Overwhelmed at the beer aisle?

I usually go in looking for a specific style, if not a specific beer (Beer Advocate is great for making such choices ahead of time). This would look better as a flow chart, but bear with me. Say I'm thinking about an IPA. At this point I have two choices: 1. Standby or 2. New. If Standby select Sierra Nevada Torpedo and head for checkout. If new continue to back of store. Check displays first - these seem to generally have the freshest beers. Since I'm only looking for IPAs I can ignore most of it. If nothing here, head for the row of coolers. Make selection. Check for bottle date and price. If both agree with you you're set. If not, continue through the coolers. If there is nothing new that strikes your fancy return to section 1, select Torpedo, head to checkout.

But I know where you're coming from. That's what happens to me in the wine section. Beer has proven to be a welcome alternative!

 

I can always find a bunch of things I'm inclined to buy, and I would but for the fact that I'm a pedestrian, and I can only buy as much as I'm willing to schlep afoot the mile or so home from my closest liquor emporium.

My will to schlep is rarely more than moderate.

 

There's an aisle in the center of my favorite MA beer store that has tons of imports that I'm pretty much at a complete loss for. Lots of umlauts and O's with crosses through them on those labels. If the store didn't have so much of what I know and also get in some harder to find stuff from time to time I'd probably be a bit more daring with the Nordic stuff.

 

The store I frequent sperates the American beer from the imports so to avoid getting overwhelmed I just skip the import aisles. Yeah I know Im missing out on a lot of good beer but theres more than enough American craft to keep me occupied.

 

Most of the time, I end up having to limit myself. There's always going to be something i'd like to try, I just have to exercise moderation

 

That's how I usually am in the good stores.

To the OP, it will get better! I'm far from an expert, but I seem to know more and more beers every time I visit the store.

 

when I got into beer and stopped by a total wine. blew my mind but now I know what to ignore. singles for the win

 

The only time this happens is if I'm at a new store that has significantly more than the stores I'm used to shopping at. In other words, very rarely.

 

Of the couple hundred beers that I have tried, only 3 have been undrinkable. Just try something new every single time.

 

You dont have to try everything. I only want top-stuff. I dont care for all the mediocre tripels, blondes or browns from all these different breweries. they probably won't taste bad but there is better beer out there. so why try them?

 

In my opinion, variety is a good thing. I would recommend grabbing something tried and true and something new each time. That way you know at least one purchase will be good, and you may find a new beer to add to that tried and true list. What's the worst that could happen, if the other one sucks, you pawn it off on your beer buddies.

 

my budget helps me narrow down the choices quite a bit. anything over $8-9/6pk is immediately off the table with rare exceptions.

 

I have only been overwhelmed once. It was in Denver before the gabf. I forget the name of the store, it reminded me of a total wine but is wasn't that. They probably had 1200 bombers and infinite options. I was in there for around 2 hours and had 600$ charge on my card. Way worth it.

 

To echo most everyone else, it will get better.

I've been there, OP. A couple of years ago I was the one staring open-mouthed at shelves and shelves of beer, wondering..Central....waters?....De..schutes..? I found that by doing a little research ahead of time, mostly on this fine site, or brewery websites, I could pretty much narrow my choices. Is it distributed to my state? does it come in 12ozers? (the mix-a-six pack is great for trying new beers) ,is it a style I like?, have my fellow BA-ers given it a decent rating?, does it cost an arm and a leg? (Yes, in case you wondered, I am on the Obsessive/compulsive side)

Have a great time trying out all the amazing beers available.
Cheers!

 

It's a hell of a lot better than having to pick from 12/15 aal's!

 

This. Oh, and I believe you mean Toys R Us (with the R reversed of course).

But yea, half hour in a small store, more in larger stores. And if it's a store I haven't been in before, watch out. I don't leave until I've scoured over every bottle in the place

 

I have a similar problem in that I love the great beers but damn they are expensive, and it is scary to try stuff and find you don't like it and you've wasted money and effort. I had Yeti (Colorado Great Divide Co) at a bar and then nearly fainted when I went to bevmo and they wanted 9 dollars for one bottle. Is there a place on this site to find the good beers that are not so expensive? Is there such a thing?

 

Used to. This site, reviews, advice from friends, and buying as much different beer as possible has made me able to really decipher a large selection. To avoid from going broke I figure out what I am getting before I get to the store, I pick it up and quickly leave the store as soon as possible !

 

I don't like the word "overwhelmed". I prefer "befuzzled". Sent the daughter and her boyfriend to get me sum beer. Waffled between Sam Adams, Shiner, Boulevard and Sierra Nevada. Settled on Urquell. Hope it's the right choice.