What beer got you into craft beer?

Actually wasn't a beer, but a brewery. Wife and I went to French Broad Brewing in Asheville many years ago. The beer, the vibe, the people, sitting by the tanks, a singer walked in with his guitar and asked if he could sing for a beer. (They do have live music 3 days a week normally)

 

Pabst. I knew there had to be something better.

 

Sam Adams Irish Red.

 

Newcastle Brown Ale was my first "woah, beer can taste good!" experience. Boulevard Sixth Glass really opened my eyes, however.

 

Sculpin was an eye-opening experience. The first IPA / Craft brew I ever had. I've been hooked ever since.

 

I started on craft since I came in late to the game and guided by a craft beer drinker. Now what got me started drinking beer at all was catching a whiff of my craft beer drinking friend's Two-Hearted from across the table, asking him if he minded if I had a smell, and thinking, "That smells good."

 

Bell's Oberon

 

V-12

 

Westvleteren 12 for me

 

Bell's Two Hearted...started my hop addiction

 

Leinenkugel's Bock was the start. I'd drink it in season but stick to whatever AAL I could afford the rest of the year. Then in the lat '80s had my first Summit Extra Pale Ale. I was hooked. I'm enjoying one right now.

 

Blue Moon to Black and Blue. That turned into black and everything. In 06 I stated to buy random six packs. I found 6 craft beers were better than any 12+ of any light beers(bud, miller coors)

 

Augsburger, especially the dark and bock versions in the early 80's

 

Spaten Optimator, spring 1989, purchased at the Bread Box Beverage Barn on Islington Street in Portsmouth, NH. Quite a departure from the Golden Anniversary and Old Milwaukee I was drinking/pounding/funneling by the barrel full at Theta Chi Zeta Chapter (UNH).

 

Duvel

 

The same thing that got us all into craft beer. BMC

 

Oh man, I haven't thought about St. Stan's in ages. I loved the St. Stan's Dark. Wonderful beer back in the day.

 

Man, I started getting into good beer back in the 80s, and that's a long way back. So far back that "craft beer" wasn't a thing. There was beer, and there was imported beer.

When I was in college and decided that I liked beer, I enjoyed Guinness Extra Stout because it was big and chewy and a little sweet, and was about as far as you could get from plain old American lager. I also drank my share of regional lager, mostly Coors Extra Gold and Herman Josephs.

European imports were well known to be "better beer" back then, but they were too expensive for my broke college self. I thought Bass Pale Ale was really good because of that slight toffee character and nutty flavor it had back in the 80s. Watney's Red Barrel was weird: smelled and tasted like unbaked bread dough. Heineken Dark was a tasty beer back in the day.

Anchor Steam was pretty much the first American beer that I liked as much as those English imports.

Through the 90s, Samuel Adams kept up my interest in "microbrew" beers, mostly because they kept coming up with all those different styles, and they were agreeably priced. Scotch Ale, Honey Porter, and Double Bock were my favorites, although that Golden Pilsener was quite tasty too.

In 1994 I made my first trip to England, where I fell in love with real ale. The texture and nuanced flavor were a revelation. Even more so were the countless pints of Dogbolter strong dark bitter I drank at various Firkin pubs on that trip. The closest thing I can compare it to is Theakston's Old Peculier, but it was better and fresher and maybe a little bit stronger.

So which was the beer that got me into this? Guinness? Bass? Anchor Steam? Sam Adams? Dogbolter? Fuller's ESB?

I'm not sure it was any of those. There weren't a lot of "life-changing" beers back then, but there were definitely "better" beers, and all of these played a part in turning me into the beer geek I am today.

 

I live in Maine. Started with Allagash White. Pre allagash it was Shipyard and neighbouring Sam Adams and Harpoon.
After Allagash, I discovered Maine Beer Company and life hasn't been the same since! Then stumbling upon Bissell brothers, foundation and man, need I say any more...

 

I suppose in one way, it may be Sam Adams Boston Lager, about 10 - 12 years ago when I was BIG into cigars, wine, single malts and the like. I discovered Boston Lager was/is great paired with a fine cigar! Then I went "cold turkey" on all of it - cigars, wine, single malts, all of it!

Then this past April I read an article on MarketWatch about a single malt Odin Scotch released in commemoration of the 5th season of Game of Thrones. Didn't get the Odin. I clicked a link in the article leading to another article about Ommegang's Game of Thrones Three Eyed Raven. Sought it out and drank my first bottle. WOW! Very good brew! So I suppose, in reality, Ommegang is what really got me into craft.

Since April I've had so many GREAT brews, from many brew houses, I'm losing track. Time to keep a hand written dossier to keep tabs on all these.

Cheers!