How to get started with craft

I would look at saisons and witbiers/hefewizens as they can be complex and interesting, but easier to appreciate. Also, oktoberfest beers are great entrances to the craft beer scene and they just arrived in stores around me last week.


Also, make sure to get some beer glasses. Most beers are significantly better when they're decanted.

 

3 easy steps:
1) pour
2) drink
3) repeat

Enjoy the journey.

 

Anything in life such as this is a process. There are no real tips imo. It's a journey and the best way is to just start....anywhere. Before you know it you've covered a lot of ground and looking back you just say wow!
If you look for a destination then you kill the enjoyment and also cause confusion. It isn't about the destination; it's all about the journey.

Think about they type of beer you like based on what you have been drinking in the past. Then find a craft beer similar and try it. Then try different brands. If you're at all like me I was typically drinking lagers because the usual crap ie. Bud, Miller, etc are all lagers/pilsners. So when I tried my first craft beer I went...well....pale! Like a lager, only it was an Ale. A pale ale. That was my starting point and I just continued from there. I just "tried stuff." I also liked Guinness so I also tried Stouts.

There are no rules (imo). Just enjoy.

 

Can't go wrong with cigar city. Invasion is a really good one to start on and if you are a fan of coffee Cubano Espresso is really great (should be popping up again in distribution within the next month).

But the best pointer is keep trying new things to figure out what styles you like. Revisit the styles you didn't like every now and then to see if your tastes are changing.

 

If you live around breweries our craft beer bars, go do some tasting flights and take note of what styles you seem to like and go from there.

 

Keep drinking that SNPA!
If you find yourself liking that more and more try some other pale ales like the ones from Cigar City or try moving to something like Bells 2-hearted IPA. Its hoppy but not a total hop bomb like some of the other IPAs out there. Check out the regional forum for Florida and see what others are up to/talking about. Vist the local craft bars around you if you can and try some of thier offerings.

 

Quick question - I'm someone who used to be in the fat tire/blue moon camp - but when you listed the great breweries you have access to, if you're just discovering the variety that's out there, how did you know that those are great breweries?

 

By the way, welcome! The best bit of advice I can give is to continue spending time on beeradvocate.com - these discussions (as well as this --> http://www.beeradvocate.com/beer/101/ ) have educated me beyond all expectation in a short amount of time. Also, it's just a lot of fun, and I look forward to seeing you take part in the camaraderie!

 

Tasting flights at a bar with a good craft beer selection is a great way to sample around quickly! Something that helped me immensely was finding a store that let me buy singles. That let me try lots of different beers without committing to dozens of 4 or 6-packs and probably being disappointed.

Also, I had to learn to be patient, because I found that just a taste, or sip, or two sips, wasn't enough for me to really judge a beer. Along the way I found out that I can taste more if the beer is warmed up closer to room temp, even IPAs! So nowadays I'll hold a can or glass in my hands to warm it up a bit before I start drinking it, even at a bar.

My journey started with "affordable" beer (in college): SNPA, Bass Ale, Newcastle, Harp... I didn't like IPAs at the time. Then I had Lagunitas Lil' Sumpin' Sumpin', and Dogfish Head 60, and thought that was pretty good. Had an epiphany when I had DFH 90, recognized it was very different than the 60. Then Southern Tier had a mixed 12 pack of Unearthly, 2XIPA and Iniquity. Then I learned about Sixpoint and enjoy almost all their canned lineup. Had a brief stint in bourbon and scotch, and when I began to enjoy that stuff, I really came to appreciate barrel-aged beers.

All this said, I still don't dig on saisons, farmhouse ales or belgian beers. But my tastes continue to change and evolve, so maybe someday they'll grab me. I'll try one out now and again just to see how it fits. Haven't given up yet.

As for how to know if the brewery is great or not, I like usually like to do some research first. I'll check out reviews here or on Untappd. Thankfully I work with several beer nerds like me and ask them if they've tried or know anything about a beer/brewery. I found Tree House Brewing that way, and now it's my favorite brewery. Word-of-mouth still works!

Then you might get to the point where you're driving across state lines just to shop for beers that aren't distributed in your state.

Have fun, enjoy the hunt/journey. Taste around all you can. Soak up info, listen for buzz.

 

www.seekabrew.com

You can always do the trade thing. Where in Florida? Tampa is the hot spot of course.

 

At this stage in the game, I would just keep trying anything you see at TW that you haven't tried before - I don't buy into the concept of someone just getting into good beer needing to start off with specific "easy-drinking" styles. Make a point of buying several different styles, and as you work out which styles you like or don't like (for now; your preferences will likely change in some cases), then explore more deeply into the styles you appreciate.

Beer 101 is fairly useful for getting started:

http://www.beeradvocate.com/beer/101/

Top 250 isn't going to be of much use at this stage, but a decent chunk of the Beers of Fame should be available to you:

http://www.beeradvocate.com/lists/fame/

 

As much as those "top 100" or "top 250" beer lists may be maligned, they could be a real help.

Sometimes I'd see just a wall of labels I didnt understand whenever I went into a shop that had craft beers (as well as the craft lookalikes made by Bud, etc), and I had no clue of what to really go for.

But after checking out those lists, and getting excited about hunting some of them down that were in my area, you really have a place to start.

Whether or not you end up liking the beers is almost irrelevant, it just gives you a frame of reference.

 

Like a few have mentioned, flights are a great idea. Also, buying singles and mixing six packs can give you a wider range of variety.

 

or Jacksonville. lol

 

I suggest just attack your palate with some big bold stuff! My theory is ...why screw around with the slightly average when you can try the big ones! Get blasted by hopps! Big i.b.u.s! Malt bombs too! Lastly big used motor oil looking roasty toasty stout! Welcome to site!

 

IMO, of course-

Bell's Amber is a lot like Fat Tire, mildly sweet and refreshing, but I enjoy it a bit more. Bell's Two Hearted is somewhat comparable to a beefed up SNPA: a little more bitter, with a richer caramel malt base and more floral hop bill/flavors.

Founders Centennial IPA is a lot like a more bitter Two Hearted with a different malt base, but with (pale) IPA's, the hops are inherently showcased. Dirty Bastard, a scotch ale, is a style of beer in which the dark color comes mostly from the Maillard reaction (caramelization), as opposed to heavy use of dark/roasted malts, like stouts. It might be a little bitter for you at this point, but in a few months, I bet you'd find it very sweet and savory. Founders Porter is my favorite porter. Porters are usually a crisper, easier-drinking take on a roasty beer, and Founders' is no exception. Stouts will usually be drier.

Victory Prima Pils might be my favorite pilsner. The hops are showcased (as they should be in the style), and I think it is very bright and easy-drinking. Hop Devil is a pretty "old school" IPA, with a hearty caramel malt base and its use of Cascade (an older tried-and-true breed) hops for aroma. It is pretty bitter with rich, brandy-like flavors.

These are just some of my favorites that are available year-round, and IMO great introductions/examples of the styles. Cheers!

 

BAHA! Sorry, but that is funny

I like you, you'll do just fine here. Now go pick yourself a hilarious avatar and jump in the deep end.

 

Go a beer festival. You can sample lots of beer styles for one flat cost. Beer festivals and other events are relatively common around September and October piggybacking on the Oktoberfest theme...look for one in your area.

http://www.beeradvocate.com/events/calendar/