How to Like Beer and Acquire the Taste

by Karl S | Updated: April 21, 2010

A Cream Ale Tasting Party

Believe it or not, I did not always like the taste of beer. It was frustrating because I wanted to like it, but couldn’t stand that “beery” flavor.

Everyone said that eventually I’d acquire the taste, but that didn’t look too promising.

My problem was solved when I discovered that instead of draining can after can of yellow fizzy beer until I “acquired the taste“, the real key was trying the many other (better) styles until I found one that I loved.

It turned out that expanding my variety not only got me to like beer, but to become a connoisseur.

Beer Newbie Missions: Your Roadmap for Liking Beer

If you don’t like beer, it’s probably because you’ve been drinking the wrong types. I’ve laid out a plan to change all that by getting you to try higher-quality craft beer.

This 6 part series will provide you with a step-by-step strategy for becoming a fan of the suds.

The mission are made up of two parts:

  1. An action you will take to expand your knowledge and give you a taste of beer culture. These are fun and easy missions that I’ll walk you through with specific examples.
  2. The Beers to Buy section where I will announce the beer styles for that mission, with a few commercial examples for each. Instead of overwhelming you right off the bat, we’ll start off with lighter-flavors and then get more extreme. This strategy will help you acquire the taste, rather than be revolted by it.

Ready to go? Thirsty? Let’s get started!

  1. Find Where to Buy Good Beer; Local or Online.
  2. Learn How to Take Beer Tasting Notes; Stout, Brown Ale, Amber Ale
  3. Tour a Brewery; IPA, Doppelbock, Saison
  4. Pair Beer with Cheese; Double IPA, Lambic, Belgian Dubbel
  5. Cook with Beer; Russian Imperial Stout, Barleywine, Beglain Quadrupel
  6. Learn and read the from the best homebrewing books.