Shopping for craft beer can be a lot like bellying up to your favorite beer bar and perusing a rotating list of draft beers—only when you shop for beer at the store, you don’t have the luxury of tasting a one-ounce sample before you commit to that six-pack or bomber. The next time you’re shopping for beer, try these expert tips for filling your cart.
Ask for Recommendations
When choosing beers, “ask whoever is working and hope they know what they’re talking about,” says Joe-Michael Wright, who owns the Hugo’s Colorado Beer & Spirits in Denver. More often than not, that store clerk just so happens to be a beer geek who is ready and willing to talk shop. Ask that clerk what new beers he or she likes and what breweries he or she can’t get enough of right now. Cooking something specific for dinner? Ask that clerk what he or she would pair it with. You’re about to untap a wealth of knowledge and geekdom.
Know Your Palate
Sweet or dry? Light, medium-bodied, or heavy mouthfeel? Hoppy or malty or both? Fruity? Earthy? Spicy? The list of flavor adjectives goes on, and the better you know your preferences the more likely you are to choose a beer off the shelf that suits you—especially if you have some guidance from the salesperson. “A large selection can be overwhelming sometimes, but you know what you like,” says Jeff Eaton, former clerk at Fabby’s Wine and Spirits, and current brewer at CB & Potts Brewery in Fort Collins.