What beer got you into craft beer?

Weirdly enough, especially since I live in New England, it was Karl Strauss' Red Trolley. I went to San Diego when I was 21 for my first (and only so far) west coast trip and I remember reading a random best beer list before I left. This list had Red Trolley as the best beer on that specific list. While I was in San Diego I made sure that I tried this beer. It definitely wasn't the best beer that I've ever had, but it was enough to open to door to an extremely expensive drinking habit.

 

Like a few others have said, even though it's not really "craft," Blue Moon and Skock Top were the first to make me realize that "good" beer doesnt mean the BMC AAL varieties. After those I was more willing to try Goose Island, then Sierra Nevada, then NBB, then there was no limit. I became a hop head in search of any and all IPAs and IIPAs. I'm slowing growing to appreciate porters and stouts. Maybe one day I can even embrace the sours!

 

Early "better" beers I had in college were Saranac, Magic Hat, Pete's Wicked, and some imports like Bass, Guinness, Harp.

But the one that sticks out in my head is Newcastle Brown.

 

Not really a specific beer, but the 2012 Homebrewer Association's Top 50 list that I decided to pursue had the biggest effect on me. It forced me to choke down a bunch of IPA's until i realized that I actually loved them.

 

Sam Adams, Guinness, and once I tried Old Rasputin I really started to seek out more craft beer.

 

SNPA, NB Fat Tire , and Summit EPA caught my attention. Surly Furious sealed the deal.

 

Zima. Especially when the lime was added.

 

I would say that a lot of Sam Adams, especially Boston Lager, along with Guinness, St Pauli Girl, Blue Moon, Hoegarden, Leinenkugels Sunset Wheat, Samuel Smiths Oatmeal, and Rogue Dead Guy all played a major part in transition beers. The one that seemed to "flip the switch" for me though was Breckenridge Vanilla Porter for some reason. After that, I drank a bunch of Left Hand Milk Stout and revisited some of the Great Lakes and other stuff I didn't care for earlier. All downhill from there

 

Pliny

 

New Belgium's Fat Tire around 1996(?) when I was living in Colorado. At the time we could only get it in bombers. About a year later they came out with 6 packs and it just about blew our minds! Then you'd see it in bars from time to time. Now it seems like it's all over the place. A true craft beer success story.

 

Racer 5. But well before Pliny was avaiable in bottles.... Well .... PLINY.

Good bye fried rice, hello Fried Chicken!!!

 

Dixie's Blackened Voodoo.
I was still well underage at the time, but I still knew the majority of beer sold was fizzy yellow water.
This stuff was different - dark, it had flavor, it had a really cool label... it opened my eyes that there was more to beer than commercials with girls in bikinis (not that I was complaining about that at age 15 or 16 or whatever I was...) or washed-up sports stars.

 

Widmer Snow Plow.

 

Totally, just one of those beers that was widely available and completely different than anything on the market, even different than the Belgian imports at the time.

 

Guinness foreign extra

 

Sierra Nevada Pale Ale
Upland Brew. Wheat
3 Floyds Robert the Bruce

All experienced throughout the mid-college years, really help you expand past the normal crap you drink in college.

 

When Arcadia first opened here in town I decided to go there to see what a brewpub/microbrewery was all about. I had been a macro drinker and had no clue what to order. After trying the pale ale and not liking the hop character I ordered the London-style Porter and fell in love with it. I discovered that malty beers agreed with me but hoppy ones didn't. Nowadays, I like them all.

 

Deschutes Black Butte. My room mate freshman year brought in a case of it and we pounded those and I loved em

 

Zombie Dust

 

Not so much a particular beer for me. I've been drinking craft beer since 19 (I am 32 now) and going to to annual Beer Fests since I was 21. It had more to do with hanging out with older people who appreciated better beer. I consider myself lucky. My heart goes out to the people who think beer ends at Genesee, Milwaukee's Best, Coors Light..etc.