This article is for all you beer lovers! You can turn into a pro beer taster in under five minutes by sticking to the end of the article.

Do you remember when you were at a club/pub ordering your first beer, not knowing the names or what to expect from a pint? Due to a plethora of options in front of you, we bet you would’ve struggled to choose the best craft beer among the lot.

Thanks to the revolution of craft beers that is slowly consuming the beer industry and providing quality beers with high alcohol percentages to its customers. However, if you’re choosing which craft beer to choose from, here is a guide for you!

Steps for craft beer tasting

Gone are the days when you open the most popular can of beer and chug the entire drink! Instead, you ought to know specific terminologies and steps to fully appreciate a craft beer-tasting session.

Pour

It is best to pour it into a glass to take advantage of your beer-tasting session. You can ask for a pint or standard glass to pour your beer into. Make sure you tilt the glass to a 35-degree angle and pour it has minimal broth.

Swirl

Once you’re done pouring, swirl it a tiny bit. It does not mean you slosh your drink on your clothes, but give it a slight swirl to check the head retention. Does it disappear instantly, or does it retain well even after you swirl it?

craft beer tasting

Smell

Once you gently swirl the beer in your glass, make sure to note the aromas and take good three sniffs of the beer with your mouth slightly open. It is also crucial at this point that you’re not sitting anywhere with strong odors around you. You can note your drink’s strong and weak aromas when you do the smell testing.

Drink

Now is the moment of truth- it is best to take a tiny sip of the beer and slowly gulp it down. However, since craft beers have a slightly higher percentage of alcohol, you should take it slow and avoid chugging the entire drink in one go! Instead, take two to three sips, take a small bite to eat, and slowly enjoy your drink.

Beer Tasting Terminologies

Use the right vocabulary when you go for beer tasting, especially if you wish to look like a pro! Here are some of them:

  • A bouquet which Is the overall aroma of the drink
  • Big which is referred to the beer with a higher percentage of alcohol or flavors
  • The Head is the foamy part of the beer
  • Round is a term used for a balanced beer
  • This is used for those beers that lack density, complexity, or flavor