My first craft brew by a new brewer was probably New Amsterdam in 1982 or 1983. If beers made by heritage breweries count, mine was probably McSorley's Ale in 1979 or 1980.
Again, not really craft beer but it was Chimay Red, which was sold in 650ml bombers back then. I was working nights and would have one after work. The realization was; "this beer is way better than regular beer". It got to be a regular thing. I would set my lawn chair up in the front and give a big thumbs up to my neighbors trudging of to work.
I gotta tell you a funny story about my buddy Chuck and his ‘reactions’ to Chimay Red. In the past he would buy big bottles of this beer but for some weird reason the beer would make him belligerent. His wife, Doreen, was forced to ‘lay down the law’ and forbid him from buying Chimay. Granted a big bottle of Chimay has a lot of alcohol but he could consume a lot of alcohol via other beers (or bourbon) but it was Chimay which made him feisty. Cheers!
Very true and I agree with you. Drinking it in the 90's, I remember thinking that it was an ipa ahead of its time. In the 90's there were plenty of IPA's similar to Liberty Ale, but in the 70's and 80's? Not so much.
As most people started - "Probably" - Sam Adam's Lager. I raced off-road motorcycles (New England enduros) in the 80's and that was THE after-race beer. Best time of my life. My wife always says "not getting married and raising 3-sons?". Sad to say this on Father's Day, but I always say no, motorcycle racing was the best time of my life (with Sam Adam's).
Out on the West coast, the Schlitz version was the only one I ever saw. Damn, but Schlitz did an amazing advertising campaign with that beer. They really convinced me (and I suspect a lot of others as well) that it was something very special and delicious. Man, was I pissed when I finally bought a six pack and tasted it. Tasted pretty much like regular Schlitz with a fancy label and price. Fortunately, I've gotten a lot more careful in my old age.
Hmmm That would have been about 40 some odd years ago. My best guess would be Sam Adam’s Boston Lager, maybe Sierra Nevada Pale Ale, or Anchor Steam.
After enjoying Guinness Extra Stout 22oz bottles regularly I eventually researched different stouts, found this website, discovered Founders Breakfast Stout and CBS and tried a bottle of FBS at a restaurant and fell in love with it. I think my first IPAs were Stone IPA 6pk after first trying a single limited release SN Harvest Single Hop Idaho 7 IPA that I found less enjoyable. Became a big fan of Stone after that pack of the original IPA.
I have been searching my memory bank for this answer. I am thinking it was The Abyss. Still love it. Have 3 bottles in 'cellar' that I will finish off in February.
Dixie (now Faubourg) Blackened Voodoo was my first craft. One could argue that Dixie was a small macro brewery, but I consider it my introduction to craft.
I’ve riden off road on occasion as well, but I’m a street bike guy. Anyway, I spotted this, it has a Map of Micro, Pub, Specialty (craft brewers) in the United States in 1985. This is about the time I had my first craft beer. I believe the official count for craft brewers in 1985 was 37. Sam Adam’s likely being more available than most other brands given the population on the east coast and the national distribution at the time. Link to the Map: https://www.craftbeer.com/editors-picks/map-the-small-brewers-of-1985
Same here. Steam in 1980, followed sometime later by the Porter. I wasn't old enough at the time, so I had someone buy them for me.
The first craft beer I remember was Dixie's Blackened Voodoo, this would have been early 90s. I wasn't able to legally buy at the time - I was in high school - so I was well aware of the pasty, barely yellow stuff by friends were getting hold of, and I didn't like it at all. A friend of my parents owned a store for a long time, getting gourmet spices, cheeses, charcuteries, and beer and wine, so he was getting into all these 'weird microbrews' as they were known. Anyways, they came for dinner and brought this one, and the label got me at once - the original label, with the trees and stuff. Then they poured some out - and it looked nothing like any of the beers I'd run across to that point. It was DARK! I took a sip, and it actually had flavor!!!! From then to now, what, 35 years almost? I haven't voluntarily had BMC, other than a handful of times when it was offerred with no other choice. I kept and still have that original Blackened Voodoo bottle (empty) in my cellar.
When I first moved here (Bellingham), Archer's Ale House had draft Kwak fairly regularly, with the glasses. When it changed ownership, it became a semi-regular handle. Under current ownership, the overall beer selection has suffered overall.
That rings the bell-- must have been Anchor Porter in the mid 70's when I was in college in San Francisco.
