So Many Beers. How to Chose?

Wow . . . that sucks. Buy exclusively 12 packs of cans and their best by date is stamped on the outside of the package. Other than it being a little challenging to find, from time to time, it's always been fresh. The one in my fridge right now is dated for the end of December, fwiw.

 

I don't like to keep too many beers on hand mostly because I don't have much room but also because my tastes change frequently and I just drink to my mood; and there is so much new stuff coming out and I like trying new things. My process is I will usually head to the store with a specific beer on my mind and I will grab that plus something else, usually something I have never had before, or I will hit the mixed section and try new beers.

Or I can do like I did yesterday where I browsed for a while, picked up a few things then said meh and put them back and came home to drink the few beers I had left in my fridge.

 

Great post. I agree completely that simpler is refreshing to re-experience. On my first journey to England in 1971, the pubs had maybe four taps and some bottle choices. I loved trying these new beers, not overwhelmed by options, and enjoying the people as an extension of the lovely ales. The pubs were always very friendly. In Cardiff, Wales the phrase "It's Brains You Want" was everywhere. Brains was the local beer of choice in those days. Americans seem prone to over do things, but pretty damned well for the most part.

 

When in a store nowadays I usually just look for things that sound interesting and different, or that might be good even if it’s not that different. I’ve seen so many hazy IPAs with this and that hop, and so many bourbon barrel stouts, that I don’t even give most of the new ones a try unless I’ve heard good things about it. I know what beers and breweries I already like if I want to get a beer style that’s been tried. There has to be something unique or special about a new beer in a store for me to really want to buy it, and this usually includes ingredients I haven’t tried in a beer yet, like a sour with kiwi fruit, or a stout with licorice and dates, or a French toast stout with lactose vanilla maple syrup and cinnamon. Those I might try, even if they aren’t as good as I hoped. I can usually tell how much I’ll like a beer depending on the style and who brewed it, if it doesn’t have much else going on in it.

 

I usually go to the cold section first, eliminate beers that I know are out of date or don't have a date and try to find styles I enjoy. Then I go to the unrefrigerated section and look at only beers that handle age and room temperature (high abv stouts and the like) hopefully I find enough beer I like, but not so much that the wife gives me a dirty look. A fine balance haha.

 

I hit the beer store every friday after work (or thursday after work if I work friday night) and just wander. I am diligent in checking dates and I'm not a stickler but I pick up within reason.

How much I buy depends on my weekend plans but I look for stuff I know I like that's fresh and new stuff I check on here for reviews. I mostly buy IPAs and big stouts but it depends on what's new. New release and seasonal stuff is a solid pick.

 

I can picture a future here where our fine beer culture becomes more of one with a tradition and its own charms. I think German beer culture very much resembles the way their country is, sort of a large group of folks in a smallish area who mostly resemble each other and share a history very much longer than the USA has even been around. I lived in a neighborhood in Queens, NY many years ago that probably had more diversity than the entire country of Germany. American fine beer culture will resolve to its own thing I'm sure. It's in process now.

 

I usually look for styles I like from breweries I know do a good job.

 

I typically form a plan of some kind, then get to the store and try like hell to stick to the plan and not overbuy.

These plans can be as simple as looking for one new beer for New Beer Sunday (and only ONE beer -- six-pack or less of that one new beer i.e.) or as elaborate as looking for up to five six-packs in five different styles. I will call audibles sometimes, but I always have a good idea of what and how much I'm looking for -- with me, the "how much" part is usually as important as the "what". I don't have a cellar or beer fridge, so it's very easy for me to buy more than I can store in my fridge.

It can be intimidating trying to make decisions at the store. Thinking about it ahead of time helps me a lot, but there are still times I catch myself wanting to buy about 10 cases of beer because there's that much good stuff available.

 

I agree about our growing beer culture identity. It will be largely regional and very diverse. Germany is way less monolithic than many folks imagine.

 

Huh, I've thought of trying that method but it just seems so radical and unreliable.

 

Depends. If it’s a routine grocery shopping we will pick up a reasonably priced 6 pack IPA or APA from Sierra, Stone etc. that both the wife and I can enjoy.
However, when I go by myself to buy beer exclusively, I look for singles and try to represent a wide range of styles and of beers I’ve yet to taste. Proud of my purchases yesterday. The styles I got:
1. Stout
2. Marzen
3. Rauchbier
4. Munich Helles
5. Barleywine
6. Sour
7. IPA
8. APA
9. Strong Ale

 

A really good story would be to pick beer styles that you don't like from lowly rated breweries, and give them fair reviews.

 

I share your dilemma so I made a rule not to buy more than I could carry in one hand.

 

Hahahahaha ... great rule!

I'm much, much better about exercising restraint than I was a few years ago. I've not conciously thought it before, but I think my subconcious rule has been two cases ... as in, my fridge only holds about two cases of beer, so if what's in my grocery cart is going to put me over two cases, something's gotta go back.

But your one hand rule ... that's fantastic.

 

I usually walk into a store and look for (in order):

1. Special releases
2. Seasonal offerings
3. New beers I've never tried before
4. Old favorites

 

Smart man!

 

When shopping at my local stores, I usually know what is new and fresh on the shelf. I'm friends with the employees and they usually send me messages about what is just in. When I'm out of town, I usually look for locals that I know will be reasonably fresh. Or I look for things that I cannot get in my area. I don't really go into a store with a plan per se. I cannot begin to tell you how many times I've walked into a store with intentions of buying everything that is new and local and fresh and instead I walk out with several four packs of La Fin Du Monde. I guess it's just the way I'm wired.