Hosting a Beer Tasting Party Articles | Beer

By: J. Morgan

Have you ever been to a beer-tasting party? Would you like to host your own? Beer-tasting parties can be a lot of fun and are considered very trendy. Anyone who loves beer will enjoy tasting different types, having a great time comparing them with friends.

Beer-tasting parties do not take a lot of effort and usually involve a small group of people gathering together just to hang out. When hosting a beer-tasting party, the main thing you need to do is ensure you have a variety of beers to taste.

Tasting beer requires actually drinking the beer (rather than taking one small sip) because to get the full taste, the beer needs to reach the taste buds at the very back of your tongue. Therefore, you have to at least take a few good swigs to really know what the beer tastes like.

Beer Tasting Glasses

Just like with wine, beer tasting requires special glasses. You may have seen the traditional thin beer glasses that are popular with many beer drinkers. While these are great for sitting back with a couple friends and enjoying a cold one, they are not conducive to beer tasting. You see, just like with wine, you need to see and smell the beer as well as taste it to get the full benefits.

This is why it is suggested that you use wide goblet glasses for beer-tasting parties. Goblets are the best type of glasses for this because they allow you to see the color of the beer and smell the aroma before tasting it for the full effect.

Setting up the Beer Party

When sitting up a beer-tasting party, you need to have the beer set up in order of flavor. You need to start with the lightest flavor first, finished off with the heaviest-flavored beer. You should also place the beer with the highest alcohol content as the last to be tasted.

Check your beer glasses to make sure they are completely clean to prevent anything from interfering with the taste. When pouring the beer to be tasted, do not fill the glass more than a third full. Normally, two 12-ounce beers will accommodate up to eight people.

You should have some type of scoring sheet next to the glasses so your guests can rate the beer as they taste them. You also need a beer menu so the guests will know which beer they’re tasting at any given time. It is also important that the guests do not wear perfume or cologne, as these scents will interfere with their ability to smell the beer when tasting. Having water available to sip on between each beer will clean the palate and help enhance the beer-tasting experience. Beer-tasting parties are very trendy and you can be a big hit with your friends by hosting the first of many beer-tasting parties.