Your Gateway Beer to Craft

I feel like for a lot of people, there are stages of progression. Well, there have been for me at least.

In high school, it was Yuengling. In college, I started with Blue Moon. Just before I turned 21, I started drinking Sam Adams and Sierra Nevada, and when I was able to buy my own, that just opened the flood gates to all kinds of possibilities to try. I also have beers that have gotten me hooked on a certain style. At first, I wasn't a huge fan of IPAs. But, after my first (and second and third) pint of Bell's Two Hearted, I became addicted and it is now my favorite style.

None of these beers are "special" to us beer snobs, but me trying them all resulted in my ultimate beer enlightenment.

 

Great Lakes Dortmunder!

 

Gumballhead is still and probably always will be a favorite of mine.

 

I grew up in a rural area near a small town. The only beer I was ever exposed to was BMC. I never drank in high school because the only stuff anyone ever handed me was the BMC stuff and it was all awful. It got to a point to where I thought that's what beer was, and I just didn't like beer.

Fast-forward to the age of 20 and in college. I was at a friend's house and he poured a Guinness into a glass. I was like "what's wrong with your beer man, it looks like motor oil!". Turns out it's supposed to look like that. I tried it and loved it. That was the instant my eyes were open to the fact that all beer doesn't look or taste like stale cat piss.

Nowadays, Guinness is weak sauce compared to the other stouts and porters I love, but it gets the credit for awakening me to the world of real beer.

 

I never really thought of it as a "gateway," but I suppose Sam Adams Boston Lager taught me that beer could be delicious.

 

My buddy's roommate back in 96/97 was the Harpoon sales rep for Connecticut. One night our 30 pack of Bud ran out & we raided her samples! And the rest is tasty history...

 

Goose island "hex nut" brown ale in the mid 90s. Never looked back.

 

I vaguely recall copious amounts of Boulevard Wheat in high school. I don't ever buy it anymore; there's just too much I haven't tried, but if you're offering, I'm drinking. Without a lemon, of course.

 

Well the first beer I ever tried was a Guinness, and "my first beer" was a Sierra Nevada Pale Ale. As were most of the rest over the next couple years. Some Sam Adams, Bass, and Guinness in there, but SN was my favorite. I got lucky when pulling the Dad straw
You can guess how appalled I was at my first high school "party" where I tried my first Keystone Ice and Light.. On the plus side, I quickly learned that if I brought my own, nobody would ask me for one after I let them take a sip only knew one other kid who drank craft, but lucky for me were (and still are) good friends.
Wasn't much easily available craft-wise for me during High School, but I could still always get SNPA and sometimes Torpedo (hooked at first sip), so I didn't go out of my way to try much, just an occasional local (Schlafly's).
Got a novelty ID when I was 18 and I've been hoppy-err, happy, ever since

 

Sierra Nevada Pale Ale

 

Tripel Karmeliet, a very dangerous brew in the hands of the uninitiated.

 

Not proud of it now but...Sam Adams New World Tripel

 

Delerium Tremens introduced me to the fact that there was actually more than Bud'n'such out there, and it was good; but years later, Old Rasputin is what really opened the floodgates of what my wife now exasperatedly calls the "beer cellar."

I was a Guinness drinker, more or less unaware that craft beer was still a thing after the 90's crash, and a friend told me to give it a whirl, I think he described it as the black coffee version of Guinness, which piqued my curiosity, not to mention the fact I've always been fascinated by Rasputin himself.

If it wasn't for him, I'd be rich by now. Bastard.

 

Lagunitas Sucks led me to all the great Vermont offerings.

 

#9 was the beer that made me like beer. And I'm not ashamed to say that I still buy it from time to time when I'm looking for a crisp, fruity brew in the summer.

 

Samuel Adams Boston Lager, and Samuel Adams White Ale.

 

Mine was back in 1992 in Colorado Springs by a since closed brewery: Pike's Peak Brewing's (NOT the one that's currently in Monument) Red Granite Ale. Then along came Bristol and Laughing Lab up off GOG Road, Back Alley's Nightstalker Alt (closed) and Cheyenne Mountain Brewery's (closed) Grannygear. From then on, it's been brew over spirits 9 outta 10 times or more.

 

I'm a terrible writer, so bear with me...

Seeing as I just turned 21 a week ago, I've literally just started my journey into beer. Throughout high school and what not, I was exposed to BMC most of the time. Luckily, my cousin loves beer and I'm so happy he has helped introduce me to the world of beer and everything about it. I'd have to say I started along with lines of Shock Top, Blue Moon, etc. My cousin then showed me more and more, Tripel Karmeliet was one of them and that was awesome. Since last week, I've bought Ommegang's Three Philosophers + Hennepin, 4-pack of Old Rasputin, and also The Bruery's Autumn Maple which was more of a gift for my twin sister. Tonight I ventured into Bevmo after work and bought some Velvet Merkin Not sure if I'm moving too fast or not, but I'm loving it so far and look forward to coming on here more and more to expand my horizons.

 

I never drank the typical BMC beers, I was originally more of a wine guy, but was tired of shelling out big bucks for good wines and wanted a change of pace so I started drinking more beer over the years.

I started with the Macro England/Ireland beers. I think first was Bass, then Newcastle, then Smithwicks for a while and then Guinness and Guinness Extra stout.

From that I had Corsendonk brown and it opened me up to aromas and taste I never knew could come from beer and I got way into Abbey beers.

Then I discovered the "bigger" American craft breweries (Founders, DFH, Brooklyn etc.)

 

I started with High Life when I was young because it was cheap. After that I moved to Newcastle for awhile. Then Sam Adams Boston Lager.

Now it's 98% craft and some cheap beer every once in awhile.