What beer got you hooked on craft beer?

Victory's Golden Monkey and Troegs Troegenator

 

Probably started years ago with Sam Adam's Oktoberfest then tried thier other seasonals and haven't looked back. Since moved on to DIPAs and Imperial Stouts, but that is where the fun started.

 

Wow, I forgot about Fat Angel. Had it back in what must've been '06 or '07. I remember liking it but I have no clue what it tasted like or what I liked about it.

 

Boston Lager

 

The first that got my interest was Flying Dog Pale Ale. Then I had Alpha King...my wallet took quite a beating the next few months, buying every bomber and mix-a-six I could, but I was in college and loaded with financial aid money so I rationalized it.

 

New Belgium Old Cherry Ale. Too bad that one isn't bottled anymore.

 

The label was always interesting looking to me, as were all the Magic Hat labels, back in the late 90s/early 00s. I imagine FA would, unfortunately, be right where Number 9 is for me today, an afterthought.

Growing up in NY it was pretty much MH, Samuel Adams, Saranac, Blue Point, Southhampton Double White, and that was it. None of them (although I'm a fan of some Southhamptons) have really progressed with me. I don't include Sixpoint because they weren't around yet. I'm not shitting on those breweries though, because without them who knows if there's an Ithaca, or a Captain Lawrence, or a Southern Tier, or a Barrier, and so on. Matt and Phin's Ale by ST was an eye opener too back in the day.

I should add, New Amsterdam was pretty good. And...there was always Brooklyn, which has always been real hit or miss for me.

 

Maudite.

Although, for six months I walked around pronouncing it 'Mow-Dite'...like a jack-ass.

 

I definitely had an aha moment with beer (which I feel like I don't have with many other things in my life, besides maybe beer and phish).

I had just turned 21, I was out with my family going to the Taste of Chicago and we stopped to get a beer for heading in since I was just 21. I had no clue what to get, so I grabbed a Three Floyds Gumball Head. GAME. SET. MATCH.

 

Too bad you didn't get Catamount in your neck of the woods, especially in the mid-90s. They made some great stuff, and were always handy to fall back on.

 

Probably 60 Minute. I thought it tasted like ass.

 

Hard to believe that was 14 years ago!

 

Great Divide's Titan IPA. Then it left CT.

 

Flying Fish Extra Pale

 

We did. I forgot about that one. I didn't have it enough/really remember it well enough to really consider a "door opener" for me.

I have to second the Unibroue mentions. La Fin de Monde and Maudite were wows as well. Corsendonk was a favorite too. I had 2 buddies who worked at what was an above average bottle shop in the mid 90s. It would be something German or English one night and then complete shit the next.

 

Mine was definitely Great Lakes Commodore Perry, and then Fat Head's Head Hunter. Then I stopped for awhile, and what really threw me back into craft beer was Stone Arrogant Bastard. Now I'm addicted

 

Nice! That was probably my first "Holy Shit!" beer... back when you could call the brewery and you would here "Mac and Jacks, Mac Speaking"

 

Fuller's ESB at cellar temp from the cask.
That London trip blew my mind and helped me realize cold and carbonated weren't really beer flavors!

 

h h hehe hhehe..... How do you say it now?

Inquiring minds want to know..

 

I had a taster flight from BJ's Brewery back in 2000 that opened my eyes.

Tatonka Stout (on nitro, no less) was my favorite, but I also really liked Harvest Hefeweizen (plenty of Bavarian-style citrus, bananas and clove), Nutty Brewnette (brown), PM Porter and Jeremiah Red. I didn't much care for Piranha Pale at the time, but I learned quickly.