thepourlife Beer flights are a perfect way to experience a new brewery, especially when they have a wide selection of beers and styles. And they are great for avoiding FOMO because you didn’t get to try the spectrum of their offerings.
For those who need a refresher, a flight is a few small pours served as a custom sampler so you can taste multiple beers without the commitment of a full pour. Typically, a flight is 4-5 beers, but could be more or less or even customizable. The pour size varies, but 5 oz. seems pretty standard.
Not all breweries offer flights; you might consider seeing if half pours are an option in this situation. And PSA: If the brewery is slammed, reconsider if you really want to bog down the bartender with an 8-beer flight.
So, you are ready to order your flight. Let’s go drinking:
- Review the menu and have a general idea of your picks before heading to the bar to order. Unsure where to start? Don’t be afraid to ask! But be prepared, you’ll probably get the question, “What kinda of beer do you like?” When I’m torn between beers, I ask the bartender for their thoughts – they are the experts.
- After ordering but before beginning the tasting, make sure you know where to start. Most bartenders will position the beers in a strategic order from lightest to darkest, with some exceptions. Heavily fruited sours, Belgian quads, and other varieties might be suggested as last, even though they appear “lighter” in color than a stout, for example. If you aren’t sure, ask the bartender of their suggested drinking order.
- Next – and this is key – remember which beer is which! I try to make sure I have a menu with descriptions on hand. I have found it’s a great way to learn hops, ingredients, and styles that are my favs.
- Now, most importantly: Tasting. Try the beers in the order that was suggested, but don’t just try one sip of each before moving on to the next. Give a beer a couple sips before finalizing your opinion on it. Some beers pack a flavorful punch at first taste. Savor the flavor and appreciate the aftertaste. Once your taste buds adjust, you might change your initial opinion! After you have embraced a sample, move along to the next.
Some people suggest finishing each sample before starting the next. Personally, I disagree with this approach. First, if I have a flight with a lot of pours, that last pour might be getting warm by the time I get there. And second, I want to be able to go back to remember the previous samples. When you are torn between sample 1 and 4 as your fav, it’s nice to be able to do a side by side taste test.
Down to the last drop, now what? It’s up to you! If you loved a beer, you might consider grabbing a full pour. My typical approach is to tell the bartender what my fav was to see if they have a recommendation for a new beer based on it.
Regardless, flights are a great way to experience all that a brewery has to offer without drinking so many beers that you’re falling off the barstool.
Cheers!
