What was your gateway craft beer?

It was Dale’s Pale ale and Pinner Throwback IPA for me, drinking that on camping and fishing trips showed me that there’s more to beer than Budweiser and PBR.

 

I get what you are saying, and a lot of people feel the same way. My opinion, without Sam Adams, Anchor Steam, and such there wouldn’t be Kane, Carton, Treehouse, etc

 

Back in the days when you could only find wheat beer in specialty stores, a friend took me to a place in the East Village and had me try a pint of Brooklyn Weisse (possibly made by Brooklyn Brewery?) it was so delicious, and then he introduced me to Hoegaarden. I was hooked.

 

Not only was Weyerbacher way ahead of the curve on barrel aging, but that Double Simcoe presaged what is yet unfolding on the modern beer scene.

 

if you change that to Sierra and Dogfish you'd be spot on for us but at least triple bock definitely was part of encouraging our tom foolery

 

Well, this is my first post. I saw that this thread started back in the summer and I've been thinking about it on and off ever since. It's been a long time since I started down this GREAT adventure of beer. some 25+ yrs ago. So here it is. I couldn't come up with just one. Starting in the south (Atlanta) back in the 90's there wasn't a huge selection. So here they are for what it's worth.

Pete's Brewing (anything that Pete's put out, I looked forward too) RIP
Yakima Brewing (Grant's Perfect Porter) RIP
Red Hook ESB ) I still enjoy to this day.
and a shout out to the Atlanta folks:
Atlanta Brewing Co. red brick ale
Sweetwater - Especially the Christmas Ale ( Hard to get where I live now)
and last but not least.....
Blind Man (Athens, GA) Espresso Stout "Look for the Cow" RIP

 

It was New Glarus Spotted Cow for me. Before that, for me beer was Miller High Life, Budweiser and Coors Light.

 

Boulevard Wheat, Pale Ale and New Belgium's Fat Tire got things started. Then it really started to take off when I began ordering flights every time I visited a brewpub.

I'm sure Sierra Nevada Pale Ale had an impact on me actually not being afraid of hoppy beers.

 

90's Northeast standards Harpoon Octoberfest, MagicHat 9, LongTrail ale, Ottercreek Copper ale, Pete's, Sam's, etc. Those are the ones I really remember during that time.