Overwhelmed at the beer aisle?

This really depends how new to it you are I think. At first I was very overwhelmed. Now I can go to any store and know practically every beer or brewery there. Plus you start knowing what beers you are looking for, whats coming in thats new, etc... It's extremely easy to be overwhelmed but you will become better at it. For now try and have an idea of what you want to buy each time you go in, see whats coming that's new, and get recommendations.

 

You have recent join date so I am guessing this may be new to you, give it a year or two.

I get the part of not wanting to splurge on beers you may not know. Do you have a bottle shop near you that breaks 6 packs up into singles? It is great way to try new beers.

 

In time, you will learn to ignore about 90% of what's on the shelf as useless noise.

 

I feel like a kid going into Toys Are Us. It usualy takes me a half hour to select what I need. I always buy more then I need.

 

I'd rather have this problem than going into a beer store and having a hard time finding any good beer.

 

Trying new stuff is half the fun for me. If you're really worried about blowing your money on something that you might hate, figure out the styles that you like and the flavor profiles that you are drawn to. Then seek out beers similar to the ones you already like, instead of buying the same thing that you always do. If you're in a bottle shop with a good selection, I would assume that their employees will be knowledgeable too. Tell them what you like and ask them for a recommendation.

By the way, there's nothing wrong with drinking your favorites all the time, if that's what you enjoy doing. If you want to branch out, then do it. If you want to stick to favorites, there's no shame in that either. Having a beer is supposed to be fun.

 

I definitely feel overwhelmed when I visit a city and see the shelves full of brewers I don't recognize. At home it's much easier to sort the wheat from the chaff.

 

Also, try to have this outlook. You've got anywhere up to 70 years of drinking ahead of you. You've got time to try them all. You never will, but you've got time.

Like other's said, it starts to become second nature, like picking a nice steak

 

I have to agree with moshea, a great selection can be overwhelming if you haven't been in the "game" long. I only joined BA earlier this year but have been into craft for a while, and what had been said is accurate. The more beers and breweries you try the better you get at picking and choosing rather than just being overwhelmed when trying to choose.

Try different things, find a bottle shop that sells singles and find a good bar to get a pint or a flight so you don't have to commit to 4/6 packs and bombers to try a large variety. Cheers.

 

When I visit another city, I try to have a game plan, helps avoid being overwhelmed. When in doubt, I pull out the phone and check out BA ratings to get an idea if people generally think its a good beer or not.

 

That definitely helps. Depends on the city too. Even with a game plan, Portland, OR was tough. I thought it would be easier in Maine, I only moved away three years ago. I was pretty surprised with the breadth of options available.

 

And you're in Texas!

Try being in a market like New York, San Diego, or Chicago!

 

Overwhelmed at some stores [vast selection]. Underwhelmed at others [small selection]. I've already tried to just buy my go-to beers but the adventurous streak in me says to try the new ones. The big problem is not with new beers from existing breweries since I'll always give a new beer from certain breweries a try if they're a style I like. The problem is with beer from new breweries that I haven't seen on draft in any of my local places. Since most of your new breweries sell kegs before bottles and cans, it's a great way to try a new beer and not have to take a chance with a couple of single bottles and you don't need to be all that concerned with freshness. After all, it's a new brewery.

 

Same here. Everytime I go to the beer section of the grocery store my wife sighs, walks away, and comes back in 20-30 minutes to find me still looking around.

 

It takes me a LONG time to buy beer these days.

Two main causes:

1. Great variety (awesomesauce)
2. Limited budget (not awesomesauce)

 

My favorite place to buy beer is actually a small neighborhood supermarket with a walk-in cooler dedicated solely to craft beer. Choosing from ~250 beers when its 40 degrees makes me feel like I've earned my purchase lol.

 

Not so much. I'm generally underwhelmed by the beer that I can regularly find at all the stores in my area. The only time I've felt overwhelmed is when I have that rare opportunity (and extra cash) to drive into Atlanta to one of the amazing beer stores. I did spend about an hour at each store pouring over beers and reading reviews/ratings on here, so 3 hours total or the course of an afternoon and 2 hours of drive time.

 

I think we've all been there, OP. We all have to start somewhere. Find a certain style or brewery you like and then try more beers of the same style or brewery. Get mix-a-six packs when possible to try as many beers as you can. It took me hundreds and hundreds of beers to figure out what I truly like and dislike about different beers and styles. Maybe try to do a tasting group with some friends. Eventually you'll feel comfortable walking into the beer store, I promise.