How do you decide what to drink?

Often times the biggest factor is which beer needs to be consumed freshest. I'll grab an IPA instead of the Imperial Stout.

 

It's a great problem to have! Right now my cellar is running about half and half with IPA's and stouts, so I am drinking up the IPA's unless a stout really jumps out at me. Abrasive being fresh and easy to get really makes that an easy decision for me right now.

 

I still don't understand how people have beer piling up. I limit myself to $20 bucks out of each pay check and that only allows me a drink or 2 for the weekends (I've had expensive tastes lately though). How much are you folk spending weekly on beer? Any way, since I only drink weekend nights I have all week to think about what I want. This weekend barleywine sounded good. I picked up a single bottle of Elysian Cyclops, Three Philosophers, and a bottle of DFH Olde school just to try and have some variety.

 

The workings into my noggin on this are vast and varied. Depends on lots of factors, style of beer, what I am in the mood for, what did I have yesterday, the season.

But one thing is always 100% certain I never have a problem figuring out what to drink..


Ever..

 

My mood. Witchcraft, sorcery. Seriously, just whatever hits me at the time. I rarely drink the same thing in the same 6 month span except during EPL matches each saturday.

To be completely honest, I'm always looking for new beer, so I have to say the beer market almost makes up my mind for me.

 

I let the beer chose me.

 

That is a very dangerous question for me right now, its stout season and if I find something that ages nicely and I wont be able to get in the summer I buy it. If I were to sit down and figure out how much I was actually spending this whole thing would fall apart. Also I have a good relationship with management at the liquor store that i frequent, so if something comes in and i get a call all bets are off haha.

 

The two biggest factors for me are what I am in the mood for and what needs to be consumed. I love IPA's and Stouts so an IPA is good anytime if it needs to be drank for freshness sake. I also like a variety of styles so how long has it been since I have had a style comes into play. Next I will factor in how much alcohol is in the beer. I try to maintain my senses so I stay away from a lot of high alcohol beers in line. Last is what is in the fridge. Never mind what is in the fridge is usually the defining factor.

 

My cellar screams both regular and barrel aged Stouts & Barleywines, Sours, Strong Ales, and Belgian Quads..

I usually begin with an IPA or DIPA, then decide which of the above mentioned appeal most to me at that moment.

 

What highly rated beers?

Why not just drink 1 or 2 a night?

While I am trying to seriously answer your question, I cannot help but laugh some.

So take a picture; so how may beers are we talking actually? I have 4 or 5 on tap all the time now. But I drink allot, so all are going to get drank practically everyday. try getting on untappd and drink with "friends" there.... your problem is one of either too much cash or not enough drinking. So stop thinking so much and just drink the stuff. again you mention highly rated, is that for trade bait? lol

your problem is not a beer problem. its a you need a bigger house with a cellar, so you can visit it and marble at all the beer you have, but are just too confused to drink....

all kidding aside, you really want to drink beer? or just brag about how much you have? have a friggin party, no more beer, problem solved.

or number all your beer and do a random number function on your pc. or just use a web page
https://www.random.org/integers/

cheers!

mood and whats on hand. I never have enough on hand to matter really. but I pefer dark beers. lagers and all that get consumed fast, when I do buy them. as they are generally weaker beer, anything less than 6% is a wimp beer to me. wimp meaning I do NOT even get a buzz on 2 ....

 

know thyself, what style do you perfer? I kidd about the other stuff. I do not know you. its hard in 1 post to get a feel for someone. do not take me seriously no 1 else does. its early and I am sober. I did edit my post to reflect how I truly pick beer.

lets take a real world example. last birthday.

I had on hand or bought, 4 orvals.
3 Rochefort 10's, 2 Rochefort 8
1 Dupont Saison 750ml
2 Westmalle tripels

the other stuff on hand was either just blue moon or fruit beer for the wife.
The rest is home made home brew.

I just picked 2 at random, both were Orval, its what got Cold first. Then I had the Dupont.
WHY? well I have favorites, and Orval and dupont are high on the list. But see I been drinking a long time. I also do not prefer to have a new beer every week or month.


I was going to mix them, but mood prevailed. again STOP thinking about so much and just grab one and drink it. or IF your a planner, well plan it out. lol

its just beer.

 

ahh I see, well I said this many times, drink more and drink faster....
what is your favorite stout style? drink 1 of those each day. I have to ask are you new to beer? are you ticking beer?

how many beers are we talking? less than 20 heck I have that drank in 1 weekend. lol HICK!. YOU have to build up the booze tolerance to us alky's...again that is me being silly.

list them or take a picture....

lack of space I hear that.

 

I reach in the fridge, grab one out. Grab a glass out of the cabinet. Pour! Drink! Repeat!

 

Over the last 3-4 years I've noticed that I have evolved into a bit of a seasonal drinker. I don't really get into daily choices rather modes depending on the season/weather.

I live in upstate ny. Winter I consume Primarly Imperial Stouts-Stouts-Porters-Winter Ales-Dark/er Ales

Fall has been an early start to Winter of late. Not a pumpkin fan, so fall is my start to winter beers.

Spring/Summer- Saisons, Sours, Berliners, Hefe's , farmhouse Ales, lambics, something lighter or refreshing void of lagers.

I drink a lot of different style of beers. One that I have not yet come to appreciate is IPA's n IPL's. Not a lager guy what-so-ever, and IPA's are just to bitter and frankly all taste similarly alike. A piney mess with a touch of some fruit. Or a fruity mess , with a finish of pine-grassiness. I actually did like Loose Cannon Hop3 by heavy seas, but that eventually became a hop mess.