What was your first craft beer?

I remember pounding Sam Adams winter Lager when I was like 15 on a new years eve and thinking it was good. But for real with better intentions I started out getting SNPA when I had a little more to spend on beer on a Friday every few weeks when I was a freshman in college, then one day the dude came back with torpedo by mistake and I was like "my god this is amazing what the fuck is an IPA?" That and my mom actually had a huge part in getting me into craft as funny as that sounds.

 

Old Rasputin. Loved it immediately after drinking nothing but light lagers for years.

 

Sam Adams Boston Lager when it first came out. Been trashing on Bud ever since.

 

Sam Adams White Lantern, if Sam Adams still counts. If it doesn't the it would be Cool Springs Brewery's Fatback Amber.

As a bonus the beer that got me into crafts, was Kentucky's Bourbon Barrel Ale.

 

I would never be able to remember the name of it, but I would say it was a local beer at a local restaurant in Germany. I was a college student and not old enough to drink in the states yet. Ha! In the states though, I know that it was something from New Belgium; probably Fat Tire.

 

Hmm, if Leinenkugel Berry Weiss (a house party always had a keg of this in 2001) or Newcastle (2002) count, those. If not, whatever Goose Island or Great Lakes they had at Chicago Whole Foods in 2004.

 

SABL.

 

My first craft beer was Sam Adams Boston Lager. My first micro brew was Short's Huma Lupa Liscious. Talk about jumping into the deep end...

 

Redhook Ballard Bitter in the late 80s.

 

GI Matilda. Life changing experience.

 

Lagunitas IPA- camping in big sur, wild night. Didn't appreciate beer then like I do now.

 

Founders Breakfast Stout. Not a bad place to start. Followed that with a New Belgium Ranger and hated every second of it.

Times have changed. Love them hops.

 

Sierra Nevada Pale Ale

 

Probably some Otter Creek, Magic Hat or Long Trail. Being from Vermont we had craft brews all over the place

 

Sierra Nevada Pale Ale. I will always make room SN beers in my bar.

 

My first craft was Torpedo, which was too hoppy for me and turned me away from craft beer for a year (I rarely drank anyway). Then my friend showed me Stone IRS and Stone Espresso IRS at the same time, and I have been a stout fiend since (meaning I drink excessively now, almost exclusively stouts.)

 

Mine was Cherry wheat back in about 1994. Ugh...

 

It was either Sam Adams Boston Lager or Dogfish Head 60 min. IPA.

 

Sierra Pale and Celebration, Anchor Steam and Pyramid Snow Cap. Went off to college around 2000 and some new brewery two hours north of UCSB, called Firestone, was selling a Double Barrel Ale at the liquor store next to my apartment. Used to be able to buy a 12 pack for 10-11 bucks at the Costco in Goleta. It would be another 10 years before I fully got into craft, but the seeds were sown to love hoppy beers long before I knew it.

 

Saranac Hefeweizen. Then Sam's Boston Lager. Circa 2004.