doesn't smell like a bag of weed.”

We’ve drank independent craft beer ever since.

 

Many years ago I happened to have had a few Amber ales that paired well with burgers in some pubs. So on the line of Amber ales, one unsuspecting Friday Night I walked into a liquor store and asked them for a good amber ale. One of the younger gentleman pointed me to and recommended Alaskan Amber. Changed my perspective on the flavor of beer. I wanted more and began trying more. From there I went from Ambers, to Oktoberfests and witbiers. Then to IPAs and lagers. Then NEIPAs, Stouts, and Saisons. My world was changed forever

 

I went to the bar at the university of California Irvine as my buddy had a volleyball game. The stone beer rep was there and said it was buy a beer, get a pint glass for free. Never heard of stone until then. Talked to the rep as he sat at the bar. Got the pale ale and enjoyed it. He told me about stone and their beer philosophy. First time having a “craft” beer. Back then new castle was my jam.

 

When I was 16 back in 1986, I tasted my first Hoegaarden Verboden Vrucht, Westmalle Tripel and La Trappe Quadrupel.