Now that you know how to execute the perfect pour and what type of glass you should use for each particular style of beer, lets move onto the fun part: drinking and enjoying it. There's no
wrong way to drink beer, mind you. But there are steps you can take that will allow you to get the most out of your beer.
There are four major categories you should break each beer down into:
- Appearance
- Smell
- Taste
- Mouthfeel
You don't have to turn it into a science experiment but taking the time to analyze each of these aspects will give you a fuller appreciation and understanding of your beer. So let's get started.
Step 1 - Observe: Now that the beer is in a glass, hold it out in front of you. What color is it? Is it clear? Hazy? Is there a lot of carbonation (bubbles)? How much foam is there? Is the foam thin and wispy or dense and rocky? What color is the foam? The appearance often lets you know what you're in store for.
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| Don't just stare at it, ya dingus. Drink it! |
Step 2 - Smell: This is the one aspect of beer that I don't think enough people appreciate. It sounds funny but I rarely see people smell their beer and I can't stress enough how important it is. By not doing this you're missing out on aromas and flavors that may not be present in the taste of the beer. After a few sniffs, swirl your beer and smell again. Like wine, this releases and enhances the aromas. It also re-stimulates carbonation, adding a visually appealing cap of foam back to your beer. To me, a beer's smell is just as important as its taste. In some cases, the aroma is the highlight and may actually compensate for a lack of (or a disappointing) flavor.
Step 3 - Taste: After a healthy whiff, take your first sip. Let it roll around in your mouth, touching on all the different taste receptors of the tongue. Some beers are very complex and can contain a wide array of flavors. Beeradvocate.com suggests a technique referred to as "retro-olfaction", also used in wine tasting, which is the act of exhaling through your nose while tasting. This essentially results in you smelling and tasting your beer at the same time, intensifying the beer's flavors. Other things to take note of while tasting are the mouthfeel (a beer's consistency) and the finish. A beer's finish is crucial as it has the power to make or break a beer due its flavor and how long it lingers on the palate.
Tip: try not to drink beer at too cold of a temperature. This results in temporary taste insensitivity. Which explains why macro breweries like Coors always want you to drink their beer brain-numbingly cold: so you can't actually taste how shitty it is. No offense to fans of cheap light beer.
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| Just your typical beer "flavor wheel" |
As you get more interested in beer, you'll want to start taking notes while drinking. Granted you might not always have the opportunity but this will help you keep a history of the beers you've tasted and you'll learn pretty quickly what you like and don't like. Although your taste buds will most likely evolve over time, your sense of taste can also be fickle. You might love a particular beer one day and the next week be disappointed. This could be due to many different factors that can be hard to pinpoint. You could've been congested or had a dry nasal passage, you could've burnt your tongue the previous day, you could've eaten something really spicy beforehand, etc. etc. Try to be aware of these things so you don't unfairly judge a beer.
While all of these things will surely enhance your beer tasting experience, the best way to enjoy beer is with fellow beer-loving friends and family. Drinking alone is never as much fun as sharing new bottles with people who appreciate beer in the same way that you do. I have regular beer tastings with my dad and a huge part of the fun is discussing the beer and comparing notes. If you don't have a go-to beer drinking buddy, find a local tap room or brewpub. One thing I've noticed is how enthusiastic and friendly a lot of people are at places like these. Half Acre Beer Co. in Chicago and Solemn Oath Brewery in Naperville, IL are two tap rooms that only serve beer and there's no loud, obnoxious TVs blaring in the background. They're strictly places for people to drink good beer and have good conversation. And in today's age, that's refreshing. In more ways than one.
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