The route into craft beer?

I think the more traditional route that most people take is that they try something like fat tire, Boston lager, sierra Nevada pale ale, magic hat #9 or dare I say it blue moon. These beers do not crush the palate but give traditional bmc drinkers an idea of what flavor taste like. Most people first experience with IPA's is that it is something they will either learn to like or will avoid all together

 

I was drawn in by stouts. It took a few months to really start liking IPAs.

 

I hated hoppy beers for a looooong time. My love affair with craft started in the late 90's, and I started getting into hoppy beers about a year ago.

 

It's an awfully general statement and therefore hard to reply with much accuracy, but I think a sizable percentage do because so many IPA's are American IPA's that can be quite fruity, drinkable, and approachable.

It was the opposite a couple decades ago when IPA's were often more English in character.

 

Totally agree. I refused to drink beer at first because I did not like the taste. Then, I was introduced to the wonderful world of Belgian Trappist Ales. It was a slippery slope to the glorious IPA from there

 

In my area, people seem to lean on lighter wheat beers. The bitterness of IPAs scares them away...but they are slowly coming around.

 

Well, other than my time drinking great beers while stationed in Germany. My first taste of craft beer in the U.S. was a Stone IPA back in 2000. Still my favorite style so I guess it was true for me at least.

 

Personally, I have and will continue to introduce newbies to craft beer with Anchor Steam, SA Boston Lager or SNPA. That was my route and from there I have branched out. In fact, I haven't had an Anchor Steam for a while. Hopefully, I'll keep that in mind next time I'm buying.

But when you are introducing someone to better beer, it pays to ask what they're drinking currently, what they've had in the past and what they liked and disliked about what they've had. From there, you can make a more informed suggestion.

 

I think IPAs become the second step into craft beer. I think the route into craft beer begins with ambers, wheats, ESBs, and pale ales --- Fat Tire, Alaskan Amber (ambers), Widmer Hefe, Pyramid Hefe, Blue Moon, Shock Top (wheats), Redhook (ESB), and Sierra Nevada Pale Ale (pale ale). Here in Seattle, you could add Mac & Jack's African Amber and Georgetown Manny's Pale Ale. After noobies get through these, it's on to IPAs.

 

(I don't know where you've been, but welcome back, man!)

I pretty much agree with that- plus add in the fact that IPAs seem to be a 'thing' these days and those people will likely see others enjoying them and talking about them; a much more socially acceptable first step, if you will, as well as something to pique their curiosity.

 

The first variety pack I ever got was Sam Adams' "Hop-ology" pack, so yeah. I didn't like Whitewater IPA much at all, but that pack (and Sam Adams in general) got me into it all.

 

I look at IPAs in two ways:
- Lots of hop bitterness
- Lots of hop flavor

People generally don't like the first category from the start, but love the second. It seems like with 60 minute and Stone IPA they are going for the flavor forward ones. Especially if they were fresh IPAs, so I could see them enjoying that off the bat.

Give a BMC guy a Torpedo, or a Ruination, they will swear they hate IPAs. Once they have a fresh Jai Alai, suddenly they change their mind.

 

I think IPAs are a bit too harsh to be an intro to craft. As others have alluded to, I think it's the milder (usually cheaper) stuff that people will latch onto first. Boston Lager, SNPA, Fat Tire, Anchor Steam, Blue Moon/Shock Top/other Hefe, Magic Hat, etc.

I got into craft around '05-'06 with the likes of Blue Moon, Boston Lager, Anchor Steam, Hoegaarden, Redhook ESB, and SNPA (which I thought was too bitter at first, ha).

 

Take Route 113 Sly Fox IPA to Exit 16 (Flying Fish Wild Rice Double IPA).

 

For me it was Fat Tire and Left Hand Sawtooth. Those were "over the top" beers for me at the time. Not sure I could have handled (and would not have enjoyed) and IPA back then.

 

High alcohol beers got me into craft beer, because I'm an alcoholic.

 

When I got into "craft" beer I think there were 2, maybe 3 IPAs available to me. I was looking for flavor more than hop-burn (maybe I ought to trademark that term too).

 

Probably nothing too hoppy.

 

I don't know about that, there were hoppy beers breaking the plane back then too -- Celebration was around, 3 Floyds came out in '96 and I remember laughing at the marketing ploy behind "Alpha King." The hop craze (man, another trademark?) was on the move right after SNPA introduced Cascades to the burgeoning geekdom.