Step 1
Get into the mindset that quantity does not equal equality. While many people prefer drinking several cans or bottles of beer in one sitting, good beer is meant to be sipped and appreciated, much like a glass of fine wine. Besides, some of these beers are more than 20% alcohol... so it may not be the wisest thing to down several bottles of those beers.
Step 2
Find a good liquor store that stocks craft beers. Some of the bigger craft beer companies include Dogfish Head, Stone Brewing Co, and Sierra Nevada. This is not a comprehensive list. In fact, some of those brands may not be available where you live as they may not have distributors in that region. Don't worry though... there are many more to choose from.
If you have no idea what you are doing, you may want to search online for tips (Beer Advocate is a good starting point) or if you feel the store employees know what they are talking about, ask them.
Step 3
Figure out what style of beer you like. If you don't know, try to try a different style of beer each time you buy sometime, either from a store or from a bar. There are Porters, Stouts, Lagers, India Pale Ales (IPAs), Lambics, Belgian, etc... If you need help, again look online or ask someone who knows a little about beer.
Step 4
Buy the right glasses for your beer. Much like how different types of wine have different glasses, different types of beer have different glassware as well. This is to enhance certain characteristics of the beer, such as smell.
Step 5
Pour your beer. There is a proper technique to pouring beer. First, hold your glass at a 45 degree angle. Then pour your beer into the center of the glass. Once the glass is about halfway filled, return it to a 90 degree angle (as if the glass is sitting on the table) and pour the rest of the beer in. This technique is meant to allow for some foam to appear on the top of the beer. This is called the "head" of the beer.
Step 6
Before you begin drinking, take some time to observe the beer. First, look at it. What color is it? Is it clear or very dark?
Next, give your beer a little swirl in the glass and take a sniff. How does it smell like? Does it smell hoppy? Fruity? Like coffee? Different beers will have different characteristics in their smell due to the different ingredients used.
Finally, taste your beer. Do you taste any of the smells you noted earlier? Is it very carbonated or smooth? Easy to drink or heavy?
Step 7
Start a journal with the different beers you've tried and your notes on the smell, taste, and look. You can even rate it as well.
Tips & Warnings
- Figure out what temperature you need to serve your beer. If it is too cold, you will not taste much of anything as the smell molecules will be more inert. You may want to keep track of how a beer tastes as you sip it.
- You may notice different things as it starts to warm up.
- You may want to drink and compare your findings with a friend. They may catch things you did not.
- If you do not like beer or are with someone who does not like beer, let them try a lambic beer. They are very sweet and almost juice-like. Lindemann makes several varieties; I recommend Pomme (apple) and Peche (peach).
- Don't forget to exercise. Beer has a lot of calories and if you are not careful, you will see your weight begin to climb.
How to Be a Beer Snob originally published on
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