Written By: Peter Evans
Date: December 9, 2009 You’ve brewed the perfect batch and waited long enough, it’s now time for the unveiling of you latest creation! Here are some tips for enjoying your beer and making sure others do as well:

First off we must recognize that it is hard to be 100% honest with yourself about your own beer. That’s not to say that you’re dishonest with yourself or are incapable of impartiality, but like a slow child or faithful old car, we tend to overlook some of the shortcomings and focus in on the good only.  Be honest with yourself and allow others to be honest as well. If someone finds your beer a little too malty or yeasty, so be it. Maybe it’s a difference in preference. If your beer is green and smells like old apples stuffed into used socks, maybe inviting anyone over at all is a bad idea.
 
Snacks for your tasting are a good idea, definitely. Just be careful of what kind of snacks you have. A full on BBQ is fun, and adds to the social aspect of a beer tasting, but remember to taste before and/or after eating. The flavor of your beer will resonate with whatever else you happen to be throwing down your throat at the time and could take away from the nuances of your home brew. Conversely, serving a variety of baked breads and crackers with cheese (un-smoked) is a great warmer upper and could actually help clear the pallet a little between sips. As long as the cheese isn’t too sharp this could work out well.

The temperature with which you serve your beer is another concern. Typically, serving a beer that is too cold will dampen the taste buds to the little characteristics of your beer reducing the quality to that of the run of the mill lagers found at the local convenience store. Above freezing is recommended. Something in the neighborhood of the 38-45 degree range. This is plenty cold, but not so cold you’ll freeze your taste buds.

Glasses are another concern. Large mouth glasses are the best for several reasons. Having a glass with a mouth big enough to fit your nose and lips into will cause that last minute intake of air to be all beer. This will add the aroma to the flavor and actually intensify the taste some. This also adds a bit of elegance and authenticity to your tasting that plastic McDonald’s cups and narrow glasses would kill. In addition to this, you will be able to drink more beer in one draw, which we all know; more beer is always good beer.

You don’t have to put up banners or take out a full page add in the USA Today to announce your beer tasting to family and friends, usually after one “good” brew word of mouth will get out. You are not selling your beer, so advertising is not needed; let the beer speak for its self. Just remember you’re in this for you and how others feel about your lifestyle and the quality of your last batch only matters a little; it’s how you feel that really counts.