Remembering How to Enjoy Beer

We should enjoy it the way it was meant to be enjoyed - 1 barrel at a time!!!

 

Why is this an article? Not everyone is a brewery to analyze the beer and get a perfect feel for the beer. Sometimes you just want to try several different beers. Amazes me that someone would care enough about what others order to write an article on this.

 

I completely agree. Props to the author, a well worded and incisive article. Samplers cheapen the beer drinking experience.

 

This article comes off very pretentious to me. The author seems to think that his way is the only way to enjoy beers and is looks down on us lowly schmucks who purchase flights.

Personal anecdote; I have 2 kids under the age of two, which means I don't get out nearly as much as I used to. So when I'm lucky enough to visit a taproom, I'll consume minimum 3-4 pints.

Prison City is a local brewery to me and they normally have 6 of their house beers on tap. They offer four 5oz pours for $20, which is much more per ounce than if you were to buy a single pint of one of their beers. But when I'm out for beers, I'm much more concerned about my enjoyment than I am about calculating the price per oz. So I always start with their flight and then buy another 2-3 full pours after that.

Last time one of my 5oz pours was their barleywine. It was so good that I ordered it again as my first full pour. Barleywines are normally not a style that I enjoy, so if my only option to try it initially was a full pour, I would have instead opted for one of their world class sours or IPAs because they are styles that I am much more fond of. Thus missing out on a great beer.

 

While I see and understand where the author is coming from I think it may be a just a little to general. I make use of samplers somewhat often...as others have mentioned...I don't get out to a lot breweries and restaurants these days with having little ones so a sampler is a great way to see what a new brewery is all about, I feel like in a 5oz pour you may not get the "full" experience of a beer...but in my experience it can get you pretty dang close. I've done the sampler then ordered a full serving of my favorite many times and I think that is a great way to drink when trying new places especially when traveling...but to each their own!

As others have stated a 8 oz or half pour is always awesome, and I think a lot could be said for places that use glassware with their samplers that allows you a better drinking experience than the typical "mini shaker pint" sampler glass filled to the brim.

 

Why can't I enjoy beer how I enjoy it, while you enjoy beer how you enjoy it?


I'll do me, you do you. Just don't worry about me doing me and all will be okay.

 

How the F is this article "pretentious"?!! It is advocating for the exact opposite- enjoy your beer as it was meant to be enjoyed. I had a friend way back when who kept us all honest; "too much thinking, not enough drinking" is what he would say. We all need to hang out with guys like that on our group, and that's what Andy is doing here. Great job, Andy, even though it seems to fall on deaf ears.

 

How do you know how it was meant to be enjoyed?

 

Gosh, wish I read that article yesterday. Unfortunately last night we went out with some friends and over samplers and conversation one dedicated bud light drinker decided she liked Altbier and another friend tried sours for the first time and liked them more than the pint of IPA he'd normally go with.

If only I knew this was impossible, my two friends wouldn't have had to enjoy a couple full pours apiece of beers they'd never try without having a sampler first.

 

The brewery should've kicked them out immediately for even asking. You should only enjoy a beer the way the brewer wanted you enjoy it. If the brewer thinks you should enjoy it out of an old 1995 New Balance running sneaker that's the way you enjoy it.

 

The way a beer should be enjoyed is exactly how a person wants to enjoy it.

 

Here here! The way beer is meant to be enjoyed is the way YOU enjoy it. Everyone has their opinion, it doesn't mean its right for everyone. This guy gets it! Well said lionelhutz23!

 

8oz pour into a 10oz glass is about right for me to sample a beer. 5oz barely works,...

 

Couldn't agree more. My favorite brewery (Beachwood) does this and it's the obvious solution. I'm a big believer in head and warming up the beer. But, I like to try several different beers. You're sacrificing some selection, but gaining the intention of the beer. Perfect compromise.

One of the best articles I've read about beer in a while. Great choice BA!

 

Its not about ticking or checking a box for majority of people. I provided rationale for small pours further down in paragraphs 2 & 3 of my post.

I agree that no on really enjoys a small pour beer over a more standard sized pour.

It's the equivalent of a touring a vineyard/winery. You do the tastings across all their wines offered, then decide what wine you liked and maybe buy a bottle to drink on premise or take home. Brewery visit is exactly the same but with a different beverage called beer.

 

We can agree to disagree, then. That's cool.

 

I feel like this article is lecturing people to drink the way the author wants them to. When I visit a new brewery I often do samples to kind of "feel out" their lineup. Most places I go to, I only find 1-2 beers that I really enjoy. How would I find these gems if I only drink 1 MAYBE 2 full sized glasses?

I do understand that it's more work for the bartender, so I try and keep that in mind when I am deciding what to order.

 

I'm bad at flights. I tend to drink them faster than I would a full pour and I tend to drink across the flight, mixing flavors, rather than finishing each off in order (I get excited). For those reasons I stick to half or full pours.

 

I never comment on articles, but I had a feeling that there'd be a heated debate here. Perhaps his sentiment isn't intentionally pretentious (just relax and have a pint), but the prose sure is.

It brings to mind a burger place I frequented when I lived in Los Angeles. Awesome food, great tap list, but they outlawed ketchup, deciding that their burger was best enjoyed without it. Guess what? Their burger was fine, but their fries screamed for it. I stopped going to an otherwise great spot for such a silly reason.

As others have said, a flight is a great primer. Upon visiting a new brewery I typically grab a flight that sounds interesting (my girlfriend gets her own, so we really get to sample the spectrum) and afterwards I'll order a full pour of my favorite. That way I get the quantity and the quality of the tasting experience.