4 Feb 2009
Beer Styles Appreciation
Author: skotmigloor
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About: I recall my first sip of beer very fondly. At a very early age I was watching a baseball game with my father, and he noticed I was curious as to the colorful red and white canned beverage in his hand and finally offered me a sip. At that point I felt like I was a part of something special. As I was never able to touch those elusive drinks prior to that moment, I felt like a grown man, sipping the sudsy elixir with my dad watching sports on the tv screen.
That was a one time event though, and it wasnt until my teen years when I realized the magical effects beer can have at social functions. I became enamored immediately with the level of fun that can be had while drinking what I also had confessed was the most refreshing drink in existence.
After years of experimenting with every drink available to me, I have found my tastes and preferences have matured. Still, more so than ever I am driven by the quest to find the ultimate beverage. Though I know there is no such thing I am always trying something new to find my favorites. I enjoy variety, and also believe the only way to discover truly what you enjoy the most is by trying everything you can. Not only do you learn about the various styles and flavors associated with the many kinds of beer, but you also learn what you like as well as what perhaps you are not particularly fond of. There is a time and a mood for just about any style of beer crafted today, and the more you experience the better you are prepared to suit your own tastes.
I love beer, pure and simple.See Authors Posts (52) | Filed under: Enhance Your Knowledge
Sometimes life is strange. For example, the more I learn about beer the more I realize I don’t know! I was reading about honing my knowledge of everything brew on the Beer Judge Certification Program website, which in their words:
Beer Judge Certification Program
“The purpose of the Beer Judge Certification Program is to promote beer literacy and the appreciation of real beer, and to recognize beer tasting and evaluation skills. We certify and rank beer judges through an examination and monitoring process. ”
I happened to come across the Beer Style Guidelines which is a comprehensive collection of all classic styles of beer that can be used as a vuluable tool to learn about beer, and even one day judge beers in a festival or competition setting. As I perused the different styles I realized there were many that I have been neglecting, as I have naturally gravitated towards all my favorites. To my dismay I noticed there are many styles that I may not even have ever tried or could name a beer that would be an example of that style.
I have vowed to right this wrong and further enhance my appreciation of the full spectrum of brews available in this universe by strategically shopping for classic examples of brews unfamiliar to myself at this point in time. I was going to create a shopping list to change my life by researching many reviews, looking for the top choices of all styles and then taking this with me to my favorite premium liquor stores to broaden my horizons. Then I discovered the fine gentlemen at BJCP have already crafted such a list for me right here –> Classic Styles
Time to go shopping!!
Tags: beer judging, bjcp, shopping list, styles
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February 4th, 2009 at 9:58 pm
Web Version of the Guidelines. Get studying: http://www.bjcp.org/2008styles/catdex.php
February 5th, 2009 at 6:55 pm
Awesome…. I’m definitely going to look into this.
February 6th, 2009 at 6:11 am
This is a great resource. I’ve heard of BJCP and knew that it was the definitive guide to styles but I’ve never actually looked at the style guide until now. It looks like it is a great resource for both home brewing and for beer reviewing.