How do you decide what to drink?

I'm in a similar situation to OP, where I live in a 3rd floor apartment and my "cellar" is the bottom cabinet in my kitchen and whatever space in our fridge I can claim.

For me, priority starts with freshness. If I have something hoppy I'll try to drink that first.

I don't drink much on the weekdays, but when I do its usually something I've had before and I know I'll enjoy. The weekends for me are all about trying new beers and reviewing. From there, its usually what I'm in the mood for. I usually try to spread out styles, but it kinda depends on the weather/time of day/what I'm doing. On a day like today where I'm just playing video games and have no plans I won't watch ABV and just dig into whatever catches my eye.

 

Most Toppling Goliath to least Toppling Goliath?

 

Occasion, mood, food pairing

 

I don't have any problem choosing what I'll drink from my regular stuff in the fridge. I'm always either in a definite hop mood or a malty mood, so I grab whichever of those types are closest to the front.

If I'm looking in my 'cellar' fridge I'll usually know ahead of time what I want just because something caused me to think of a certain beer. But if I don't have anything particular in mind, I'll just stare at them until one of them says 'drink me, drink me.' Usually what causes that to happen is that while staring at them I'll think of some BA post that said that this beer or that beer shouldn't be aged past three years, or something like that. You guys help me frequently.

 

I never put much thought into it. I have roughly 300 beers on hand at any time and focus on my hoppy beers first. Depends on my mood, weather, time of day, and if I want something new or something familiar.

 

If I'm at home the hoppy stuff always gets first priority. From there it's just whatever really strikes my mood. Some nights I just go digging in my cellar (the back of a closet like the OP) until something catches my fancy. If I'm at a bar I usually look for seasonal or special release stuff that I happen to stumble into first if nothing like that is available it's just whatever in in the mood for at the moment.

 

Really depends on my mood. Unless a special occasion is upcoming, such as the Super Bowl, then I'll pull some nice things out of the cellar. Otherwise, just depends on what is in the fridge at the time or what season it is. I tend to drink certain styles during the seasons, for example, like winter, more stouts and barrel aged big beer.

 

It really all depends on the season/weather and what I really feel like having. For me, beer is all seasonal and that greatly determines what I'll have. In the winter time i'm found having more stouts, barely wines, old ales and higher abv offerings. Come spring time, I have my traditional BBC Cabin Fever Ale, and then start with some medium ABV Spring beers that aren't as heavy but still carry enough alcohol to keep you warm through the cool spring days. When the dog days of summer arrive, I'm crushing Goose Island 312, SN Pale Ale, Founders and of the like. There are a few bottles that I will buy with the intention of sharing with a friend who would appreciate it or a new beer to try with a fellow beer enthusiast.

Tonight I started it off with SN Celebration and I'll be quickly cracking into some Brooklyn Black Chocolate stout because it'll be colder than a witches tit here in NE CT. The 10% abv will help warm your bones.

 

Let the liquor do the thinkin, Bobandi.

 

If I have four of one style and just one of another, I'll take a couple in a row from the four before having the sole one... I like to try to keep things "balanced."

 

moods

feelings

fleeting moments of appetite

hormones

 

I tend to always drink average beers first and always put highly rated beers on the back burner until I have some good friends to share it with or if a special occasion presents itself. I've been starring at a bottle of Hill Farmstead's Aaron since last August. I just don't wanna drink it cause then I know it'll be gone and I'm gonna want more. I also have a bottle of Prairie/Evil Twin's Bible Belt that I got in a trade about a year ago. I still haven't gotten around to drinking it but I might just have to take it out for the Super Bowl.

 

HORMONES!!!??

 

I mean im not gonna lie, ive opened the fridge and stood there staring before for a good 5 mins trying to decide what to drink. But just whatever I feel like really, no system.

 

I like to jump around a lot so I'll typically settle on 3 or 4 different styles and drink in a rough order of least to most bold, flavor-wise.

 

I've been in that spot where I'm just standing and staring at the beer deciding what to drink...the last time I did this though my wife came by, grabbed a beer, told me to drink that and close the damn door!

 

90% of the time I want to try a porter/stout/ipa that I've not had yet. If I've seen enough people on here posting a beer they like I tend to give those a shot. If a brewery has a sweet label/logo I can also be swayed that day too.

 

On my commute back home, I run through a 'mental' inventory of what I have on hand and most often, I am able to choose a particular beer and/or flight for the afternoon/evening.

 

I love how people always bring up the fact that the higher ABV beers and liquor will "warm you bones;" only to lead to hypothermia and/or frostbite that much faster if you actually have to spend any considerable amount of time outside in that frozen hell (aka the Northeast & the Rust Belt).