Styles of Beer

Tasting beer as a category is actually a lot of fun in this initial stages. Beer comes in so many different styles and varietals that just about every available flavor is out there for you to enjoy!

When compared to tasting spirits and wine, beer is just a little bit different - especially when tasting beers that cover such a broad spectrum. The best way to taste all of these beers, like all alcoholic beverages, is to place them side by side to see much they differentiate themselves from one another. You’ll begin to notice the small differences in hops, malts and grains, fruits, sourness, texture, and even alcohol content. These all play such an important fact when tasting beer.

Tasting through the offerings of beer below can be a fantastic experience - especially if you love beer! You’ll notice how each style and preparations have incredibly diverse flavors. Beer is also enjoyed when pairing it with different types of food, so think about that while you’re trying out different styles of beer too. Which one goes best with pizza? A cheese board? Maybe with a salad or some food from the grill?

When tasting different styles of beer, think about these comparisons as you make your own mental notes.

- What type of beer is this? (Ale, lager, hybrid, or wild fermentation?)

- Smooth or Rough (Alcohol content!)

- Crisp or Long Lasting? (What texture does it have when you drink it?)

- Is it light and delicate or bold and aggressive?

- Soft or Biting? (How bitter is it? What hops are in here and how many?)

- Is it fruity, earthy, vegetal, malty, sour, dessert-like, or floral?

It would be nearly impossible to taste all of the different types and styles of beer side by side. Not only would it be overwhelming, but your palate would be fried by the end of it. Plus, the amount of alcohol you’d be drinking would be irresponsible, even if you did spit most of it out while sampling.

That being said, we recommend placing these beers side by side and tasting them to get a full spread of the different styles of beer that are out there. The best way to do this is to get several glasses and pour one ounce samples of each. To taste, take a small sip. Then take a second sip and let it swirl around your mouth and tongue before swallowing. Then, take a third sip and repeat step two. Don’t worry, you don’t have to swallow all of these spirits (you can if you want to!). Many of us professionals will swish the spirit around our mouths and then spit it out into a separate receptacle. We always make sure we’re as responsible as possible when tasting spirits so we don’t get inebriated when trying multiple spirits or drinks. Don’t forget! - take a sip of water between each new sample to cleanse your palate!

We’ve acknowledged that you wouldn’t be able to try all of them in one sitting, so we chose a few of our own personal favorites for you to try side-by-side. We apologize if some of these beers aren’t available in your location - our best advice would be to find one in a similar style in your area or maybe try some of these out next time you travel or go on an adventure!

1 - Bavik Super Pilsner, Brewery de Brabandere - Pilsner

2 - Red Stripe, Desnoes & Geddoes LTD. - Lager

3 - Maple Bacon Coffee Porter, Funky Buddha Brewery - Porter

4 - Sour Rosé, Crooked Stave - Wild Fermented Beer

5 - Juicy Freak, Denver Beer Co. - IPA

6 - Stiegl Grapefruit Radler, Stieglbrauerei - Radler

7 - La Folie, New Belgium Brewing - Flanders Red Ale

Want to get extra crazy? Have a friend place them in front of you without you knowing which are which. This is what we call a “blind” tasting because you won’t know what you’re drinking until the very end! This allows for the most non-judgmental tasting approach to find out which is your favorite!