Craft beer: it’s a gift from the gods, but not everyone has experienced the best beers their region or city has to offer. Sometimes, it’s due to a lack of craft beer in the area, or a bad experience with a craft beer that just didn’t suit their fancy. But with new breweries popping up every day with a diverse selection available, there’s ample opportunity to bring a new craft beer drinker to the dark side with outlawed breweries like Lonerider. There is a right way to present craft beer to a newbie, and here are 3 ways to do it.

1. Start at the source. The best way to introduce craft beer to a person is to take him or her to a local brewery, where they can witness the beer-making process. In addition, a tap room can make for an unforgettable experience. Not only can you get a brewery tour, but you’ll also get a friendly crew of outlaws drinking with you, plus some advice from a local bartender or brewmaster.

2. Forget the typical expert beer lingo. “Going pro” is obnoxious when you’re showing off your expert beer tastes: all that talk about aromas and character profiles displays a little “know-it-all” syndrome that’s not so fun for the listener. Good beer really is just good beer, and that’s all dependent on one’s own likes and dislikes. So start off easy and less technical before you begin talking about the types of hops in your favorite brew.

3. Go for diversity, not just your favorites. Many people are put-off by the idea of craft beer because they’ve only tried an IPA recommended by a friend, but they don’t like strong hops. When you want to convince someone about the joys of craft beer, get them a sampler pack that presents a range of varieties, such as a stout, a porter, an IPA, a pilsner, or more. Or, get a flight at a local brewery where the sample sizes are smaller.

So go out for some good times and some good beer, and treat someone nice to this excellent world of innovative craft beers. For more beer and fun, contact us.