Advice for First Time Craft Beer Drinkers
Flights!
I know not everyone in the world is a Craft Beer Drinker. So… you are in LUCK! Here’s some advice on what to do if you find yourself at a Craft Beer bar/brewery and have no idea what anything on the board even means. I’ll be your guide… follow me.
There will be many different variations on how a place displays what beers they have on tap. It might be digital or it might be old school chalk writing. Each place is different and everything has its own appeal. One of my favorites is a system that keeps track of the weight of each keg and then you know what beer is about to kick and what beer has a ton left in it. Devil is in the details.
Eagle Rock Brewery - Classic Beer Board
What you have to know when looking at the board is just a few items. You got the name of the beer, the style of the beer and then the ABV of the beer. What’s this ABV I speak of? Hmm… I’m glad you asked! Alcohol by Volume! I bet you can figure that one out but it is basically how strong the beer is. Lager/Pilsners are usually under 6%, IPAs hover around 6/7% and then you have Stouts that can go all the way up to 18% and beyond. All these numbers are extremely rough gauges and you will most certainly be able to find a hearty Lager that’s over 6% or an IPA that sits over 10%. That’s just one of the beautiful things about Craft Beer… there are always exceptions to the rules.
After thoroughly analyzing the board you are going to have to ask yourself… how much beer am I looking to drink? Do I want a full pint? A half pour? Or… do I want a full taster flight. OH. You don’t know what a taster flight is? Well… it's basically a sampler tray… but with BEER! You can try 4+ different beers for the cost of a beer or more. This really helps when there’s too many good beers on draft. I am always looking to get a flight if I ever go to a new place.
NOW… what shall you get? Hmm… well that is a tough question. You have a few options. If you have NO idea… I would tend to stick towards your Lagers/Pilsners, your Hazy IPAs and maybe a Sour if they have one. If there are truly way too many options… I would always ask for some recommendations from the bartender! But… when all else fails… trust your gut and I know that you will see something that really sounds/looks tasty and you’ll be fine.
SO… you have beer. Congratulations! You are about to have a delicious elixir that will get the party started! I would highly recommend a few things before you dive in with that beer. Smell that beer! Trust me! It’s one of the things that sadly... most people don't do. But it is sooo worth it. When making a beer… there is a whole part of the brewing process that is just for the aroma of the beer. So unless you want to make a poor brewmaster cry… please indulge and take a whiff of that beer. You can already tell that grizzled bear of a beermaker is smiling.
Now that you’ve got one sensory note… you should drink that beer or I will. Don’t make me come over there and chug your beer. You have been warned. As I was saying… tasting the actual beer. Don’t just throw it back. Let it sit for a moment in your mouth and try to pick apart those flavors. Is that Pineapple? Ooooh… a Piney note? Fascinating! This is the part that can get really fun if your palate is advanced enough. You can start to analyze the whole tasting experience. Are the hops hitting on the front end or the back end? Does the beer just fall after the first taste or does it have an excellent body that just is an adventure? These are the things you can really pick apart if you want to take the time and go on a tasting journey with the beer. Just remember… there are no wrong answers… usually… and drinking beer is supposed to be FUN!
Thank you for coming to my TED talk and that will be $500.
