Reddit Reddit reviews Tasting Beer: An Insider's Guide to the World's Greatest Drink

We found 48 Reddit comments about Tasting Beer: An Insider's Guide to the World's Greatest Drink. Here are the top ones, ranked by their Reddit score.

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48 Reddit comments about Tasting Beer: An Insider's Guide to the World's Greatest Drink:

u/mturk · 38 pointsr/geek

The book on the counter is Tasting Beer. Based on the colours, I would say it's this book.

Note: I'm not a creepy stalker. I just like mysteries. I think that in the case of the upside-down beer bottle spice rack, the solution is a beer connoisseur.

u/itsme_timd · 35 pointsr/beer

Sit down with a beer flavor wheel and use that to guide you.

What the wheel does is help you pinpoint what flavors you're tasting. You may recognize a flavor as fruity but not be able to discern what fruit it is, the flavor wheel gives you some suggestions to help you narrow it down.

Some flavors will be things you may have never tasted but the aroma and feel reminds you of those things - like leather, hay, horse blanket. If you want to get serious check out Tasting Beer by Randy Mosher.

Everyone's palate is different, so if you don't taste what someone else does in a beer don't sweat it, it's all about your personal experience.

u/paradisepickles · 15 pointsr/beer

Tasting Beer by Randy Mosher will help you to better understand and share how to taste beer. This will help you bartending at a brewpub because you'll be better at helping guests select beers and even chatting with them as you both describe what flavors you experience when drinking beer.

u/Mark____ · 14 pointsr/beer

The most recommended book is Tasting Beer -- www.amazon.com/Tasting-Beer-Insiders-Worlds-Greatest/dp/1603420894/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1405466079&sr=8-1&keywords=tasting+beer

It's written by a friend of the creator of the actual exam.

u/anadune · 13 pointsr/beer

If you can, get a copy of Randy Mosher's Tasting Beer, along with all of the other suggestions (Somm, describing what you're tasting) this is a great resource.

Additionally, depending on your location - see if there is a BJCP competition that is happening. Either volunteer to judge or steward. If you judge, you will be paired with an experienced judge (assuming it is a well run competition) and then talk with your partner judge(s). If you decide to steward, then be attentive and hover while working. Listen to what others are saying, and when the flights are done, sample the same beer.

u/Culb · 12 pointsr/beer

I'm currently reading Tasting Beer by Randy Mosher and love how thorough, yet easily digestible it is. For the more technical read I would check out the Brewing Elements Series.

u/familynight · 10 pointsr/beer

Go to a brewpub or brewery tasting room and order the sampler tray. If possible, do this at more than one brewpub/tasting room. If you need helping finding them (or good beer stores/beer bars), check out Beeradvocate's Barfly tool.

You'll get to try a bunch of different styles and, hopefully, find something local that you like. Take what you learn there and go to a good beer store. Tell them which styles you liked and ask for recommendations. If you can't find someone to recommend you beers (shouldn't be too hard, though), you can use beeradvocate or ratebeer to look stuff up or just go with random picks in styles that you enjoy. If you don't like something, move on and keep exploring.

For hefeweizen (Franziskaner) and pale ales, there are lots of good choices. For hefeweizens, Weihenstephaner, Ayinger, Schneider and Sierra Nevada Kellerweis would be good picks. For pale ales, there are just so many solid choices that you should try a few more and come back with more data for recommendations (if you're in Indiana/Chicago, it's hard to beat Three Floyds Alpha King). However, I encourage you to branch out and try other styles since it doesn't sound like you've had much beer that doesn't come from a macro brewery.

If you're moved to learn more about beer, here's a great book.

u/ATXBeermaker · 8 pointsr/beer

Tasting Beer by Randy Mosher.

u/ems88 · 7 pointsr/cocktails

Okay, you've caught me; there's beer and wine books, too. Here's what you're looking at:

I run a cocktail bar, and I've been meaning to share my library for some time, but I have a knack for lending my books out to friends and colleagues so I keep waiting for it to be complete. Then I realized my collection keeps growing and will never be complete, so I may as well just share a snapshot of it.

Top row:

Sippin' Safari: In Search of the Great "Lost" Tropical Drink Recipes... and the People Behind Them by Jeff "Beachbum" Berry

Vintage Spirits and Forgotten Cocktails: From the Alamagoozlum to the Zombie 100 Rediscovered Recipes and the Stories Behind Them by Ted "Dr. Cocktail" Haigh

The Joy of Mixology: The Consummate Guide to the Bartender's Craft by Gary "Gaz" Regan

The Flavor Bible: The Essential Guide to Culinary Creativity, Based on the Wisdom of America's Most Imaginative Chefs by Karen Page and Andrew Dornenburg

The World Encyclopedia of Beer by Brian Glover

How to Brew: Everything You Need to Know to Brew Beer Right the First Time by John J. Palmer

Jigger, Beaker and Glass: Drinking Around the World by Charles H. Baker, Jr. (aka The Gentleman's Companion Volume II)

Tasting Beer: An Insider's Guide to the World's Greatest Drink by Randy Mosher

Michael Jackson's Complete Guide to Single Malt Scotch by Michael Jackson

The Ultimate Guide to Spirits & Cocktails by Andre Domine

New Classic Cocktails by Mardee Haidin Regan and Gary "Gaz" Regan

The Book of Garnishes by June Budgen

World's Best Cocktails: 500 Signature Drinks from the World's Best Bars and Bartenders by Tom Sandham

The Complete Book of Spirits: A Guide to Their History, Production, and Enjoyment by Anthony Dias Blue

Cocktails & Amuse-Bouches for Her & For Him by Daniel Boulud and Xavier Herit

Imbibe!: From Absinthe Cocktail to Whiskey Smash, a Salute in Stories and Drinks to "Professor" Jerry Thomas, Pioneer of the American Bar by David Wondrich

Middle Row:

Hemingway & Bailey's Bartending Guide to Great American Writers

The New and Improved Illustrated Bartenders' Manual; or: How to Mix Drinks of the Present Style by Harry Johnson (Espresso Book Machine Reprint)

Michael Jackson's Bar & Cocktail Companion: The Connoisseur's Handbook by Michael Jackson

The Craft of Stone Brewing Co.: Liquid Lore, Epic Recipes, and Unabashed Arrogance by Greg Koch, Steve Wagner & Randy Clemens

The PDT Cocktail Book: The Complete Bartender's Guide from the Celebrated Speakeasy by Jim Meehan

Bitters: A Spirited History of a Classic Cure-All, with Cocktails, Recipes, and Formulas by Brad Thomas Parsons

A Taste for Absinthe: 65 Recipes for Classic and Contemporary Cocktails by R. Winston Guthrie & James F. Thompson

The Bartender's Guide to IBA Official Cocktails by Jenny Reese (Espresso Book Machine Printing)

Punch: The Delights (and Dangers) of the Flowing Bowl by David Wondrich

The Home Distiller's Handbook: Make Your Own Whiskey & Bourbon Blends, Infused Spirits and Cordials by Matt Teacher

A History of the World in 6 Glasses by Tom Standage

The Decorative Art of Japanese Food Carving: Elegant Garnishes for All Occasions by Hiroshi Nagashima

What to Drink with What You Eat: The Difinitive Guide to Pairing Food with Wine, Beer, Spirits, Coffee, Tea - Even Water - Based on Expert Advice from America's Best Sommeliers by Andrew Dornenburg & Karen Page

The American Cocktail: 50 Recipes that Celebrate the Craft of Mixing Drinks from Coast to Coast by The Editors of Imbibe Magazine

The ABC of Cocktails by Peter Pauper Press

How to Make Your Own Drinks: Create Your Own Alcoholic and Non-Alcoholic Drinks from Fruit Cordials to After-Dinner Liqueurs by Susy Atkins

How to Make a World of Liqueurs by Heather Kibbey & Cheryl Long

u/ThatMitchJ · 7 pointsr/beer

Here's a list of some good General Books on beer.

I'm fond of Tasting Beer by Randy Mosher. It does a great job of introducing the history of beer, the different styles, and other great info. I recommend it to everybody who wants to learn about beer. http://www.amazon.com/Tasting-Beer-Insiders-Worlds-Greatest/dp/1603420894

If you're interested in the history of American beer, Ambitious Brew is a great read. It's limited in scope to just the history of American beer, but that proves to be a rich subject. http://www.amazon.com/Ambitious-Brew-Story-American-Beer/dp/0156033593

Beer is Proof That God Loves Us, It's not the greatest book, but for free on Kindle, it's worth checking out. The guy knows his beer, he just is a big time Macro brewing apologist, and his constant praise for the big brewers, and his disdain for hops make it not my favorite book. There are some good anecdotes, and history of beer. http://www.amazon.com/Beer-Is-Proof-God-Loves/dp/0137065078

And I've heard good things about the Oxford Companion to Beer, though I haven't read it myself. http://www.amazon.com/Oxford-Companion-Beer-Garrett-Oliver/dp/0195367138/ref=pd_bxgy_b_text_z

u/Skyldt · 6 pointsr/beer

first off, know what types of beer you'll be selling. all the knowledge in the world won't help if you don't know what you're serving to customers.

second, Tasting Beer is a great book. it goes over the history, some brewing notes, and goes over the major styles you'll encounter.

u/cheatreynold · 6 pointsr/beer

Tasting Beer by Randy Mosher. This book continues to be the number one book I recommend when it comes to starting your journey to learn everything about beer. It is also the book that the Cicerone program wants you read for the first step of their certification process.

As far as beer tasting goes, all I can recommend you do (or keep doing) is to taste as many different beers as possible. People have their opinions on beers, and choose to drink some rather than others for many different reasons (taste, corporate/independent ownership, political leanings, etc.). It's very polarized, and there may be a general consensus about one beer or another, but the only way you can arrive at your own conclusions is to drink those different beers yourself and come to learn what you like.

u/jeffdrafttech · 6 pointsr/beer

Here is an imgur gallery of the glassware section from Tasting Beer by Randy Mosher. It defines all modern glasses and states their use. It covers your examples.

http://imgur.com/a/96kdA

http://www.amazon.com/Tasting-Beer-Insiders-Worlds-Greatest/dp/1603420894

u/mofo99 · 6 pointsr/beer

I liked this book that was recommended on this sub a while back

https://www.amazon.com/Tasting-Beer-Insiders-Worlds-Greatest/dp/1603420894

If you make it back down to Seattle, try to track down some of Georgetown's Bodhizafa IPA if you liked Space Dust. It's become my go-to IPA as of late.

u/BradC · 5 pointsr/beer

I suggest you get a copy of Tasting Beer by Randy Mosher. It opened my eyes to everything in the world of beer, and tasting, understanding, and appreciating it. 10/10 would recommend again and again.

u/WinskiTech711 · 5 pointsr/beer

Let Randy Mosher be your guide! Seriously though his book, Tasting Beer, helped me up my beer review/description game immensely. https://www.amazon.com/Tasting-Beer-Insiders-Worlds-Greatest/dp/1603420894

u/[deleted] · 5 pointsr/beer

I don't know about "rating" beer, but here's a good book about Tasting Beer by Randy Mosher.

u/rereedrumr · 4 pointsr/beer

Second for Garret Oliver's Brewmasters Table, though an even better book for introductory purposes may be Randy Mosher's Tasting Beer. Nice pictures, easy to read, covers just about everything on an easy to understand basis.

u/LambTaco · 4 pointsr/beerporn

I recommend picking up Randy Mosher's 'Tasting Beer'. Here is an excerpt regarding pouring for a creamier head:

"To get the best head on a beer, pour boldly down the center of an absolutely clean glass. It will foam up, but this is good. Really. Allow it to settle and then repeat until you have a full glass. By delaying gratification and allowing a large amount of foam to build up and then shrink, you have created a dense, creamy foam, filled with tiny, long-lasting bubbles. As a side benefit, you have knocked some of the excess gas out of the beer, and the result will be more like the smooth creaminess of draft beer."

u/sublimefan310 · 3 pointsr/beer

If you're nervous about getting him a beer he might not like, you can always spring for something like glasswear or an experience. For example:


Glasswear - very few beer drinkers have a good set of tasting glasses or a nice Teku glass. They tend to spend their money more on the beer than the proper glasswear. Here are some to consider:


Teku Glasses
Tasting Glasses

Experience - This is completely scalable based on budget. Need to do something cheaper? Check out Yelp reviews and Beer Advocate reviews to find the best local brewery near you and take him there, followed by dinner at a great tap room or gastropub. Have more budget? Take him on a beer roadtrip or brewery tour around some of the local breweries in your area.


Beer books and merch - There are a lot of great books about the history of beer, tasting beer, etc. Here are a few to check out:


Tasting Beer
Oxford Companion

You can also get merch from his favorite brewery's online store or taproom. They'll have shirts, branded glasses, etc. All of those things should score points with any beer drinker.

u/T1978_sach · 3 pointsr/beer

Ah, this is always tough when starting out. It's a matter of association. You just need to be able to express what you are tasting, smelling, feeling etc. The tough part is that everyone smells things a bit differently and has different sensitivities. When I started out I would get a beer and as I drank it I would read beeradvocate or ratebeer reviews and see if I agreed with any or if any gave me an Ah HA! moment in looking for a descriptor. You can also use the Beer Flavor Wheel to help you narrow down descriptors.

Another thing to do is start reading up on how beer is made and where certain flavors come from, it can help with your associations and understanding of WHY the beer tastes the way it does.

You can also get Tasting Beer, a fantastic book by Randy Mosher. It's a well informed, well written book on how to make associations, how to describe what you are tasting, how beer is made and where the various aromas and flavors come from. I had the pleasure of judging at a table with Randy this week and he is an awesome guy, extremely knowledgeable and very nice.

u/flmngarrow · 3 pointsr/CraftBeer

I find that Tasting Beer by Randy Mosher is a good resource for beer education. Probably the best thing to do would be to organize flights for him, so you can start to work out what styles he likes. Obviously there's a lot of variation within styles, but perhaps if you give him a selection to rank or pit against each other, you can start to see whether he likes hoppy vs. malt-forward, etc. So you could start with a pilsner, a wheat beer, an IPA and a stout or a similar line-up and work your way out from there.

u/beerploma · 3 pointsr/beer

Tasting Beer is by far an away my favorite read. It covers every aspect of beer well; styles, glass ware, serving, pairing, history, science of brewing and more. I have found myself referencing this book more then any other. I highly recommend you pick this one up for a good read. Enjoy!

http://www.amazon.com/Tasting-Beer-Insiders-Worlds-Greatest/dp/1603420894

u/metal0130 · 2 pointsr/beer

Absolutely. That's sort of what I was getting at. The descriptions give you hints of what to look for, and after so e time, you won't need as much help picking out the different flavors. Don't forget that taste is subjective. If the label only mentions a few flavors but you taste a few more, you aren't wrong. You taste what you taste.

Edit to add: check out the book Tasting Beer, by Randy Mosher. It's got a lot of great information about the flavor of beer, as well as what's causing the flavors. The book has a LOT more info than just flavor though. Well worth the investment.

https://www.amazon.com/Tasting-Beer-Insiders-Worlds-Greatest/dp/1603420894

u/left_lane_camper · 2 pointsr/beer

Tasting Beer by Randy Mosher is my go-to intro guide that covers a huge range of beer topics.

The Brewmaster's Table By Garrett Oliver would probably be good for you if you're working for a grocery store, as it could help you make pairing recommendations.

The BJCP Style Guide is a good online resource for styles. It's designed for judging homebrew competitions, so it isn't the last word on the more flexible world of beer styles that may be available, but it's about as good as it gets for a general guideline on what's out there.

Palmer's How To Brew is a classic guide to the basics of how brewing works, though there are also a quadrillion other good homebrewing books out there.

The Brewing Elements series of books is more technical, but I'm a big fan of them. They cover a lot of the how and why of beer.

If you can, find a local beer tasting group and kick it with them. That'll help you get a sense of what's cool and new in the beer world so you can stay ahead of trends. You'll hopefully know what the biggest sales are from your work itself, which should cover most of the beer just fine, but the best beer selections have the things that sell well today and at least some things that will sell well tomorrow.

u/ironHobo · 2 pointsr/beer

Here's the book that got me started. It's got detailed history, style descriptions and their own histories, tips for tasting and pairing with foods, and more. It's a genuinely fun read, too!

u/40below · 2 pointsr/Random_Acts_Of_Amazon

Hey there! I'm a beer-lover myself . . . and I've been enjoying homebrewing, which is very rewarding!

If you're interested in a more formal approach to beer tasting, you may want to add _Tasting Beer_ to your wishlist! I just finished reading it myself. It goes into much greater depth than I'll ever really experience, but it gives you a deep perspective on what the most serious beer-geeks and beer-snobs are doing when they take a sip, and it has seriously improved my own appreciation of the ancient beverage.

Also, if you're genuinely interested in homebrewing, in addition to the relatively affordable Mr. Beer (I haven't brewed with it, but I've tasted several people's results with it, and they've been consistently good) you may want to watch for the Groupon deal from Midwest Supplies. It's inactive now, but they do seem to keep bringing it back, and it's a very good deal for getting starting homebrew equipment.

Finally, I saw your discussion with AllOfTimeAndSpace about IPAs, and although I see it's not your favorite style, I thought I might recommend an IPA I tried recently that I thought was spectacularly good: Lawson's Double Sunshine IPA. I imagine it's hard to get outside of Vermont (though I'd be thrilled if I'm wrong, since I don't live there and just had it during a vacation), but it is one of the most delicious beers I've ever tried!

There's definitely more snobbery among wine lovers, but beer is easily as complex, varied, and interesting! Good beer goes great with all sorts of good food, and it's just as rewarding. Glad you're finding so much pleasure in it!

---

Haha! I see (having now actually looked at your wish list) that you have my two suggestions on it already. Good show!

u/thisplaceisterrible · 2 pointsr/beer

Tasting Beer by Ray Daniels Randy Mosher.

Edit: Mixed up some of my favorite beer authors.

u/fordarian · 2 pointsr/beer

Little bit of a different issue, but I would also suggest having a homebrew session with the staff before you open one day. Nothing will teach you about the process of making beer better than doing it yourself, and it really isn't hard. If you still want to accompany that lesson with literature, two great books on brewing are How to Brew by John Palmer (aka the home brewer's bible, full text is also available for free online) and The Complete Joy of Homebrewing by Charlie Papazian

As far as general history and beer tasting knowledge, I'll back up those who have recommended Tasting Beer by Randy Mosher, and pretty much anything written by Michael Jackson. Many of Jackson's books are separated by regions, so it would be helpful to find which one applies to the area your pub/the beers your serve are from

u/_pmh · 2 pointsr/beer

I would recommend beer books:

u/WildBeerChase · 2 pointsr/CFBOffTopic

How about an arbitrary amount of citrus fruit?

Or this book. It's a really good read if you feel like learning about beer.

u/Odiddley · 2 pointsr/beer

I love Randy Mosher's book as well. That might be the big yellow book. However, Garett Oliver's newest book The Oxford Companion to Beer is THE book to own. But it is 900 pages long

u/Sonny_Crockett123 · 2 pointsr/beer

Read this book and try as many of the commercial examples as you can get a hold of. Also, read whatever you can by Michael Jackson (the beer writer, not the pederast.)

u/cryingosling · 1 pointr/beerporn

"Randy Mosher, one of America’s leading experts on the topic, thinks so. [...]

At a recent beer-tasting event held at the Workman headquarters, Randy told me that, generally speaking, bottled beer should be poured straight into the dead center of the glass, not into a glass tilted at a 45-degree angle, as is popularly believed. When beer is poured into a tilted glass, Randy argues, the head never fully forms, and you miss out on the beer’s creamy introduction.

True to his word, in Tasting Beer, Randy describes how beer should be poured for judging at a competition: 'Pour the beer right down the middle of the glass, wait for the foam to settle, and if needed, pour a little more.'”

source

edit 01: formatting

edit 02: i got the straight down pour from reading the book, but he does also go on about how you're not "wrong" to pour it other ways, just a method he pushes. he actually goes into another multiple step method of pouring down the center harder, letting it settle, and repeating. i've done it but the time it takes isn't worth the result in most cases.

u/NightAudit · 1 pointr/Homebrewing

Is this the right book?

Also would you know how difficult it would be to cut the recipe in half? I think it would be interesting to try both schedules to expand my palette. I assume it would just be twice as hard, just cut the recipes in half.

u/jrlemay · 1 pointr/beer

As a lot of people have said, I think flights are a great idea. I would add that going somewhere that has a good selection of traditional styles would be a good place to start, and if you like American lager-style beer, try some craft versions of that so you can have something to compare to what you're used to (might I suggest Oskar Blues Mama's Yella Pils or Victory Prima Pils).

I'm in academia, so I found that some light reading on the subject helped a lot - ingredients and their respective characteristics, the brewing process, history and characteristics of all the different styles, etc. Tasting Beer by Randy Mosher is a great place to start.

u/beer_SS · 1 pointr/SubredditSimulator

I still need to pay attention to their kids and I have to do on this sub a while back. https://www.amazon.com/Tasting-Beer-Insiders-Worlds-Greatest/dp/1603420894.

u/shoryukenist · 1 pointr/beer

Randy Mosher: Tasting beer really is great for learning history, a little chemistry and all about styles. Highly reccomend it.
http://www.amazon.com/Tasting-Beer-Insiders-Worlds-Greatest/dp/1603420894/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1343758259&sr=8-1&keywords=randy+mosher+tasting+beer

u/yourmother-athon · 1 pointr/Homebrewing

I definitely recommend Tasting Beer by Randy Mosher. It is a brilliant book. May not be the best for homebrewing exclusively, but opens your eyes to beer.

u/brewingbryan · 1 pointr/beer

Start with Tasting Beer and move on to the Beer Bible when you want something way more in depth.

u/schoofer · 1 pointr/Homebrewing

Any time is a good time, once you've got a basic understanding of different malts and hops and yeasts. Two books have helped me immensely, too: How to Brew by John Palmer and Tasting Beer by Randy Mosher

u/fizgigtiznalkie · 1 pointr/Homebrewing

Randy Mosher gives some great things clubs can do in this book:
http://www.amazon.com/Tasting-Beer-Insiders-Worlds-Greatest/dp/1603420894

Some I remember are beer/food pairings, putting out all sorts of hops and hop tea for smelling/tasting, and picking styles or geographical locations and going through different beers from each.

Is anyone in a club near Detroit?

u/chewie23 · 1 pointr/beer

I'm reading Tasting Beer right now. It's really, really good.

u/sdarji · 1 pointr/Homebrewing

Google " 'how to identify' site:seriouseats.com" and read the first eight search results. Then you can read the book "Tasting Beer" by Randy Mosher.

u/vegandread · 0 pointsr/beer

Tasting Beer by Randy Mosher.

It may not help you for your interview tomorrow but if it's a field you're interested in, this is your bible: