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Is becoming a beer expert in NO TIME even possible? Of course, if you want to achieve this, you’ll not only have to try lots of different beers, but you’ll also have to assess their quality. We did some research and it turns out there’s a simple and yet very authentic way to gain some ‘beer experience’. Before we begin, let’s talk about the 3 most important ingredients in beer (except for water)!

• Malt – It’s probably the most important component here. From it derive sugars, which later turn beer into an alcoholic drink.
• Hops – This plant is said to contain natural preservatives that protect the beer from perishing. Also, did you know hops are what give the favorite relaxing effect we get from beer?
• Yeast – As you probably know, yeast assures there’s fermentation going on.

After we know all this, here’s how to differentiate the various tastes of beer:

1. Those coming from the malt (it depends on how baked it is) – If it’s slightly baked, you’ll notice a taste of cereals or biscuits. Higher intensity of roasting would definitely give flavors of caramel, chocolate or coffee.
2. Tastes from the hops – Before taking a sip, you should smell the drink first. By the way, if you want to read more about how to get the most out of beer, read this article as soon as possible! So, let’s imagine you inhale and sense some herbs, citrus notes, pinewood. What does this ‘tell’ you? Well, the hops are doing their job here. The flowers tend to give beer its specific bitterness, as well as those sensations.
3. Tastes that comes from the saccharified malt – It’s no big surprise that it would give a delicate note of sweetness, sugar, molasses, raisins.

So, what else can we learn today? A good thing to know is how to combine beer with food. Of course, there’s much to tell here, but we will focus on some of the most important points. Check them out:

• Beers with caramel or coffee notes as well as the smoky ones usually go well with meat and grilled veggies. Or do you want something more extravagant? Then try having it with a chocolate dessert. The result is truly bombastic!
• Hopped beers, on the other hand, can be the perfect thing for more caloric foods like salmon or pizza. A single sip from such a beer should ‘cleanse the tongue’ from the sensation of fat and open new doors to the receptors.
• Some of you are huge fans of sweet fruit beers, right?! Those can be great for appetizers like cheeses for example.

So, assessing a beer isn’t that difficult, after all. All you have to have is some general knowledge about the drink and a lot of passion to learn! Browse our Beer category and choose some of the best beers we’ve got for you! Click here to shop!