Your Gateway Beer to Craft

Cigar City Jai Alai, Bruery Mischief, DFH Fort (or maybe Pangea?). I was on the Belgian quad train for a while then I ran into those...then when I had Coton it was over for good.

 

Two hearted!

 

My friend hooked me up with a Pliny the Elder and from that point on I had a new found appreciation for craft beer.

 

Pete's Wicked Ale, Nor' Wester Raspberry Weizen, and the mixed 12er from Goose Island. All sourced from Trader Joe's in the mid 90s. I remember the Nor' Wester was $2.49 a sixer.

 

Also plenty of Guinness, Sam Adams Cream Stout, Sam Adams Honey Porter, and SNPA.

 

mine was the tried and true SNPA. But it wasn't until I had DFH 90 min IPA when I was like whoa! I can enjoy this and get drunk.

 

To this day, I'm still amazed they push the lager into every bar across the country, but the Boston Ale is relatively uncommon, all things considered. The ale is far superior choice of the two, IMO. I find the lager "comes back" on me a bit, and that Sammy hop bitterness is not what I'm looking forward to tasting the rest of the night.

 

Just about anything from Sam Adams, Harpoon and Shipyard. The locals. Then Heady Topper showed up and totally blew things up for me!!!!!!

 

victory hopdevil still my go to favourite every day ipa

 

I bought Sam Adams triple bock in 1994.

 

Ithaca Cascazilla

 

It was probably beers I've had after golf with the guys, so beers along the lines of Blue Moon, Fat Tire, Sierra Nevada Pale Ale, Sam Adams Boston Lager. My real foray into craft beer was Pliny which I randomly found after a round of golf at a nearby cheese and wine store. I also picked up Redemption because it had a cork cage on it. Never seen that before on a beer bottle! After drinking both, it was so different than what I had previously drank that I researched what the heck I was drinking. The rest is history...