How do you decide what beer to buy

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sieglere

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So I love walking through the beer isle and looking at all the variety (my supermarket has good craft selection). I normally just use Google Goggles and beer advocate to decide. I was wondering how you guys decide? Word of mouth? Darts, dice, or other games of chance? Brand loyalty? Love BMC so much you wonder about this concept of 'choice'?
 
So the way I normally choose is If I haven't had it I need to try it. Love the Pick six deals they have every where now. I also go for the style of beer I like and for the most part that seems to work. I did make a mistake and bought a 6 pack of something that was awful. I should have known since it was only $4.00 but hey you never know until you try it!! To me Craft Beers are Like Pokemon you gotta catch them all. :mug:
 
I use ratebeer/beer advocate to make sure it isn't terrible. I can't get singles here in WV so I try pretty hard to not get stuck with a 6 pack 'o crap.
 
BA has a phone app now, type in the beer and it gives you the score. I don't let it deter me unless its less than 80.
not huge about this but when im trying a new brewery or expensive bottle ill see how well its rating stands.
 
My local liquor stores will print out BA or RateBeer sheets on some of the good beers and tape them to the shelves where that beer is at. But, normally, I know of 50 or 60 goto beers I can grab and will surely be happy. Since I rarely buy beer, I will buy one or two unknown beers and one or two "favorites" as a treat.

For 2013, I think I've only purchased beers of which I don't have the same style bottled up at home.
 
I typically look for things I haven't had before. I don't trust any beer reviews, just because everybody likes something different and 99% of the beer out there isn't technically flawed. I focus on breweries that are closer to me, but if something comes along that isn't well distributed in my area I snatch it up. I look for novelty, so that when I know what I'm feeling like, I have a wider selection to pick from when I find something really great.
 
I frequent a store that sells a lot of singles and doesn't mind breaking six packs up. Then I can try one without committing to six. If it's an IPA or a IIPA, I always check the dates. I also usually pick up a six of something I've had before, too.
 
I look for brands I am familiar with and buy anything different that they have. I love the seasonal stuff. I look for anything from Stone and Surly for sure, then I browse the pick six for anything that looks appealing.

I also browse the isle as research for my next brew. If I am brewing an Oatmeal stout I will try and find good examples of those beers and then look what ingredients they use to get a good idea of what to use when creating my recipe.
 
I look for the style that sounds good and seasonal stuff from well known breweries. The real craft selection is not at my closest super market. I have to go to the more specialized super market, liquor or the Wine and Beer store by work when I run low on new beer to drink/explore. Costco is also another place I check for seasonal brews anytime I am there.
 
I like getting something new when I shop, usually in 22s.
 
We have the ultimate beer store here... the owner, Kent, posts the Ratebeer scores for almost everything, which is sometimes not a good way for me to judge, since I'm not huge on oddly-flavored beers.. call me old-fashioned, but I like fairly traditional, straightforward ales.

But... he does offer mixed 6'ers, so we'll experiment that way sometimes. Other times, the SWMBO says "ooh! I like this label!" and that's the one we'll get.
 
Other times, the SWMBO says "ooh! I like this label!" and that's the one we'll get.[/QUOTE]

:off: This also happens to me. She is really crafty and peels the labels off, One day she said shes going to make a purse with all the different lables.
 
I typically look for things I haven't had before. I don't trust any beer reviews, just because everybody likes something different and 99% of the beer out there isn't technically flawed. I focus on breweries that are closer to me, but if something comes along that isn't well distributed in my area I snatch it up. I look for novelty, so that when I know what I'm feeling like, I have a wider selection to pick from when I find something really great.

I absolutely do all of this.

I look for brands I am familiar with and buy anything different that they have. I love the seasonal stuff. I look for anything from Stone and Surly for sure, then I browse the pick six for anything that looks appealing.

I also browse the isle as research for my next brew. If I am brewing an Oatmeal stout I will try and find good examples of those beers and then look what ingredients they use to get a good idea of what to use when creating my recipe.

All that, too. When brewing a style I'm not so familiar with I'll specifically look for the BJCP commercial examples and buy a few of those.
 
I usually just go with something I've never had before. I, too, adore the mix-six, and have come across all sorts of great beers this way.

However, I will buy Rogue XS beers, solely because of their bottles, which are flip-top and ceramic. They are my favorite bottles for homebrewing, even if I can't get rid of the paint.
 
I try do figure out what it is, look for a nice label, look for a CHEAP PRICE and something new and go for it. I like single bottles then if it sucks - no worries!
 
I pick a style I am interested, a beer I have not tried or beer I just really love. As soon as some seasonals that I love go on sale at the end of season, I stock up. Personally cannot wait until Goose Island Mild Winter comes out this year.

If I ever get the pipeline full with a bit of buffer...will only be the first two.
 
I like beers that the bottles are the right size for those small paper bags at the liquor store.
I like to open one and wrap the bag around the bottle so that just the mouth is exposed. Then I walk down the sidewalk, swaying to and fro, and yelling at passing cars. I usually continue until the damn Five-0 runs me downtown for the night.

All in all, a good time:tank:
 
Generally when I buy beer I buy 2 six packs at a time. I always try and pick 2 different styles or tastes. So if I have an IPA in mind then ill also find a porter or a wheat that sounds good.
 
Sampler packs and make your own sixers are always a safe bet.

I take time to read labels/descriptions. And do a little browsing on the internet.
 
Mostly word-of-mouth from friends or people on here, brand loyalty to certain breweries that rarely let me down, or sometimes just a label that catches my eye.
 
All of the above? Sometimes there is a house favorite I want to get that I know my husband also loves, like Bells Two Hearted, Indeed Day Tripper, or Surly Furious. I do have an every evolving top 5 breweries, so I will almost always grab something from one of them if they have a new brew out. If I see something from a brewery we don't get often in these parts, I'll often grab that to try. Word of mouth. Occasionally an old guilty pleasure. I also use beer as an ingredient in cocktails, so I'll pick up what will go well with the other ingredients (like Summit Saga for a beer-ga-rita).
 
Almost about anything new or seasonal or new ones that start getting sold in my state if I havent already tried them .Ive gotten to the point I tried so many that I often come out with wine or maybe a random mead or empty handed. Im glad for the mixed sixers which help me not feel guilty or disapointed that I bought a sixer of something I didnt care much for. There are still my goto favorates Ill ocassionally get if its been a while,if I dont feel like going out empty handed ;) . Right now Ive been trying wines/meads, I have beer-radar though if there is something that catches my eye. Alot of times people with rave about some or alot of times Ill look them up on ratebeer and even rate em. Sometimes Ill find out that some favorate breweries have a new beer they came out with seasonaly or special series beers. Yeah, I became pretty geeky since I first started brewing. Especially since my life perdy much revolves around it.
 
sometimes I ask random people in the store what they like and they reply, "BMC Light." I slap them with a bottle of Westmalle Dubbel and then buy the bottle behind it.
 
You could always tie them down and waterboard them with the dubbel :cross:

Is it still torture if it's with great beer? I wonder if the government is watching right now and thinking...hmmm...that would be a convenient excuse....
 
Is it still torture if it's with great beer? I wonder if the government is watching right now and thinking...hmmm...that would be a convenient excuse....

I can see it now, in some top-secret government facility, they're making plans to invade the Belgian abbeys to retrieve their "chemical weapons stockpiles". :D

It wouldn't be torture for me, but for a lite beer drinker? They'd probably think you were drowning them in motor oil!
 
Anything new or rare...I never buy something I've had unless its the only option or I am going to age it
 
I look for the breweries I like first and see if they have anything new or seasonal, because I might not get a chance to pick it up later on. Then I look around for other beers from breweries I haven't tried, and pick a style that I like from their selection. After that I'll see if they have my tried-and-true beers that I always enjoy drinking.

Additionally the bottle shop I go to has beer tastings and that's a good way to find out if I'll like the beer or not.

Sometimes I pick up a bottle just because it sounds crazy enough to try, or uses ingredients that I like.
 
Being new to this hobby(5 batches- 2 extract 3 AG) I find myself looking for the cheapest pryoff six pack i can find to stock up on bottles. Luckily several wholesalers have been heavily discounting slow movers to create room in their warehouses. Example: picked up Central Waters Belgian Blonde and Speakeasy Talullah for 4.99 a sixer each. I figured hey, even if the beer sucks, i get a cheap buzz and free bottles!
 
Being new to this hobby(5 batches- 2 extract 3 AG) I find myself looking for the cheapest pryoff six pack i can find to stock up on bottles. Luckily several wholesalers have been heavily discounting slow movers to create room in their warehouses. Example: picked up Central Waters Belgian Blonde and Speakeasy Talullah for 4.99 a sixer each. I figured hey, even if the beer sucks, i get a cheap buzz and free bottles!

If you have a Costco membership, get their Kirkland mixed case. The beers are pretty decent, the labels come off really easily, and it's cheap!
 
Example: Walked into liquor store,seen that Sierra Nevada has a new seasonal Flipside.My thoughts are hmm,got to try this and or I will try this someday-then I cut to the chase and think..,well, may as well pick this up today since its in my face and on my brain. This is how I decided to buy the beer I bought today. Plus it was even on sale.
 
Cider123 said:
I like beers that the bottles are the right size for those small paper bags at the liquor store.
I like to open one and wrap the bag around the bottle so that just the mouth is exposed. Then I walk down the sidewalk, swaying to and fro, and yelling at passing cars. I usually continue until the damn Five-0 runs me downtown for the night.

All in all, a good time:tank:

I just laughed so loud at this it woke my baby up!
 
Since I have more than enough bottles to take care of all my homebrewing needs (about 500) I rarely buy any commercial beer. I do get a few sixes of stuff like Corona Light or Bud Light for guests, but most of my friends and relatives have been converted and prefer my homebrew.

bosco
 
You could always tie them down and waterboard them with the dubbel :cross:

if you are going to waterboard, you may just as well use the BMC lite. It is close enough to water anyway.

I just wander through the isles with a giddy grin on my face and grab a random selection(s) from the style I want. Sometimes I am distracted by the label art, but mainly I just pick one and grab the bottle form the back of the stack. I have had a few lightstruck bottles from the Total Beverage near my house and want to minimize that risk.
 
if you are going to waterboard, you may just as well use the BMC lite. It is close enough to water anyway.

I just wander through the isles with a giddy grin on my face and grab a random selection(s) from the style I want. Sometimes I am distracted by the label art, but mainly I just pick one and grab the bottle form the back of the stack. I have had a few lightstruck bottles from the Total Beverage near my house and want to minimize that risk.

Yea when the labels are sun faded from nothing between the front windows and the case facing the eastern sunrise its a definite sign to just drink soda.
 
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