What was your first craft beer?

Pete's Wicked Ale and Golden Lager. Red Hook Ale circa early 90's.

 

I don't recall, but I would guess that it was either SNPA or Boston Lager.

 

It was either Henry Weinhard's Amber, Alaskan Amber or Big Sky Moose Drool. Dont really remember.

 

Definitely either Sierra Nevada Pale or Firestone DBA.

 

Real craft beer? CCB Moat Water. Somebody made me go around and buy six bottles from six different places, since then, its been a slide.

 

Pete's Wicked Ale 1988 or 1989. High school kegger, San Diego.

 

I have vague memories of drinking Pete's Wicked and Pete's Strawberry Blonde in college in the mid 90's, although I mostly drank Killians's Red and Dundee Honey Brown back then. I wouldn't have been able to tell you difference at the time.
Didn't really get into craft beer until I moved back to Wisconsin and had an Ale Asylum Madtown Nut Brown. It's pretty tame compared to some of the stuff I'm trying now, but I have vivid memories of it being the highlight of my meal the night I ordered it.

 

Samuel Smith's Famous Tadcaster Porter, probably around 1981 or thereabouts. I remember buying that, an oil can of Fosters, and a fifth of blackberry brandy... I have never, EVER, consumed blackberry brandy again...

 

La chouffe Blond

 

Bells Third Coast Old Ale, my dad (who at the time drank pretty much only fosters) randomly bought me one, i dont think he had any idea what it was, and i have no idea why he randomly bought it for me, but i drank it and at the time it was the most incredible unique thing i had ever tasted, and that started my obsession with good beer.

 

Pyramid Hefeweisen, but it was Pliney the Elder that expanded my taste past hefeweisens.

 

Sierra Nevada Pale Ale back in 1995 and thought it was too bitter.

 

Ruination! I have not looked back.

 

Anchor Steam .. on tap from the Tyson's Corner California Pizza Kitchen, long ago, before CPK was a Chain ( it was like one of 5 CPK in the world then)

Was a great beer, a revelation even in those dark days!

 

Stone Levitation Ale.. and now it's being discontinued.

 

Ruination lol. Friend told me to try an ipa so that happened to be the first one I tried lol. Bomber of ruination.

 

Excluding the big ones like Sierra Nevada and Sam Adams it was probably some restaurant that brewed it's own beer but for our purposes I'll say Jai Alai. Was the first beer that I said wow there is really good beer being made and I need to try them.

 

Golden Monkey is the first purchase I made with the idea that I was actually buying a craft beer. I HATED it the first time I drank it, probably because I had no idea was a tripel was and thought something was wrong with the beer.

 

Natty Greene's Southern Pale Ale

 

German and English imports in the mid 80's. The term "craft" did not exist then.