So, when you are going to do a tasting, either as a professional or just sitting down with friends and a few bottles - the idea is, to get the best experience in yer mouth as you can - so, what do you do to prepare, and what do you do to maintain? As a side question, what do you do to prepare your nose for a flurry of several beers?
Brush your teeth and tongue 1.5-2 hours before the tasting. Afterward drink two cups of warm/hot water to get rid of the taste blocking chemicals from the toothpaste. Make sure to hold the water in your mouth between gulps and get all the toothpaste out. Drink the beers in the order that will compliment the next beer. Don't eat crackers or drink tea to cleanse the palate, just drink lots of warm filtered water in between beers. Dont pair beer with food.
I have a pretty grueling regimen of mouth exercises I perform daily to build and maintain mouth strength, so that my mouth is a basically a mega-stacked, badass drinking machine. The ladies totally dig it too. I'd tell you my regimen but, sorry, proprietary secret and all that. As far as preparing your mouth prior to an intense session, I'd recommend laying off the exercises and instead knock out some light cardio, stretching, and finally a little reflective meditation. Be sure to make sure your nose is prepared for the coming onslaught: have some Q-tips ready, dip them in the highest quality water you can get (Fiji Natural Artesian bottled water is perfect, but Aquafina will do in a pinch), then vigorously scrub out both nostrils for no less than 3 minutes per nostril. At this point you'll be as ready for your session as is humanly possible! Good luck and God speed!
If this is a serious question, then here's my answer: I do often blow my nose before enjoying a beer, just to make sure I can fully appreciate the aroma. And I always have fresh water at hand while drink. It's as simple as that. Nothing disingenuous in my answer.
