Ideas for a beer tasting party?!
Ideas for a beer tasting party?
I've recently developed an interest in good beer and I'm meeting other people who share the interest. I thought it'd be cool to have a get together in my backyard where I can have everyone taste microbeers.
1) Should I have my guests bring their favorites, or if I should supply the varieties myself.
2) What types of foods to serve. What foods go well with beer?
3) What are some good non-alcoholic beers (if there is such a thing) so I can include my non-drinkers?
Answers:
With the thousands of beers available the best strategy would be to sample beers that are related. Pick from brews from a specific country, a style of brew or other common thread. Belgium beers are becoming faddish but still new to many people. Trappists beers are great but can be pricey. Beers with pictures of dogs on the label could be a whacky night.
I would keep the group small and supply the beer myself, then you can ensure that the beers fit your chosen theme. Be prepared though, someone will bring their own and probably not anything like you planned.
Foods:
I wouldn't serve chips and dip or bagged snack foods. That screams, "Hello, I didn't put any effort into preparing for your visit, even though I invited you."
I would serve sliced meats, cheeses, olives, pickles with breads and crackers. I'd look for such foods that fit. German beers, German sausage.
Non-drinker tend not to like the taste of beer. I would search for ginger beers, sparkling ciders and regular soft drinks.
Finally, unless your planning on not inviting spouses or partners of your beer loving friends, plan on 1 or 2 drinkers who detested beer. A couple of bottles of wine (1 red, 1 white) will most likely be apppreciated.
Have fun.
I would supply a majority of the brands, but invite your guests to bring any they find interesting.
Pretzels are a must ! But I would also offer lighter fare since beer can be heavy.
1. I think having guests bring their favorite beers is a good idea.
2. BBQ ribs go great with beer! (with rolls, corn on the cob, cole slaw, etc.)
3. The only non-alcoholic beer I know that tastes OK is O'Doul's. Don't be afraid to just serve soft drinks, lemonade or punch to your non-drinkers.
First off, you're the hostess and you should provide all the beer.
Secondly, you should provide small glasses for tasting - no more than three ounces per glass. You can buy very inexpensive, disposable glasses in this size from any party-warehouse type of store.
You should provide at least five different beers, from a light ale to a stout lager. Yes, there are non-alcoholic beers - ask where you purchase your regular beer. Be sure you clearly identify which are the non-alcoholic brews when folks arrive at your party.
Serve a variety of chips and dips - people are there to sample beer, not for a full meal. That's why you don't schedule a beer tasting - or wine tasting party, either - at regular mealtimes, but in mid-afternoon - or at least an hour after the evening meal.
Here's hoping your party turns into a smashing success! Only - make sure you provide plastic glasses so guests won't be tempted to be stupid and smash glasses!
Sounds horrible.
Give me a rolling rock or a red stripe anyday.
Most 'good' beers are actually quite terrible.
Buy about three really different "Off the Wall" beers for your "General Tasting" and then have your guests bring six packs (or whatever) of their own favorites as well!
That way your Tasting will be more interesting because those that bring their own beers will be able to tell about all the good points of that particular beer. And this will allow them to "share" some of the expense of your party - which they should be willing to do!
Potato Chips, Tacos, and Dips are the
in thing! - And does not call for a lot of preparation or expense! Or if you want to do some grilling - Do some hot dogs and hamburgs with baked beans! - Always favorites!
O'Douls, is one of the non-alcoholic beers on the market but they are usually arranged together on the shelves in your grocery store so this should not be a problem picking them out.
Good Luck!
having everyone bring beer from there heritage would be a fun way and with beer wings and pretzel's will do try La Fin Du Monde its great unibour makes it
Have your guests bring their favorites and serve yours.
Ales, IPAs, stouts can all be so different. We have recently attended beer and wine tastings. Cheese, crackers, small sausages are served to cleanse the palate between tasting. There is a very easy cheese/crab meat/english muffin appetizer on recipezaar that can be made ahead and nuked. Wasabe peas and pretzels also make good snacks for this kind of event. For ease, provide ice in buckets or ask your guests to bring their brews chilled in coolers. Above all, smell the hops, savor and enjoy each brew.
Well, one idea is an Import Party. Assign every guest a different country or region in which they need to bring the beer. If you are expecting a ton of people, you can assign multiple guests to the same country/region. For example, tell someone to bring a German beer and they could bring a six-pack of Beck's. Tell someone else to bring a Japanese beer and they could bring Sapporo. Tell someone to bring an Austrailian beer and they could bring Foster's. You get the point. You can also list Belgium, Mexico, regions of the US (like Southwest, New England, etc), Spain, and Ireland to name a few.
Once everyone arrives with their beers, set up different card tables around your backyard. Each table should have a cooler full of ice (to put the beer in) and several 2 to 3 oz. cups. Make a sign for each table - each table could be a continent - letting your guests know which country they are "visiting."
As far as food, snacks are always good with beer - pretzels, chips and dip or salsa. If you're planning a backyard event, grilling out is the obvious choice. Have a selection of meats - hamburgers, brats and chicken.
And for non-alchololic beers...I've personally never tried one, but I have friends who say that O'Douls and Michelob both are decent-tasting.
Good luck with your party!
If your party is more than 2 to 4 weeks away, I would brew my own beer, varieties from Amber, Ale, To Lager and have your guests have a small sampler of each, heck you never know you might be a great beer brewer, besides if it turns out great, they will definately ask for more. It is a good hobby to get into, not too expensive, smells great when brewing also. And the alcohol content is definately much higher than the store bought stuff. Good luck with your party. Oh don't forget the chicken wings with the beer