Rookie Questions

A lot of the answers to these questions will vary wildly depending on the style of beer you buy. The nice thing about beer vs. wine is that the style is generally right there on the label for you, and even if it isn't, finding out whether or not you like it is only going to cost you maybe 10 or 12 bucks rather than 75-100. As far as saving a bottle that has been opened, I wouldn't do it for long, if at all. Oxygen is beer's worst enemy, once the beer is exposed to oxygen it will deteriorate rapidly. The glassware question is easily solved. Don't throw just any beer into a frozen pint glass, if you have some kind of snifter or tulip glass that is usually great for just about anything, if not, a wine glass will do just fine. You should be refrigerating these beers prior to drinking them, but don't overchill them, many are meant to be served a little warmer than your usual light lager. Not being so cold helps to release more aromas and lets you taste the beer as it was meant to be by the brewer. The most important thing is to enjoy the ride, leave the pretense to the wine people!

 

jnuss, welcome to BA. We've all been there, so don't feel overwhelmed. There's plenty of excellent beer out there, and you seem to be on the right path to widening your appreciation.

The larger, 750 ml bottles that were corked likely included Belgian (or Belgian inspired) beers, like Dubbels, Tripels, Quadrupels, and Saisons, (although other styles might be corked as well). Some American breweries do this as well (such as Boulevard). One of the traditional European ways to bottle beers (and wines) that produce high carbonation or are under high pressure is to cork them and wrap a wire 'holder' around it to hold it in place as a safety measure. While in many instances these beers are more expensive, they can be fantastic, wonderfully made world-class brews. If you can find any smaller 12oz bottles of the same things, I would advise you to try those first in case you don't really care for them so you don't waste your money on the big ones. If you do decide to buy one of the big ones, post a question here, and name the specific brew, and I'm sure you'll get all kinds of advice on how to open, optimal temperature, and proper glassware.

Good luck, I hope this helps. Cheers !!!!!

 

This is a good place to start, it answers many FAQs: http://www.beeradvocate.com/beer/101/ Cheers!

 

Welcome! You can use expanding wine stoppers to seal a bottle for the next day but i would recommend stronger beers for that.

 

Wine bottles stopped telling you what kind of wine it's containing?

 

If a beer bottle says "American IPA" you can pretty well know what to expect, and for a few bucks, you can find out whether or not it is one that you like. For a bottle of wine, depending on the producer, it could be a blend of several different grapes, aged in any of a number of different casks and produced in any number of different styles. And you have to throw down quite a bit more money to figure out exactly what is going on in that bottle. Sure your standard grocery store wine is still going to say Pinot Grigio on the front, but beyond that it can be an expensive crap shoot.

 

You can find some very nice beers in the four dollar and under price range. Not sure why but stouts really come to mind like Storm King and Ten FIDY.

 

Beer styles vary quite a bit, depending on the brewer.

 

Well that all depends on how large your selection is. I have a grocery store chain near me called Harris Teeter and they have a make your 6 pack but the selection is awful. But you go somewhere like Total Wine and can have a field day. Thats where I actually started after I turned 21.

 

Sure, but like I said, it's only going to cost you a couple of bucks to find which ones you like, versus shelling out 50 bucks for a bottle of vino that may or may not be worth it. 50 bucks can buy quite a bit of great beer.

 

Not really higher quality, in my experience price and quality have very little to do with each other.

 

I see what you're getting at now.

 

Beer does not get a different name when it is in a wine bottle. However, the types of beer that get put in 750mL bottles is usually from styles with higher ABVs and are good for cellaring (like quads or imperial stouts). Not an absolute rule, though.

 

Typically beer sold in larger bottle or "bombers" are from breweries that produce smaller quantities of a given beer than what you will normally see in 4 and 6 packs. Also for some breweries that are brewing small batches it is also more economical for them to use these bottles than to buy expensive machinery for producing 4 or 6 packs of cans or bottles. Typically the cost to produce these beers is more than your large distribution beers because of the cost of the ingredients or how it is aged and hence the higher price per ounce. If you are looking for certain styles such as lambics or barrel aged stouts there will be many more to choose from by buying beers in these larger bottles than trying to find them in 4 and 6 packs.

 

To save yourself time and money, look up the beer on BA before buying it. Even though the bigger beer bottles may look more craft, it doesn't mean they will be any tastier. Stick to beers around 90 points or above. Check to see what reviewers say about the beer and compare it to your palate (i.e. if you don't like bitter beers, stay away from beers boasting bitterness!). I recommended always drinking a beer out of a glass, the flavor does taste completely different. I recommend picking up a standard glass that can be used for all beers-- my go to is my Duvel glass. Also, for all my beers, besides stouts, I always let them chill in a freezer for about 15 minutes after refrigeration.

Finally, don't try and find crazy and exotic beers yet. Stick to classic styles and find what you like. Become more brave and venture out once you feel comfortable with a style. For example, I wouldn't start with a crazy 100 IBU beer. Try a highly rated pale ale (i.e. SN Pale ale) and work upwards from their. At a point you will reach your hoppiness threshold that can guide future beer purchases.

 

I think you know what they meant. If someone didn't know much about wine there's no way they would know what's in a red St. Emilion.

Some beers can be hard to tell as well, but it's not nearly as complicated.