What beer got you into craft beer?

PUHLEEZE!!! I'd been drinking Anchor Steam over TWENTY YEARS when you had your first! Now THAT is OLD!!!!!

 

I have been dabbling into craft for a decade, while still drinking BMC as well. A little over 2 years ago I had a Founders Breakfast Stout and that was the tipping point. Haven't had more than 6 BMC beers total since.

 

Pete's wicked and SNPA

 

White Oak from The Bruery. A friend of mine brought a bottle of that and Autumn Maple to share, and while I didn't like Autumn Maple the White Oak opened my eyes to the fact that beer could be so much more than the cheap fizzy lager pushed by macros. Allagash's Curieux then sealed the deal and I was hooked.

 

Fat Tire. Even though I hate that beer now.

Up until then, in HS and College I mostly drank Heineken, Old E, Becks, Henry Weinhards, and the occasional Guinness

 

To be sociable, I swilled some Bud while participating in a bowling league, and that left me with no interest in beer. But, years later, when I spent a weekend in Cooperstown NY to visit the Baseball Hall of Fame and bicycle in the area, I saw some mysterious stuff called Ommegang on a restauant menu. I don't remember now which of their beers I had, but I liked it and followed up with a tour of their brewery. The rest, as they say, is history.

 

Small world: Pete Slosberg, the namesake and founder of Pete's Wicked is the cousin of my gastoenterolgist, Dr. Edward Slosberg, who is also a beer afficionado!

 

Dead Guy Ale

 

Catamount Pale Ale from Vermont in 1986

 

I probably won't get any likes for this, but when I first tried a lager that wasn't the "norm" : Leinenkugel's. I hated it but it sparked my curiosity.

 

Homebrew. Needed to do some research.

 

Highland Cold Mountain

 

Shiner Holiday Cheer. It was really interesting going back to it the next year after my palate had actually developed and tasting so much more the second time.

 

Heileman's Special Export. My Grandpa and Uncle let me take swigs when I was in grade school. The rest is just progress.

 

I thought it would be an Anchor Steam that I purchased from the legendary Corner Store in West Palm Beach, Florida in the mid 70s. But I had nothing to open it with in the parking lot (I had yet to learn the back of the knife blade trick), so I used the edge of the dumpster around the back of the store, smacking the top of the bottle, and I broke the neck off, and I was not going to drink something that might contain broken glass. Maybe it was the big bottle of Guinness I bought in Nassau, Bahamas in '77, ("a meal in a bottle" I thought), but I think it was really some beers that I had at the Blues Bouquet on Main Street in Boise, Idaho in 1993. I remember a Pine Top Porter from the long gone Beier Brewery ("You can buy her furs, you can buy her diamonds, but if you buy her a beer, you can't buy her a better beer than Beier's!" The DJ for the blues show sponsored by the company on KBSU radio always screwed that up, to everyone's amusement, thanks Dave!) was one I recall. A beer made in my town! Think globally, drink locally. I drank several beers, bought for me by someone's wife on her birthday while her hubby was on a boat in the ocean, (don't ask, don't tell) and I got really potted, and after starting to spin in the restroom, I just staggered home without saying goodbye, because I did not want to fall down or puke in the bar. Someone was really pissed, not in the British way. Sorry, Kay!

 

I ❤️ Ommegang!

 

I was at Fat Heads in Pittsburgh when I was 18/19, and my dad and his friends got Mad Elf. My dad enjoyed it, but gave me about 4/5oz. of it. I love Christmas and this time of year, and this Christmas beer sealed the deal for me.

As far as beer when I was 20 approaching 21, I went for typical Blue Moon varieties (especially Abbey Ale), and Sam Adams winter variety.

Now, 4-5 years later, I do still love those beers (Mountain Abbey has gone bye bye), but I appreciate the beers for what they were.

 

Duvel and La Fin Du Monde... The good ol' days. And to think... at the time I thought those were really expensive!

 

My real taste for good craft beer was my local brewery in Stowe, VT called the Shed Brewery. (Im going back to 2001) It has since gone to the wayside and the recipes are now brewed by Otter Creek. Another local company was the Alchemist which had a cool little pub in Waterbury. I took all of these places around me for granted for a long time, thinking this is how all beers must be. Then I began to travel around a bit. I realized on how blessed I was to live in such a mecca for just great beer and other things. So to really answer the question I guess the beers that got me into what we consider craft beer is:
Shed Mountain Ale
Alchemist beers on tap at the pub i.e.Heady Topper, etc.
Rock Art Brewing IPA

 

Arrogant Bastard and funny thing is that it would probably be the last beer I drink now.