What was your gateway craft beer?

not sure it's craft, but Pilsner Urquell opened my mind to something besides American lagers. Probably first true craft beer I enjoyed was Great Lakes Brewery...started with their Conway Irish ale, added Edmund Fitzgerald, eventually tried all or most of them. It just grew from there.
I posted awhile ago about craft and imports on the Grateful Dead parking lot scene...was also a big influence for me...Samuel smith seemed to be popular in the 90s.

 

Summit EPA

 

Bert Grant’s Scottish Ale out of Yakima. First taste was in BELLINGHAM while attending WWU.

 

When I was in high school I had good buddies who would always drink Honey Brown and Sierra Nevada Pale Ale. Those were my first. They also had, Saranac which is just awful, but the brewery tried I guess. They are still around so someone must like them. I stuck with Sierra Nevada for years. Still drink it every now and then.

 

Back in the day, the only good stuff available where I lived were imports like Guinness and Foster's (remember when both of those were actually good?).

But it was Anchor Steam that opened my eyes to how good American beer could be.

Later, exposure to strongly hopped Northwestern brews, especially during a trip to Oregon, really amazed me, and I realized that we have it going on right here in USA.

And now, I am seeing the advent of very good local breweries in the Memphis area.

It makes me hoppy.

 

Definitely, no doubt -- it was sipping a Snake River Brewery Zonker Stout, at the brewery in Jackson, Wyoming, some years ago, on a sunny afternoon, outside on the ground level, sitting at one of their picnic tables, under one of their sun umbrellas, with the Teton Range in the background. It's an experience I look forward to repeating each year when we vacation there.

 

Theakston's Old Peculier, at the Old Toad in Rochester, NY. 21st birthday as I remember - though that could be a memory I recovered at a therapy session. Hooked on the good stuff ever since. I've probably only ever had about 10 non-craft brews in my life...mostly to be polite in company that I appreciate.

 

I was ruined early.Spent the summer of 1974 in England and Germany with my grandmother.Needless to say,everything here sucked,so I quit drinking daily and reserved that activity running the honky tonks here in Arizona.Probably was Foster’s,because it was one of the first mass imported beers here.Dont count the Mexican beers,because of our many trips to Mexico.Samuel Smith probably got me more into the high octane stuff,and now it’s quality beer heaven.

 

I was quite impressed with Hahn Vintage (especially given Hahn is usually so tepid an generic)
Absolutely categorically the pivotal moment where I think I went to level THREE of craft beer love-appreciaition was a Kiwi drop: Renaissance StoneCutter Scottish Ale - from the tap, I think it was in an Oak Cask. The glass bottles are pretty good, but that was just the mmmm absolutely divine experience.

 

Samichlaus and a pair of local craft beers (IPA and sour saison). They changed my world.

 

BrewDog Punk IPA circa 2010. Friend of mine bought it and told me to try because it was fantastic. This opened up my eyes to the fact there are other things than watery lager out there.

 

My first post...

My first gatewaycraft beer was Old Thumper by Ringwood Brewery, England. However, truly, it's a place in Boston, Cornwall's, since it was before any craft beer in America. I exclude all those german microbreweries in the midwest unknown to me then and Sam Adams an unknown in any bar I entered in Boston from 1989-1992. A day that lives in my history: organic chemistry lab at Boston University Spring 1991. A late organic chemistry lab was finishing up when my lab partner looked at me and said let's grab a beer and some food. He brought me to Cornwall's, Kenmore Square Boston, Mass., a hole-in-the-wall basement dive I assumed since Kenmore Square was pretty seedy back then. We walked in and I imagined this must be what a pub in England looks like on the inside with it's low lighting, wood bar, and knick-knack covered walls. I had no idea such a nice place existed in Kenmore Square. I fell in love instantly. I met the owner Gio who was probably not much older than me. I made friends, became a regular, got a beer passport, and completed it in 18 months before I moved to England. A beer passport was a card they punched as you drank probably 75-125 draft or bottled beers from every world country they had on stock. The English food was yummy too. It all inspired me to do a work abroad program in England 1992-1993 (London and south coast not too far from Ringwood Brewery). Essentially, in 18 months I was exposed to so many craft brews I cannot recall all of them.

When I returned to America I was given a Sam Adams by my friend Walter since british imports were hard to find. That was my first American craft beer. I'd pay for those expensive English import 6-packs (or 4-packs Samuel Smith) and drink less. Walter said it tastes just like English beer. I took a few sips, pushed it away, and said that tastes like beer flavored water. I have never drank a Boston Ale since that fall day in 1993. By 1994, I had a Magic Hat #9 and that was the first inspiring or gateway American craft beer I drank.

 

A bit foggy memory, early 90s, but among the first, not counting Guinness, must have been a short list featuring Samuel Smith's Nut Brown Ale. My first Can of Guinness Drought was in the suburbs of Dublin, Ireland, in the summer of 91, while visiting family. Was shocked not to see it in a bottle! A good era.

 

Surly Eight Made me realize that I've been drinking fake beer all along. Thank you Surly & Jack D.!!!

 

For me it was Sierra Nevada Pale Ale that could only be found in big singles at select gas stations. I still purchase it on occasion. It was and still is a great beer.

 

Sam Adams Winter Lager was my very first beer. It pulled me in immediately and helped me skip the whole light lager cheap beer phase. But my first IPA was a Sierra Nevada Torpedo, and that is the beer that truly opened my palate to the craft beer market.

 

Craft beer came very late to Ireland, one of the Porterhouse beers in around 97 would have been my first access to them, probably "An Brain Blasta" or "Wrasslers" on draft.

https://www.beeradvocate.com/beer/profile/2243/1800/

 

Back when I tried it the first time (1988), New Castle Brown Ale opened my eyes. Sam Adams Boston Lager was next.

I as stationed in W. Germany in the mid 80s so I had my fair share (if there is such a thing) of lagers that these days I am in love with. Up-front malty beers are perfect for the Florida heat.

 

2007 - Beer Bistro for a work event. Had enjoyed Ontario micro brew since mid 90’s, and Euro beers early 2000’s but I had Dogfish Head 90 minute and World Wide Stout that night. My rabbit hole!

 

I’d say SNPA was my gateway too.

But the one that got me hooked was Arrogant Bastard. A friend sat me down, did a beer tasting with the limited grocer selection at that time (sam smith’s, anshor steam etc.) - AB stole the show and set me on this path. On of my favorite beer moments to this day is getting to taste AB off a brite tank at the rva facility.