The news of Rogue Brewing closing definitely hits hard. I know craft beer is going through some tough times, but this one stings a little extra.
My craft beer journey began with this bottle of Rogue Dead Guy. I bought it the day I turned 21 in May of 1996, just looking for something different than the same old beers I’d been drinking. I was officially 21—time to level up.
I found that bottle at what was then Sav-A-Center (now Rouses), and the moment I saw that skeleton sitting on a barrel, I knew I had to try it. It was the coolest beer label I’d ever seen.
I took it home, put it straight into the fridge (it was sitting warm on the shelf 🤣), and once it hit perfect coldness, I cracked it open and drank it straight from the bottle. That one beer changed everything. It showed me what craft beer could be, and it kicked off a journey of trying every new beer I could get my hands on. There is no Beer Buddha without it. My career in the beer industry doesn't exist without it.
I have no idea how many beers I’ve had since that day—probably thousands—but I’ll never forget the first. And yes, I still don’t know why that bottle said 1996 on it.
Thanks, Rogue. 🍻
