What was your Gatewaybeer to craft beer?

[Jwerner23]

I grew up just outside St. Louis so growing up all I drank was AB beers in highschool and my dad only drank Budlight. When I was in college I went to the Schlafly brewery with my brother and fell in love with No. 15. Even today I really like this beer, but I can not get it here, but every time I go home I have to get it. That was the beer that started me trying every beer I see.

 

[Hopinista]

Deschutes Black Butte. Made me realize that not all black beers taste like Guinness

 

[TxBigHops]

I grew up just outside St. Louis so growing up all I drank was AB beers in highschool and my dad only drank Budlight. When I was in college I went to the Schlafly brewery with my brother and fell in love with No. 15. Even today I really like this beer, but I can not get it here, but every time I go home I have to get it. That was the beer that started me trying every beer I see.

Thanks for contributing. My best friend lives in Champagne, Ill and a few years ago we decided to meet up in St. Louis for some golfing and beer drinking. I discovered Schlafly online and looked forward to checking them out. Really awesome brew pub! I especially like their APA and have been back several more time when I go back up there to visit family and friends. I think there is a Schlafly APA clone recipe on here somewhere that I will brew one day.

 

[eatmorefrogs]

It's tough to pin down the gateway beer because it's a slippery slope. That is to say, if you define point A as natty light and point B as a local craft beer, there's some midpoints that are essential but not craft. Craft is a vague term but St Pauli Girl Dark, for example, probably isn't craft. Blue moon isn't craft. Shock Top isn't craft. All played important roles in luring me from the light beer world.

To directly answer the question:
Paulaner hefe
four peaks kilt lifter

 

[TxBigHops]

It's tough to pin down the gateway beer because it's a slippery slope. That is to say, if you define point A as natty light and point B as a local craft beer, there's some midpoints that are essential but not craft. Craft is a vague term but St Pauli Girl Dark, for example, probably isn't craft. Blue moon isn't craft. Shock Top isn't craft. All played important roles in luring me from the light beer world.

To directly answer the question:
Paulaner hefe
four peaks kilt lifter

Just to be clear, the Gateway beer doesn't itself necessarily have to be a craft beer. It's the beer that introduced you to the idea that there is more to the beer world than BMC. Once you become aware of that fact, you can then extend your curiosity to the point where you do discover true craft beer nirvana. A couple of us have discussed Pete's Wicked Ale. I think Pete's is (was?) actually brewed by one of the BMCs. But it's not fizzy yellow beer and therefore clearly qualifies as a Gateway beer. Really the whole point of this is that the Gateway beer very often is not craft beer. It's just better than BMC.

 

[Bill837]

Easy, the year was 1987, the place Mountain View, CA. I was stationed at NAS Moffett Field. The place was a gas station converted to a microbrewery (Whaaa? They make beer here!!! In this same building?, Crazy!!!) called the "Tied House", brochures explained it was a tribute to places of the same name in England, where pubs were "tied" to local breweries because beer couldn't travel long distances.


Wow, looking at Google, place is still in business. Havent been to the Bay Area since I left there in 1990.

 

[TxBigHops]

Easy, the year was 1987, the place Mountain View, CA. I was stationed at NAS Moffett Field. The place was a gas station converted to a microbrewery (Whaaa? They make beer here!!! In this same building?, Crazy!!!) called the "Tied House", brochures explained it was a tribute to places of the same name in England, where pubs were "tied" to local breweries because beer couldn't travel long distances.


Wow, looking at Google, place is still in business. Havent been to the Bay Area since I left there in 1990.

Thanks Bill! So do you remember the actual beer? How did it change your opinion of beer in general, and your subsequent beer drinking habits?

 

[Bill837]

Thanks Bill! So do you remember the actual beer? How did it change your opinion of beer in general, and your subsequent beer drinking habits?

Nope, it was too long ago for that, but I know I had a sampler of six types, I can clearly remember being amazed at the different colors and flavors, washing down some Cajun Blackened Catfish with swallows from each glass.

 

[NickTheGreat]

A combo of Dos Equis and Amberbock. A tiny blonde girl I knew told me that the Dos Equis was better than Busch Light. And it was.

Then I had Amberbock and really liked that. A year or two later, went to a local brewpub and come home with a growler of their Raccoon Red

 

[SurfChris]

Fat Tire about 10 years ago. Drank Miller, Mich, Corona etc, never cared for them but still drank. Then Fat Tire opened my eyes, then too Sierra Nevada, Avery, Tommyknocker etc and dozens of others created the monster I am today lol

 

[Setesh]

For me it was Boston Lager. I had tried the BMC beers and didn't care for them at all. I went on for years thinking that I just didn't like beer. Then a friend got me to try a BL and I loved it! It had flavor! From there I was up for pretty much anything that wasn't an IPA. Eventually though I progressed as most do through a hophead phase, then to sours.

/
Now I like pretty much everything, but prefer session beers most of all. Most of what I brew falls between 2.5%-5% ABV. I like being able to have a few pints and still function normally. Best bitter, 60 schilling, Berliner Weisse, mild, dry stout, kolsch, weizen, etc. Anything I can drink a liter of and not get sauced.
/end

 

[MrNickVT]

Rock art, magic hat and dogfish head are the three that got me started in craft beer!

 

[losMythos]

Going north of Boston quite a bit when I was in my early 20's up to Vermont is what made me aware of the Micro brews. Had quite a bit of Trout river, shed, otter creek, Magic hat etc. Being from Boston Sam Adams and Harpoon were everywhere. Harpoon IPA and Sierra Nevada pale ale were my intro to hoppy beers.

 

[youngpretender13]

The first time i drank any craft beer... On a whim a friend of mine bought me a growler of Rogue Dead Guy Ale. Neither of us had ever had anything like it before. Usually before that we drank Heinekin, Yeungling, Rolling Rock (before they changed over). It was like a kick in the teeth but we drank every bit of it. Granted i was underage at the time many many years ago. But until that point I never knew anything like it existed. I still love a good growler of Dead Guy. Every once in a while my local super market will do a shelf reset and have Rogue Growlers listed for $4.00!!! and of course we grab all of them and proceed to argue with the staff about the listed price. Surprisingly we have won multiple times! Good Stuff, good stuff.

 

[mothershipbrewing]

I started going to the Pittsburgh location when I was 19 with my Dad & Uncle, probably around 2000 and would get served because I was with "The old guys". I went there with them frequently enough that the Bartenders/Servers got to know me and would serve me on my own too after a while. No questions asked. It was awesome. They didnt know and never cared enough to check me.

I started working there in 04/2005 as a cook. After 3 years of doing that they were going to promote me to Assistant Brewer. 2 weeks later after that, they closed the place. What a kick in the nuts.

I still miss that place like crazy.

 

[Transamguy77]

I used to drink whatever was in a can and came in a 30 pack and didn't have lite in the name. I had expressed with an old neighbor of mine that I wanted to know more about beer and how to make it so I could explore different kinds of beer without buying a case of something and not liking it (I live in Pa and didn't know bottle shops existed).

For Christmas that year I was gifted a Mr Beer with 3 more refill packs, that was my gateway into craft beer AND home brewing.

 

[hlm123]

I always remembered my family drinking SN and Guinness, so when I started buying beer that's what I picked up. I can remember what my gateways were to particular styles, but probably the first craft beer that really blew me away was Old Rasputin.

 

[Zepth]

Though I've never been a BMC guy I've always had a reasonable variety of commerical brews. Rickards was a long time favourite, Guinness and Kilkenny near the top of my preference. I suppose the first time I really "got" the craft beer would be picking up a Mill Street 6 sampler pack from the liquor store and that great things can be made between work and home. Things quickly spiraled out of control.

 

[NTXBrauer]

I made the transition in the early 90s with drinking Shiner and Celis White.

 

[SeeAliceBrewery]

Yeungling Black and Tan....still my favorite commercial craft brew to this day!

 

[laiced]

The gateway beer that got me into beer was Newcastle. After that, I wanted to try more dark beers, and that lead to my gateway into craft beer, which was New Holland's Dragon's Milk. Magic Hat #9 was also influential.

 

[drainbamage]

While not craft beers, Amber Bock and Newcastle were my gateways to non-fizzy yellow beers. Amber Bock in particular stood out because I remembered my dad getting a 6-pack once when I was young, as opposed to his usual BL or Old Milwaukee Light. He let me try a sip of one, and that was the first beer I remember actually enjoying the taste of instead of just making a face. Once I got old enough to getting my own beer, I made a point of buying it.

I was not at all a fan of hops early on (which I've thankfully grown out of). I recall the early days where I though Boston Lager was too hoppy.

 

[Kee]

Before trying Duvel in Belgium (at my stepson's insistence) I was primarily a wine drinker.

 

[CBMbrewer]

I used to drink miller high life and yuengling like water. I started drinking allagash white every time I went to the local beer bar and it went from there. Ironically, now I wouldn't bother with allagash white but will still enjoy a yuengling occasionally.

 

[iamwhatiseem]

Back in the mid 90's I was near OshKosh, WI.
We went to have dinner at Fox River Brewpub...before the waitress came I saw several people drinking this reddish colored beer. I had never seen beer that color, only the fizzy yellow color and Guiness Stouts.
So I ordered one.
That was it. As so many folks have said "i didn't know beer could actually taste good"
From that day forward, I have never drank a Bud Light again.

 

[dangerbrew]

Switchback in Vermont. Still so good.

 

[MrNickVT]

Switchback in Vermont. Still so good.

IMO it's not as good as it used to be. It's also better on draft then from the bottle.
Maybe I've just had it so many times it's become okay.

 

[dangerbrew]

IMO it's not as good as it used to be. It's also better on draft then from the bottle.
Maybe I've just had it so many times it's become okay.

Always on draft - I've never even had it from a bottle before. Maybe that's just because they didn't have a bottling line until I already graduated from UVM and went back home. I definitely miss it a lot - the nostalgia I have for Switchback and Long Trail is quite longstanding.

Separation makes the heart grow fonder, eh?

 

[brandonman]

Spaten. Back when I was something like 17 or 18, my Dad and I went to his friend's house for New Year's Eve for Euchre and beers. This guy is a craft junky. An odd fellow, but still awesome in the beer regard. Ended up sampling...um... a few... drinks... And having Spaten be my jumping point off of humongous American Commercial breweries.

 

[adamelb]

From my earliest drinking days I preferred Sam and Guinness to the light lagers. It wasn't until a friend brought a growler of Lake Placid's Ubu to a poker game that I really went off the deep end. Love the draft version of that beer to this day, and am forever indebted to my buddy for sharing that with me and later on his interest in homebrewing.