Whether it’s thirst for the bitterness of hops, the sweetness of the malt, or the aftertaste of a carbonated beer, there’s plenty of variety for beer drinkers to enjoy a craft brew.
A craft beer festival can provide hundreds of different kinds of brews, from stouts to saisons and much more. With all of the variety available and a host of expert brewers, there's a way to enhance the experience and get the most out of a variety of tastings.
Mike Moore, a beer expert who’s been judging beer competitions since 1988, provides insight for beginners by breaking down the different kinds of beer people will see at a beer festival and the best way to experience that beer.
How to taste a craft beer
At a brew festival tasting, people will likely be getting smaller portions of beer, about 2 to 3 ounces. To make the most of the tasting, here’s how to get the most out of every craft brew.
For Moore, it’s a matter of concentration and pacing, especially for a drink that could cost $8 a pint.
“That’s what you have to do, you have to consciously think about that. Ninety-five percent of people that drink beer, drink it unconsciously… but, if you really want to elevate the craft and elevate your game, consciously drink.”
Even though there are some challenges with a smaller glass, there are three components that matter in a tasting: the hops, the malt, and the aftertaste.
Step 1: Breathe in the hops
Hops provide the spice in beer. It will immediately be the key thing drinkers smell upon picking up a glass.
The best way to start is to breathe in the hops by breathing in deeply on the foam of the beer. Right away, drinkers will get the hops scent that can range from tangerines or fresh cut grass to lemons or limes.
Step 2: Take in the malt flavors
This is the sweeter part of the beer that tempers down the bitterness of the hops. However, the key with malt is in how the heat affects it. Raw malt has a raw, wheat, or acidic taste. According to Moore, that kind of flavor is appropriate in styles like wheat beers or Belgian beers, but that flavor can change when the malt gets cooked.
A really malty beer will have the malt boiled down, caramelized, and made to be as thick as molasses.
Step 3: Aftertaste
According to Moore, this is the element that allows people to drink in more beer. The carbonation in that beer helps it pair better with food and helps to cleanse the palate.
“Unlike wine drinkers that spit out wine, that wine is only going to get as good as it gets when you swish it around your mouth,” said Moore. “Beer has a definite aftertaste because it has carbonation, and carbonation is completely vital to cleanse the palate.”
5 beer styles you’ll see at a festival
Each style of beer is unique and can hit different taste profiles. Moore explains some of the beer styles that are out there and what to expect when drinkers take a sip.
1. Lager
While there are some lagers with a “hoppy” flavor, Moore says that the lager is generally all about the malt.
“What you’re concentrating on is the malt, that soft pillowy [sic], pilsner malt… that’s what makes a good lager,” said Moore.
There is usually really good carbonation in the lager and with the hops coming in at the end. There’ll be a lot of foam, although the glasses at a tasting may limit that.
According to Moore, this is an easy beer to drink and goes well with every type of food.
2. Wheat beer
“A wheat bear is all about the smell. On that one, you’re going to want to dive your nose right into it,” Moore said. He adds that the hops may be inconsequential in a wheat beer, because this is the kind of beer that is about the malt and the wheat.
This type of beer allows the smell to come to forefront of the drink. Drinkers can get the smells of hay, oats, or fields. Moore says that German wheat beers can even have a clove and banana characteristic from fermenting the wheat.
3. India Pale Ale
“You can’t really survive in the California market unless you make an IPA, because there’s that many people that just love that. They love hops,” Moore said.
It’s the kind of beer that every brewer will be making, and it’s the kind of beer for people that love hops. Moore says that one of the reasons people have gravitated toward the IPA is the preference for a hops flavor that gets balanced out by the malt. He added that those hops can help release endorphins that make people smile and make them happy.
If you're seeking an IPA, Moore suggests finding one that is crisp and clean, one that balances the malt and hops, and one that has the flavor of hops that you like.
4. Stout
This is a beer that comes in a variety of forms.
There are few different varieties with different flavors drinkers can expect. A dry Irish stout can provide a dry, roasted flavor. A milk stout is a type of drink that can be brewed with a type of milk sugar called lactose, which can make it a little sweeter. There are also American and imperial stouts.
5. Pale Ale
This is the kind of beer most people can find around them; Moore says that everyone makes some variety of pale ale, and there are a lot of good pale ales to choose from.
However, some people may not find this drink to have enough hops in it. It’s one of the reasons why some beer drinkers have been favoring the IPA over the pale ale. Moore says that while the hops in the beer might have been powerful to drinkers about 20 years ago, some people have gotten sensitive to hops and are not able to taste the hops flavor.
A good pale ale will have a balance between malt and hops, but, since there isn’t as much hops, as compared to an IPA, there won’t be as much malt.
“To me, you want a very pinpoint, crystal clear pale ale, and I would start with that first. If you’re at the festival, don’t have imperial stouts and wheat beers and then go back to a pale ale. It’s going to taste like water.”
He suggests that people at a beer festival start with lagers and then move on to pale ales before trying the stouts and wheat bears in order to preserve their palate.