Lets Stock Up

Okay so I've given you an idea of what you need to get your bar tools started. Now what? Well we have to get to the alcohol. Most people will be starting out with beer. but there are two types of beer, lager and ale. each of these are broken down further.

Lager: Lager beers are usually the lighter colored beers, and has more carbonation than ales. These range from the vvery light Indian Pale ale (IPA), Pilsner, to the dark lagers. The Pilsners tend to be less bitter, this is due to the fact that lagers tend to have fewer hops and barley.

Ale: Has less carbonation, thus less of a head, than do the lagers. The lightest ales tend to be the reddish beers. the darker ales tend to be the heavy almost black beers. Each shade of color has its own distinct flavor, due to the amount of hops, barely and roasting time.

The longer the hops and barely are roasted determines how dark the beer. The longer they are roasted the more flavor will change, giving many a bitter taste. A bitter taste can result from hops or barely. Other things can effect the flavor, herbs, spices, and fruit will all have an effect on taste.

There are also seasonal types of beers. October fest, summer pale ales, winter lager, etc.. The list goes on. There are thousands of flavors and tastes to choose from. I suggest that you first find one that you enjoy, and use that as your type of safety net. Then you can venture out from there.

There are other considerations too. Cans, bottles (even green versus brown bottle), draft. home brew, micro brew, large well known companies, domestic, and import. Some of this will be determined by money and availability. If a beer is less available in your area then it is more likely to be more expensive.

Large companies tend to make beers that appeal to more people, but the taste the same from one batch to the next.

Local, micro brews have a wider flavor range, but the process is controlled so the flavors are consistent between batches.

Home brew can be done in your kitchen. The flavor can be different from batch to batch even when using the same recipe. But you get experiment to change it to your taste.

So have fun. Have a party where everyone has to bring different beers to past around and try.

Until next time,
Cheers:
Steve Aniolowski A. K. A. Spicy