Keeping Your Craft Beer Crafty: Part 4 - A Beer Tasting

Perhaps the most important aspect of drinking quality beer is the social aspect. And now that you know the dos and don’ts of storing, serving, and tasting craft beer, it’s time to invite your friends over and hold your very own beer tasting event.

Make sure to judge appearance too

There are a few options when holding a beer tasting: You can sample different beers in different styles (pale ale, hefeweizen, india pale ale, barley wine, etc.). Or you can taste a whole bunch of beers that are in the same style, like "pale ales" (this is called a "horizontal" tasting). Or you can compare several examples of the same beer from different years (called a "vertical" tasting – this one works best with higher ABV aging ales or vintage-marked labels).

If you're planning to try several different brews, you'll fare better by drinking "samples" of each (say, three to four ounces) instead of whole bottles. Try four-ounce servings, which will allow a standard 12oz. bottle to be shared among three people. Even then, it's probably best not to try more than 10 beers in one sitting as your taste buds won't be able to go much further, regardless of whether the rest of your body can. Be sure to use glasses that leave plenty of room for swirling and sniffing (and which ideally curve in towards the top, to concentrate aromas). Jot down your impressions of each beer's aroma, color, flavor, aftertaste and other qualities.

A line of deliciousness

Finally, if you're sampling beers in the same style, you may want to compare a few at a single time. Consider tasting in "flights" of around three beers, recording your impressions of each. If you're sampling different styles of beer, on the other hand, always start with the lowest-strength, lightest-flavored (and usually lightest-colored) brew. Work your way up to richer, more powerful examples. This way, one beer's flavor won't overpower another's. And remember to have lots of plain, cold water on hand: It will help refresh your palate between brews, as well as keep you from enjoying the tasting too much.

Here’s to craft-brewed happiness… Cheers!