How to Taste Craft Beer

By now, you all should know that I’m a craft beer connoisseur. If not, now you do. I enjoy drinking a variety of styles—both light and dark, tangy and bitter.Craft beer doesn't have to be scary, and I guarantee if you try enough, you will find at least one that you like.There are certain things that go into tasting. Now, don’t let me run you off. In my experience, beer tasting is a lot more “in-yo-face” with the flavor than say… wine tasting. I love wine. I prefer reds (not sweet), but that’s about as far as my wine palate goes. I cannot for the life of me tell you what kinds of grapes were used, if there are hints of cedar or floral tones. Just… no. I just don’t have that taste, I guess.If you're a wine lover, you're still in luck because I've collaborated with my girl Paige from An Uncomplicated Life to bring you wine tasting tips! She's discussing the ends and outs of how to really taste wine on her blog today. Check. It. Out.So, we've established that Paige is your go-to for wine tasting--but beer… Beer I can explore in all of its glory. It’s easier for me to taste flavors in beer. Here are a few tasting tips/things to keep in mind:Over all, beer tasting is about what you like. You may find that you prefer a specific style (IPA, Pale Ale, Wheat, Stout, etc.) or you may find that you enjoy different styles of beer that are brewed with a particular flavor (there are a LOT of pumpkin beers out there in a variety of different styles!).I love the flavor of hops... therefore, I tend to gravitate toward IPAs because they have a pretty vivid "hoppy" flavor. Some are more citrusy, and others taste a little more floral. Some taste really strong, and some are more mild. There is quite a bit of range in taste from beer to beer--even within the same style.Finding what you like is pretty much all trial and error.  Don't judge a beer by it's bottle. [Tweet "Don't knock a beer before you've tasted it. Don't judge a #beer by it's bottle. ;)" Get yourself some custom drink coasters and a nice cold beer. Don't knock a beer before you've tasted it!Do you like beer? How do you "taste" it? Is there a specific style or flavor you gravitate towards?Don't forget to check out Paige's wine tasting tips. She's hilarious, absolutely stunning, AND she also likes beer (which is probably why I like her so much).