What was your first beer… ever?

[Big_D]

Disclaimer: I’m good at posting worthless threads, especially when I‘ve had a few cold ones. I did sift through many pages of search results to make sure this hadn’t been posted in the past.. didn’t see anything like it, but I may have missed it. Given that, figured what the hell.

As I was waiting on the baseball game, I started flipping channels. I eventually stopped on Triple D on the food network. They were visiting Hofbrau Beerhall in Miami which caught my eye, so I stopped to watch. Seeing the beer and food they offered triggered some deep memories. I was privileged enough to have spent some of my earlier years living in Germany (Nuremberg). Beautiful country with a crazy amount of history! It was definitely an experience!

We lived in military housing off base and there was a delivery service that delivered cases of beer weekly to our neighborhood. At the time, my dads beer of choice was Lowenbrau (probably because it was the cheapest they had). So, one afternoon after the delivery, I decided to have one. My buddies grabbed one from their dads case as well, and we made a party of it (we were like 12). The next day, we had a school field trip to the Christkindlesmarkt followed by a trip to a model train museum. I was in complete misery! My head hurt soooo bad! That was the worst headache I ever had.. and I’ve never had a hangover headache since (knock on wood). I‘ve always told folks I killed everything in my brain hangover headache wise with that beer.

I‘ve always remembered that experience, like it was yesterday… my first beer. That was 37 years ago! Just curious if that’s the same for others? Do you remember your first beer? Similar to first girlfriend, first kiss, first.. well, we’ll leave it at that.

 

[Broken Crow]

First one I remember, I was still 4 in 1972: Carling Black Label. There was a picnic or something in my backyard and I was getting my father's beers from a cooler and opening them with my teeth, so I tried a sip and made a sour face which amused him and his friends. One of the clearest early memories I have, and I can even remember the taste.... possibly becaus he died just a few months later.
The beer was 'icky' though and is probably what influenced my palate later in life and drew me toward smaller and better crafted beers.

 

[Big_D]

Well, there I go.. sticking my thread foot in my mouth. So sorry to hear that you’re first had such bad memories to it.

 

[DBhomebrew]

First beer ever... High school, MGD in a wide-mouth can. Not enjoyable at all, didn't finish it, went back to the green stuff.

First beer I partook fully...went to school 20min S of Canada, Labatt Blue in it's blue-striped keg.

First beer I purchased legally... Took the hour drive up to Montreal, pitchers of Rickard's Red at the age of 18.

First craft beer... Otter Creek's Stovepipe Porter on my first brewery tour. Back when Otter Creek made classic styles.

 

[day_trippr]

Almost certainly a can of Ballantine, perhaps their IPA. My dad was a big fan of the brand...

Cheers!

 

[NTBeer]

Like @Broken Crow , it was a picnic with my dad's buddy's and i was 3 or 4. Being Wisconsin in the 1960's, 99% certain it was Pabst as that was their market share at the time.

 

[Kickass]

First beer I tasted, Bud heavy. It was always in a cooler growing up and my dad would always let me take a tug off his beer can. First beer I drank on my own, probably Bud Light? There’s a reason it’s insignificant.

 

[hopjuice_71]

First one I remember, I was still 4 in 1972: Carling Black Label. There was a picnic or something in my backyard and I was getting my father's beers from a cooler and opening them with my teeth, so I tried a sip and made a sour face which amused him and his friends. One of the clearest early memories I have, and I can even remember the taste.... possibly becaus he died just a few months later.
The beer was 'icky' though and is probably what influenced my palate later in life and drew me toward smaller and better crafted beers.

This post brought back some memories. When I was about 5 (1976) I used to finish the last drops of my dad's bottle of beer. It was Charrington Toby in a stubby bottle, brewed by Carling in Canada. I liked it though... ...

 

[Broken Crow]

Well, there I go.. sticking my thread foot in my mouth. So sorry to hear that you’re first had such bad memories to it.

No 'bad'memories there..that happens in all our lives, with me I'm glad to have that memory cause I don't remember nuch else so clearly at that age.

 

[jrgtr42]

This is me at around 2 years old having a sip of my dad’s Molson Brador.
I had several others between then and 21, enough to realize that BMC wasn’t worth the hangover for choking it down. In my middle teens I became aware of microbrews, and there was more to it than those pale yellows fizzy lagers.
My first legal beer was a porter or stout at a brewpub - Coddington Brewing, outside Newport Rhode Island.

 

[lumpher]

Schitz malt liquor when I was maybe 3. I took a sip of my dad's beer when he wasn't looking.

 

[Zambezi Special]

Glad to see there are other young tasters
I must have been 5 or so. Must have been Bavaria.
Whenever we ate an Indonesian meal, my dad would have a 500 ml bottle, my brother (8 years older than me) a 330 ml bottle. I got water.
But my dad would pour his glass and the remainder was for me. Mum didn't really like this, but hey...
I liked the beer, just didn't like the foam, so would wait till most of it was gone

 

[Scottyward]

Probably my dad’s Stroh’s, but, as a teen, Miller & Miller lite Still like a cold Miller lite on Draugft every once in a while.

 

[McMullan]

I can't remember, to be honest. I was about 4 years old and my parents had a party the night before. I got up early, as usual, and found all these unfinished drinks and big opened tins of Badger beer downstairs. I don't think I enjoyed any of them, but I tried quite a few anyway. I've always been open minded. At the breakfast table I was slapping cornflakes on my forehead apparently. Mum freaked out and called the doctor. He soon arrived at the door. After a brief examination he smelt my breath then told my parents I was drunk. He recommended I was put to bed until I sobered up. Apart from that there was the occasional sneaky swig of granddad's bitter down the social club, where he'd turn my lemonade into a bitter shandy, which got stronger the more I drank, the more it got topped up. The first beer I ever made was a 'continental lager' LME kit. Me and one of my school mates made it before his parents got home. We hid it in his garden shed. It was top secret. It was awful. I can still taste it, almost 40 years later. That's how bad it was. Fair play to us, though, we did finish it.

 

[seatazzz]

When I was about 4, my dad started using my services to get him a beer from the fridge if he was busy watching TV or doing work around the house. I'm not quite clear on it, but at one point I must have asked to taste it; I got a sip from the can he had just opened, and I fell in love right there and then. From then on, not every time, but sometimes when I'd bring him a beer I would bring a small rocks glass (I still remember the glass; had gold foil designs), and I would get about a half inch for myself. Spent my youngest years in Utah, so we're talking 3.3%ABV beer, usually it was Burgie. By the time I was 13 or 14, I could have a whole one to myself once in a while. Would take me a while to finish it, but I always did. By that time we were in Washington, and Dad had switched to Budweiser. Didn't have my first "craft" beer until I was well into my 20's (we're talking early 90's here, not much around yet). Loved Moosehead, ex-husband was fond of MGD.

 

[JaggersBrewingCo]

Miller Lite. 14 with my stepfather. I was helping hang drywall and a few other home repairs for that day. We started at 7 am and didn't stop until about 8 that night. He told me that you work like a man, you can drink like a man.

I have never since had another Miller.

 

[MHBT]

View attachment 772205
This is me at around 2 years old having a sip of my dad’s Molson Brador.
I had several others between then and 21, enough to realize that BMC wasn’t worth the hangover for choking it down. In my middle teens I became aware of microbrews, and there was more to it than those pale yellows fizzy lagers.
My first legal beer was a porter or stout at a brewpub - Coddington Brewing, outside Newport Rhode Island.

Back when parents were parents, this doesn’t happen any more sadly, i grew up in a italian family and was allowed a small glass of wine or a “nip” of beer at dinner even prepubescent look at me now? im not a alcoholic oh wait

 

[Beermeister32]

I think I was in the 7th grade, I packed off with a can of my Dad’s beer and hid it down in the basement shop. We had a workbench and paint cans, garden stuff. Easy to hide a can of beer there. Probably was a can of Miller, I remember the gold colored can.

So a week or two went by while I was waiting for a time when my parents and siblings were all out of the house at the same time to test if I liked beer. Not easy in a house of 6 people.

Finally, everyone was gone, and I reached up to find my hidden can of beer up on the shelf behind the snail bait and spray paint cans.

I pulled it down, yes it was warm, I popped the can open and took my first chug of warm domestic fizzy yellow lager, right out of the can. It was the worst thing I’d ever tasted!!!

 

[SiriusStarr]

It wasn't the first time I drank the entirety of a bottle/can myself, but the first time I ever remember tasting beer was when my father let me try some of this:

It was way too bitter to my young tastebuds and I couldn't imagine why anyone would ever want to drink beer.

 

[FloppyKnockers]

I had a few sips of beers growing up from family, but never knew their names. My first beer all to myself was a 40 oz of Crazy Horse malt liquor. I was about 13 years old, hanging out with my friends. I know I was supposed to like it, but it tasted like ass. The smell/taste of any malt liquor always brings me back to those times.

 

[bwible]

View attachment 772205
This is me at around 2 years old having a sip of my dad’s Molson Brador.
I had several others between then and 21, enough to realize that BMC wasn’t worth the hangover for choking it down. In my middle teens I became aware of microbrews, and there was more to it than those pale yellows fizzy lagers.
My first legal beer was a porter or stout at a brewpub - Coddington Brewing, outside Newport Rhode Island.

That should be your avatar. I wish I had a picture of me drinking beer at around 2.

 

[Brewbuzzard]

I can't remember but it was most likely a Falstaff, that's what Pop drink.

 

[wepeeler]

I remember sipping the excess beer from the lip of my dad's Coor's Light cans when we went to our Summer cottage. I hated it, but thought it was so cool, because my dad drank it! I was probably 8 or 9. He was drinking Coor's Light, the Silver Bullet, before it became popular with the college kids! He said he used to make beer runs West of the Mississippi to bring back cases of regular Coor's, because they didn't distribute to the East.

My first real full beer was most likely Bud Light on draft well underage at a bar. 25 cent wings and beer from 5:30 to 6:30 on Tuesdays. Got sick so many times lol...

 

[porterguy]

Blitz…Mom was from from Wisconsin. Didn’t care for it. Never liked lagers until the last 6-7 years after I tried some craft lagers. Now I’ll consider one now and then.

 

[porterguy]

Oops, that was “Blatz”, which really was a beer in Wisconsin.

 

[Brewbuzzard]

I'm originally from Southern Illinois and I remember Blatz. Wow want a blast from the past.

 

[Rish]

First one I remember, I was still 4 in 1972: Carling Black Label. There was a picnic or something in my backyard and I was getting my father's beers from a cooler and opening them with my teeth, so I tried a sip and made a sour face which amused him and his friends. One of the clearest early memories I have, and I can even remember the taste.... possibly becaus he died just a few months later.
The beer was 'icky' though and is probably what influenced my palate later in life and drew me toward smaller and better crafted beers.

That is the only beer I've ever had that I couldn't finish the whole can!

 

[Sam_92]

My first beer was a Rainier that was offered up by my coworkers sitting around a campfire when I was 18. I didn't like the taste but I like the fuzziness I felt in my brain. After that I was always trying to get somebody to buy me some beer but nobody would so I started homebrewing.

 

[NTBeer]

Oops, that was “Blatz”, which really was a beer in Wisconsin.

Blatz was my grandmother's beer!

 

[Bluekat]

Genesee Cream Ale. Still one of my favorites.

 

[BeerAndTele]

First sip was when I tried some of dad's Old German. He used to drink it with lunch on Saturdays. I thought it was awful. Late in life when his memory was failing, I asked him if he remembered drinking Old German and he did not (he drank several different macros back in those days) ... but I still recall the little guy with the lederhosen on the cases of beer on the basement shelves.

 

[rmr9]

My first beer was a Molson XXX. I used to go up to the Bruce Peninsula with a good friend and his family every summer. One year we were finally allowed some beer so a Molson XXX followed by la fin du monde the next night.

 

[Spartan1979]

My father drank Meister Brau. He'd let us have a sip, so that would have been my first beer.

 

[Softailrider]

Hamm’s

 

[dwightr8]

Growing up in the Pacific Northwest, it had to be one of three - Rainier, Olympia, or Heidelberg. That was all there was!

p.s. Thanks for starting this thread. It's brought back a lot of memories.

 

[MugsWorth]

Hamm’s

Ahh, the Beer refreshing
I still drink this

 

[MugsWorth]

When I was about 8 or so, In Cleveland, my Gramps would drink P.O C. It was horrible, he'd let me have a sip if I gave him a back rub sitting on top his recliner. P.O.C. stands for Pilsner on Call, not P@#$ on Cleveland, but we always laughed about it anyways.
Good Times..miss him too.

 

[OakIslandBrewery]

My father drank Meister Brau. He'd let us have a sip, so that would have been my first beer.

My dad drank Meister Brau too. I was a little afraid to bring it up as I didn't think anyone out there would know of it let alone say they tried it. It was a staple in our house so it was always available. Glad those days are over.

 

[Roxhambrewshed]

Had a Schooner lager as my first beer when I was twelve.

Great summer vacation visiting family in Nova Scotia and Prince Edward Island.

 

[AZCoolerBrewer]

I made a conscious decision that I wanted to try some alcohol. 15 or so invited to a party. I think it was coors light. 3 beers in wrestling with my buddy caved in the hosts wall. Par for the course I guess. Can’t share what happened with the second round.