Do you remember what got you into craft beer?

I was in my early twenties and a friend said his brother kept talking about a beer called Maisel's Weisse....His brother was introduced to it from the German folks he worked with at BMW in South Carolina.....we had 3 a peice and a new world of beer was introduced.....shortly after that RJ Rockers opened as a restaurant/brew pub and my life changed forever.....it made me the second rate brewer I am today and the quest to be the GOD OF HOMEBREW...

 

Sad to say it was just blue moon and ventured on from that

 

While Magic Hat #9 was the first beer that ever made me question everything I had ever known about beer, believe it or not, homebrewing, that really got me into craft. I got into homebrewing before I really got into good beer. I drank Long Trail, SNPA, Sam Adams and other "entry-level" so to speak, craft beers. Being someone who likes to make their own food and drinks and having a serious "Do it Yourself" attitude, I got into homebrewing. Through learning about brewing, rubbing elbows with people interested in great beer and becoming more adventurous, I started to get deeper and deeper into it.

 

Sierra Nevada Pale Ale from my Father's fridge. It was an emergency if it wasn't available at all times.

 

I went to the Minnesota State fair the summer I got back from deployment. (I turned 21 in Iraq) there was a big craft beer area where you could get beer flights. I don't remember what the names were of the beers I had, but I was hooked.

 

Some of my friends got into craft beer before I did and one of them volunteered at Surly Brewing. I got hooked into drinking craft after I got a couple growler fills from Surly. Since then I have tried some awesome brews and have formed some really good friendships with those in the craft beer community. One of which helped me get a job with my current employer.

Cheers!

 

A friend of mine had been drinking craft beer for years. I had been sailing with the captain for many years. I never liked any of his beer until the day he brought a bottle of BCBS. I now drink both.

 

Dogfish Head Indian Brown

 

Well I started like most kids who sneak a few beers at 16 with Budweiser, bud light, and natural light...what most people drink around here. When I started buying I went with that for awhile..but then noticed shock top and thought it looked interesting and thought it was something different as outside of the beers I mentioned earlier I'd only had coors miller landshark and red stripe. LIttle did I know what shock top really was but give me a break lol.

Fast forward to me moving to nc and finding a place called Harris Teeter and seeing all the Samuel Adams varieties they had. After trying all those I could I tried dog fish head 90 minute ipa and was not ready for it...funny cause now I love ipas. From there curiosity, reading reviews, and exploration led me to where I am. I consider myself to a person who is a student of beer with a long way to go and I lot to learn. But in the three years since nc I've tried a lot of brews and learned a lot. With plenty more to go. But I will never be one of these pretentious beer snobs..its bad for the community Imo.

 

Yeti. Drank the 4-pack, woke up with a beard, flannel, and knowledge that KBS soooo much better in 2008.

 

Natty Light-->Bud Light-->Guinness (to be different from my buddies)-->Harp-->Bass-->Newcastle-->Abbot Ale/Bombardier/Wexford Cream Ale/Boddington's/Blue Moon and Black Sheep...It's the last one, both the Special Ale and Riggwelter, that really took me from mass-produced Euro brews to really wanting to search out the world of craft (esp. beginning with English ales)

 

My cousin gave me a Hoegaarden which encouraged me to go online and learn about the different styles of beer. I eventually found this site and stumbled upon the link labeled "top 250 beers." I saw a beer called Pliny and conveniently scheduled a visit to my Uncle in California for the next month; my profile picture is a glass of PtY I managed to snag while on that same trip, but what I really loved was the seemingly unlimited supply of PtE they had. Now I try sample a different beer every time I have the chance.

 

Guinness Draught -> Live Oak Hefe/512 Pecan Porter -> Anchor Steam and Sierre Nevada Pale Ale. I never drank bud/coors/miller simply because it tasted terrible so I started with Guinness because it just looked good. After that I was lucky enough to be in Austin a lot so I tried a ton of great beers there and then started exploring my options at local liquor stores.

 

Lost Coast Apricot Wheat.

 

I got a job at Bluegrass Brewing Company & only worked there for three weeks, but when you work there you have to try all the beers. It was the first time I heard of IPA's & stouts & all these different names for beers. Before that, I was just hip to Bud Light. I remember how different each beer tasted and each one brought a brand new taste. I fell in love with the Dark Star Porter & then I learned about porters & stouts & I just wanted to try them all. Then I became more adventurous with beers & now i'll try any craft beer.

 

Don't really recall any single event. Was gradual. In HS and early college I drank the usual $hite Adjunct Lagers. Then around my junior year of college I graduated towards more "mid-level" beers, Stella, Heineken, Sam Adams, etc. Just went on from there, to eventually wanting to try pretty every beer I could.

 

My wife bought me a brew kit for Christmas and it was all up hill into craft brew from there.!!

 

Do you REALLY want to know ? LOL

 

I screwed up and opened a box I had stashed away for 20+ years and out popped the "Complete Joy of Home Brewing". Papazian, see WTF you started !!

 

I got into it for all the hot chicks.... obviously.