Disclaimer:

Beer has always historically been the working man’s drink. It does not hold the same pretentious or arrogant notions of whisky or wine. So if anyone tells you they refuse to drink Budweiser or Tsingtao, or tell you that drinking Hoegaarden Rosee is ‘lame’ or ‘for girls’, tell them to fuck right off. That’s not what beer’s about. Beer is for everyone however you like it.

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Therefore, there is no wrong or right way to enjoy beer. The following are my opinions that are based upon facts. Taste and looks are subjective so just drink what you like and how you like, and appreciate what you appreciate.

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On that note,

 

Beer serving temperature varies based on where you're drinking it (some regions in the world may not even refrigerate their beer) and what kind of beer you're having. Typically speaking, the darker the beer, the warmer you can enjoy it. I actually like a warmer stout on a cold winter day.

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On that note, try drinking with the season. Try drinking beers based on fruits that are in season, a darker beer on colder days, lighter and fruitier beers on warmer days. Nothing beats a nice lager after some hard physical labor in the heat.

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Also, if you're drinking multiple types of beer, say in a flight, you should drink them in order of flavor intensity: It's easier for your taste buds to adjust to new beer this way. Start with the smoothest/less harsh beers (light lagers > white wheats > pale ales), then work your way up to more flavorful (kolschs, dark lagers > pale ales > light belgians), from there you can move your way up to more higher intensity (porters > dark Belgians > stouts). From here, it is debatable. You can move to either your IPAs or Sours. I typically save sours for last because they really mess with my taste buds, but so do hops!

 

When you start drinking you may have heard when pouring a beer to tilt your glass and pour slowly until you get towards the end and slowly straighten out the glass to create some head.

 

I’m here to tell you that’s not ideal:

You’re not going to release any aroma or get any good head with a glass tilting pour. Pour it heavy from the start (without tilting the bottle/can straight up) with an upright glass. Fill it about a quarter of the way (depending if the beer is bottle conditioned or not), swirl it and add another splash then shove your nose in the glass and take a huge whiff.

 

How does it smell? What kinds of hops are you smelling? What do the malts smell like? Is it toasty? Fruity? Caramel-y?

 

Now sit back and look at the beer. What’s the head look like? Is it frothy? Thick? Thin? White? Brown? Is it sticky? Does it leave lacing as it dissipates?

 

What about the beer itself? What color is it? Black? Yellow? Red? Is it hazy? Cloudy? Bubbly? Clear?

 

Lift it up to the light and see how light penetrates it and what spectrum of colors are visible.

 

One more light swirl of the glass, take another whiff and bring it to your mouth.

 

What’s the MOUTHFEEL like? Does it feel thick? Sticky? Light? Carbonated? Bubbly and playful?

 

How does it TASTE? Is it roasty, earthy, fruity, herbal? Is it balanced? Does any flavor stick out to you? Do you taste alcohol? The hops? A grainy-ness?

 

How is the FINISH? Does a nice flavor linger on your tongue? Do you taste bitterness in the back of your throat?

 

Pour the rest of your glass and ENJOY it, make note on things that stick out to you, that you enjoy or dislike. Make sure that your last sip is as pleasant as your first.

 

The only way to know what kinds of beers you like is to taste many different kinds. The more you drink, the more you know. The more you know, the better your perspective will be. The better your perspective will be, the easier it will be to find a beer you enjoy.

 

And remember: Half of the flavor of your beer comes from the experience you have while drinking it. Drink happy and happy drinking.