Hi, I'm new here; I've haunted this site for years to look for new beers to try and read reviews, but I've never created an account or posted anything before. I have a question I've been struggling with finding an answer to, surrounding developing a limited tasting menu. Basically, I'm running a women's tournament at my curling club for the second year in a row (yes, the ice sport with the brooms). The first year we did a wine tasting one night, and this year we're replacing that with just giving every participant a voucher for one free beer flight (we'll alternate that each year so every other year is a "wine" year or a "beer" year). The problem is, my club is TINY. We have barely enough room for two small kegs in a kegorator so that we can have 2 beers on tap at any given moment, and everything else is bottles. There's nothing we can do to increase that capacity, and a friend who works in a brewery told me to not even consider putting kegs out on our ice sheet with party taps, because party taps don't give a proper taste to the beer. So, my co-coordinator and I decided it would be okay to let people order flights of beers that we stock in bottles (or that we may specially stock for that weekend). If two people order the same beers at the same time, those beers can be divided between the flights, but any bottle that sits half full for more than 15 minutes or so just gets dumped (I know. It's alcohol abuse). BUT because we're doing it that way, we don't want to allow anyone to order any 4 beers they want that the club carries; there's too much potential there for a ton of wasted beer. So I was thinking of developing a limited tasting menu. We have flight sets for 4-glass flights (5 oz. glasses), and I thought that with a flight of 4, a menu of 10 or 12 options would be sufficient. But if I'm going to limit everyone's options that much, what should I put on offer? Obviously, some light, some dark, etc. I know I need a stout. I'll definitely include a sour. But beyond that? What would give me variety, some interesting choices, but also enough of similar types for people who "aren't beer gals" and only like lighter beers, etc. (I hate to stereotype my own gender and it certainly isn't true of me, but keeping in mind that this is a women's event and a large amount of women are picky about their beer)? Not looking for any specific suggestions at this time, just beer styles (e.g., suggesting "stout" is enough, no need to debate the merits of Left Hand Milk Stout vs. Founders Breakfast Stout). Any suggestions welcome, and thanks!
In a perfect world, I'd say: 2 lagers (one being a pilsner) 1 dunkel or hefeweizen 2 pale ales 1 one brown or amber ale 1 single ipa 1 double ipa 1 porter 1 stout 2 sours (one light one darker) Cheers!
Rent a jockey box or two, and pour draft beer. Don't even mess with bottles. Your buddy at the brewery should be able to help you with both the beer and the jockey boxes.
Maybe you're offering too much choice? Why not give participants the choice of flight a or flight b and those are predetermined by you? Each one could be structured similarly - light and easy drinking (craft pils?), entry sour or maybe a pale Belgian style, something hoppy but not too assertive, and then a darker beer. Sly Fox pikeland pils Cuvée des Jacobins Rouge Carton Boat (see you're in Jerz) Founders Porter ? Just a thought.
Seems like it would be cheaper and easier to book a dinner/lunch at a local brew pub and have them deal with this. Do you have anyone close that you could take everyone to for a meal and allow them to do the beer side? Seems a lot easier.
I liked most posts above mine as solid and likely better advice than mine, but... I would first take a look at the advice of party taps. I think a better suggestion was offered, but I’d consider your patrons’ beer ambitions in this choice. So, if limiting, I’d go lighter for a “sporting event” (sorry, needed quotes for curling)... I’d go 40% Pilsner-like to APA, 30% IPA for those in the majority of craft beer drinker, and fill out with a Belgian wit, a porter and/or stout, and one high gravity beer. Could shift a sour or lighter Belgian into the 40%. Eh, without knowing the club participants desires, this is harder than I’d thought
I think your plan is quite reasonable and considerate. And if you need someone to finish off those half-bottles, we can discuss my visit/flight (no pun intended) from Texas.
If your team members "aren't beer gals" I think you have to be careful here or you will be wasting a lot more than a few half bottles. Think back to when you first got started and choose styles and specific beers based on your own starting experience. A wheat beer brewed with fruit is always considered a gateway style. Or without fruit (think Blue Moon). I'm guessing that anything hoppy should not be considered, and probably anything that is high abv, barrel aged, or sour. Otherwise you stand to lose these ladies for any future beer events. As their tastes develop, then gradually introduce at future tastings the styles that I mentioned above.
Maybe things framiliar and some maybe not. A good Lager or Pils. Maybe a Hefe. A Brett funky IPA if there's one available. A fruited sour. Maybe a Gose if you can't find a sour. Some type of Belgian inspired Ale. Ive loved Ode Bruin.
I'd include a few stouts, some IPAs, some kind of sour, a Pilsner, and a Hefeweizen maybe also include a American pale wheat they're very approachable for non beer people.
I recently curated a tasting where there were a good number of people "aren't beer gals,." From that group, the only beers that went over well were Westbrook Key Lime Gose and New Glarus Raspberry Tart & Serendipity. So I am going to suggest fruit beers, mild stouts and maybe an English pale. Good luck
