What beer got you into craft beer?

Got me into as in made clear for me beer could be good, or got me into it as a hobby?

The former was, I think, Sam Adams Boston Lager. Around 1986 I guess. I had tried Guiness, but it was more SABL that convinced me that I could enjoy beer.

But I remained mostly a wine drinker. It was the escalating price of decent wines, and the discovery of my local craft beer scene, that made me a (craft) beer fan.

 

I'm another from the 90's with Sam Adams and Pete's Wicked.

 

I was living in Battle Creek when Arcadia started up. I used to go for pints quite a bit.

 

Fat Tire, Sunshine Wheat, and Blue Moon.

 

Beers from Goose Island and Pete's Wicked were my go-to brews in the '90s.

 

Spring of 1996: Sierra Nevada Pale Ale

 

1. Hop Devil
2. Golden Monkey
3. Various Sierra Nevada brews

 

For me, probably Flying Dog Raging Bitch.

 

Orval Trappist Ale. I'd had craft beer before but Orval was mind-blowing.

 

Lagunitas WTF

 

Franziskaner hefe weissbier

 

My first six was Lowenbrau and it tasted good, beer of extravagance was Dinkel Acker Dark and I still drank on a budget many years ago.....as did we all. Had one of the SA Boston Lager when first came out.

 

Troegs Mad Elf, one of my roommate's at Penn State would bring a case every december after thanksgiving break from the original brewery in Harrisburgh. He treated it like it was the holy grail, one night he gave me a bottle and although it was wildly potent, it immediately opened my eyes to what beer could be. Cheers!

 

Samuel Adams Winter Lager, the old 6.94% ABV recipe.

 

Sierra Nevada Pale Ale and New Belgium Fat Tire.
1 for $3/2 for $5, brah.

 

Good one. Back in the day it was Pete's, Anchor and Gordon Biersch 'round these parts. Another one that seemed cool (and is long gone) was Saint Stan's out of Modesto, I think.

 

Anchor Steam in 1976 !

 

I can't say there was one particular beer that got me into craft but I would say that Guinness Extra Stout got me into good beer. I eventually tried Samuel Smith's Oatmeal Stout, Redhook ESB, Sierra Nevada Pale Ale and neither really led me to craft beer. It was more of working in the business and seeing all the different craft beers that led to me expand and explore more craft beers.

 

Chimay Blue...bless those little Monks

 

Smuttynose Finest Kind, SNPA, Duvel, over the span of a couple days