Guides and Facts
Top 10 tips for choosing the right beer from Beers of Europe
Top 10 tips for choosing the right beer from Beers of Europe
Originally Posted on May 06, 2016
With such an enormous range available to our everyday customer, it is easy to feel overwhelmed when knowing which products to pick. This is especially true if you are buying for someone else, or if you are fairly new to our website. According to an online poll on SurveyMonkey, 85% of people think taste is important when it comes to buying beers online with 57% considering it to be the most important reason to buy a beer. Not being able to utilise the most important factor when buying a beer can be daunting but do not fear, as we present to you our top 10 tips for successfully choosing the right beer.
1) LEARN YOUR STYLES
Style is a defining factor of beer, and with dozens available, it’s possible to stumble at the first step. However it is the closest link to taste that you can utilise, therefore knowing your styles is an important part of choosing the right beer. Beers and Lagers have many different sub styles, with each having a different taste. If you are interested in finding out more about each style than you can find the new series we are launching here, which goes into depth about the specification of each as well as the history. If you are fairly new to the site and have no idea which styles you like, playing it safe with a Lager or Pilsner, IPA or Ale may be the best option to grasp a basic knowledge of the main sub-styles. If you are well established with the main beer styles then it may be a good idea to look into the more obscure sub-styles such as Rauchbier, Kolsch or Coffee Porters. Good examples of these are Schlenkerla, Fruh and Meantime respectively. It is worth noting many of the Beers on our website have the style in the name.
2) CHOOSE THE RELEVANT COUNTRY
The country that a beer comes from can also be quite a help. If you are trying to find a particular style on the website, then knowing where a style comes from can guide you in the right direction. Whilst this is not always the case, generalisations like Belgian Strong Ales or Trappists, German Lagers and UK Ales are a good place to start when looking for a beer. These stereotypes exist because of the rich history these countries have in brewing that certain style. For instance the Czech Republic is regarded as the birthplace of the Pilsner, with Pilsner Urquell staking its claim as the very first of its sort. But many beverages come from outside their birthplace such as the Japanese Hitachino which produces a White Ale and Expresso Stout or the Argentinian premium Lager Quilmes, also available in a Bock.
3) QUALITY WITHOUT THE PRICETAG
If you don’t fancy purchasing our Mine Is Bigger Than Yours XXXL for £1995, then we do have thousands of alternatives that don’t require a second mortgage. Our website primarily lists our beers in alphabetical order; however there is an option to rank in order of price, making it easier to stay within a budget. We also stock a large range of pre-mixed cases, allowing you to have a variety of beers at a set price, including our new Mystery Box which contains 12 beers for £24. You can view the full range here. In addition we have the reduced to clear section of the website that showcases our beers that are near or have passed their best before dates, although are perfectly fine to drink. Sticking to these is guaranteed to get you a good selection at an even better price.
4) FOLLOW THE CHANGING OF THE SEASONS
Seasons in the alcohol industry are even more extreme than Mother Nature herself. Big specials like Oktoberfests lead the way for annual brews and depending on the time of year, you can always find summer and winter editions of your favourite beers on our website. The summer often brings out the lager styles and IPAs to meet refreshment requirements in the poor excuse for hot weather. These tend to be lighter with less alcohol to account for session drinking by the BBQ. You can find an extensive range of German Lagers and British IPAs on our website. Meanwhile the styles that traditionally come in the winter are Stouts and Porters which are generally associated with cooler periods due to the strength and complexity of the brews. As well as the styles, breweries tend to release winter specials that are excellent for those long dark nights by the fireplace. While perfect at the time, it is not a beer much suited to warmer weather. Winter specials come from breweries such as Ayinger, Grimbergen and Elmtree and are available on our website here.
5) SIZE AND REPUTATION OF BREWERY COUNTS
Another important factor when buying beer is the brewery it comes from. In the mentioned survey, it is the fourth biggest influence in buying a beer, with 63% of people choosing a craft brew over a mainstream brewer. This is something that we support as a distributor for new breweries in the United Kingdom and further. We try to avoid larger mainstream brands and leave those to supermarkets while we promote the ingenuity and craftsmanship of smaller breweries. Gluten Free breweries are just a few smaller breweries with a growing reputation. Hepworth, Westerham and Greens are all available on Beers of Europe’s website.
6) BOTTLES OR CANS??
A classic conundrum is the decision to go with a bottle or can. For a long time, craft beer has just been available in bottles, with cans being associated with cheap premium lager you can get for a pound in the corner shop… but no more. Cans are coming back into fashion and some of the United Kingdom’s biggest breweries are installing canning lines at their breweries to meet a new craft demand for them. Brewdog recently produced the ‘Black Eyed King Imp Vietnamese Coffee Edition Can’ as a limited edition 12.7% imperial stout and they are joined by Fourpure and Redwell breweries in celebrating a return to prominence at Beers of Europe. Suitable for festivals and far more portable than a bottle there are pros towards having a can at the ready.
7) CHECK THE ALCOHOL CONTENT
It is normally safe to assume that the percentage of alcohol is relevant to the style that is chosen. A premium Pilsner is normally only 4-4.5% whereas it is not uncommon to find a Stout above 7-8%, however breaking these constraints comes naturally in the brewing industry. Online you will find a new edition to our store, Rothhammer and their incredible Imperial Pilsner rocking up at 9% whilst the classic Mackeson’s Stout is only 2.8%. If you are new to trying beers or buying a gift, a high percentage always looks good on the bottle, but a lower percentage is an easier starting point for getting to grips with the sort of beer you would like. Unless your gift is in spite, in which case a 14% Samichlaus may be the bottle for you.
8) WHATEVER THE OCCASION
Make sure you sign up to our newsletter for all the latest on our special occasion mixed packs that we release throughout the year. 2016 has already delivered Six Nations and Easter packs and with Euro 2016, Wimbledon, the Olympics and themed summer packs on the way you, can expect to be covered for every holiday up to and including Christmas. We also take gift messages for birthdays and other celebrations. Short on time? Simply call us on 0155381200 and with an ideal quantity and budget we can put a box together with the quality to make any occasion special.
9) CHOOSING QUANTITY
Another problem with our supreme choice is knowing when to stop. Our boxes come in convenient sizes of 6, 12 and 24. This correlates well with the case size of our bottles, which varies from 6-24 depending on the size of bottle. However we think the best way to shop is with a mixture of beers, allowing you to choose a wide variety at a very competitive price. Our website allows you to choose any number you require (as long as our stock allows it) making it a flexible and easy process to complete your order.
10) BROWSE OUR NEW ADDITIONS
Our newest products are uploaded to our website on a daily basis and are accessible via a tab on our homepage. The latest products in are often items other customers have been asking for, and therefore come recommended. It is worthwhile browsing this part of the website as the latest beers always help to push our understanding of styles, tastes, combinations and hopefully doesn’t leave you even more confused than when you started this article.
+OTHER PRODUCTS THAN BEERS
Finally, after reaching the end of our top 10 tips for finding the right beer, you may still not feel confident in picking a beer. Never fear as here is our Top 100 advanced tips for finding the right beer! Ok maybe not, but here at Beers of Europe we don’t just specialise in Beers, and not just in Europe for that matter. You can find a massive array of worldwide Ciders, Wines and Spirits on the website too, with even more styles with even more diversity, best of luck.
Originally Posted on May 06, 2016
With such an enormous range available to our everyday customer, it is easy to feel overwhelmed when knowing which products to pick. This is especially true if you are buying for someone else
1) LEARN YOUR STYLES
Style is a defining factor of beer
2) CHOOSE THE RELEVANT COUNTRY
The country that a beer comes from can also be quite a help. If you are trying to find a particular style on the website, then knowing where a style comes from can guide you in the right direction. Whilst this is not always the case, generalisations like Belgian Strong Ales or Trappists, German Lagers and UK Ales are a good place to start when looking for a beer. These stereotypes exist because of the rich history these countries have in brewing that certain style. For instance the Czech Republic is regarded as the birthplace of the Pilsner, with Pilsner Urquell staking its claim as the very first of its sort. But many beverages come from outside their birthplace such as the Japanese Hitachino which produces a White Ale and Expresso Stout or the Argentinian premium Lager Quilmes, also available in a Bock.
3) QUALITY WITHOUT THE PRICETAG
If you don’t fancy purchasing our Mine Is Bigger Than Yours XXXL for £1995, then we do have thousands of alternatives that don’t require a second mortgage. Our website primarily lists our beers in alphabetical order; however there is an option to rank in order of price, making it easier to stay within a budget. We also stock a large range of pre-mixed cases, allowing you to have a variety of beers at a set price, including our new Mystery Box which contains 12 beers for £24. You can view the full range here. In addition we have the reduced to clear section of the website that showcases our beers that are near or have passed their best before dates, although are perfectly fine to drink. Sticking to these is guaranteed to get you a good selection at an even better price.
4) FOLLOW THE CHANGING OF THE SEASONS
Seasons in the alcohol industry are even more extreme than Mother Nature herself. Big specials like Oktoberfests lead the way for annual brews and depending on the time of year, you can always find summer and winter editions of your favourite beers on our website. The summer often brings out the lager styles and IPAs to meet refreshment requirements in the poor excuse for hot weather. These tend to be lighter with less alcohol to account for session drinking by the BBQ. You can find an extensive range of German Lagers and British IPAs on our website. Meanwhile the styles that traditionally come in the winter are Stouts and Porters which are generally associated with cooler periods due to the strength and complexity of the brews. As well as the styles, breweries tend to release winter specials that are excellent for those long dark nights by the fireplace. While perfect at the time, it is not a beer much suited to warmer weather. Winter specials come from breweries such as Ayinger, Grimbergen and Elmtree and are available on our website here.
5) SIZE AND REPUTATION OF BREWERY COUNTS
Another important factor when buying beer is the brewery it comes from. In the mentioned survey, it is the fourth biggest influence in buying a beer, with 63% of people choosing a craft brew over a mainstream brewer. This is something that we support as a distributor for new breweries in the United Kingdom and further. We try to avoid larger mainstream brands and leave those to supermarkets while we promote the ingenuity and craftsmanship of smaller breweries. Gluten Free breweries are just a few smaller breweries with a growing reputation. Hepworth, Westerham and Greens are all available on Beers of Europe’s website.
6) BOTTLES OR CANS??
A classic conundrum is the decision to go with a bottle or can. For a long time, craft beer has just been available in bottles, with cans being associated with cheap premium lager you can get for a pound in the corner shop… but no more. Cans are coming back into fashion and some of the United Kingdom’s biggest breweries are installing canning lines at their breweries to meet a new craft demand for them. Brewdog recently produced the ‘Black Eyed King Imp Vietnamese Coffee Edition Can’ as a limited edition 12.7% imperial stout and they are joined by Fourpure and Redwell breweries in celebrating a return to prominence at Beers of Europe. Suitable for festivals and far more portable than a bottle there are pros towards having a can at the ready.
7) CHECK THE ALCOHOL CONTENT
It is normally safe to assume that the percentage of alcohol is relevant to the style that is chosen. A premium Pilsner is normally only 4-4.5% whereas it is not uncommon to find a Stout above 7-8%, however breaking these constraints comes naturally in the brewing industry. Online you will find a new edition to our store, Rothhammer and their incredible Imperial Pilsner rocking up at 9% whilst the classic Mackeson’s Stout is only 2.8%. If you are new to trying beers or buying a gift, a high percentage always looks good on the bottle, but a lower percentage is an easier starting point for getting to grips with the sort of beer you would like. Unless your gift is in spite, in which case a 14% Samichlaus may be the bottle for you.
8) WHATEVER THE OCCASION
Make sure you sign up to our newsletter for all the latest on our special occasion mixed packs that we release throughout the year. 2016 has already delivered Six Nations and Easter packs and with Euro 2016, Wimbledon, the Olympics and themed summer packs on the way you, can expect to be covered for every holiday up to and including Christmas. We also take gift messages for birthdays and other celebrations. Short on time? Simply call us on 0155381200 and with an ideal quantity and budget we can put a box together with the quality to make any occasion special.
9) CHOOSING QUANTITY
Another problem with our supreme choice is knowing when to stop. Our boxes come in convenient sizes of 6, 12 and 24. This correlates well with the case size of our bottles, which varies from 6-24 depending on the size of bottle. However we think the best way to shop is with a mixture of beers, allowing you to choose a wide variety at a very competitive price. Our website allows you to choose any number you require (as long as our stock allows it) making it a flexible and easy process to complete your order.
10) BROWSE OUR NEW ADDITIONS
Our newest products are uploaded to our website on a daily basis and are accessible via a tab on our homepage. The latest products in are often items other customers have been asking for, and therefore come recommended. It is worthwhile browsing this part of the website as the latest beers always help to push our understanding of styles, tastes, combinations and hopefully doesn’t leave you even more confused than when you started this article.
+OTHER PRODUCTS THAN BEERS
Finally, after reaching the end of our top 10 tips for finding the right beer, you may still not feel confident in picking a beer. Never fear as here is our Top 100 advanced tips for finding the right beer! Ok maybe not, but here at Beers of Europe we don’t just specialise in Beers, and not just in Europe for that matter. You can find a massive array of worldwide Ciders, Wines and Spirits on the website too, with even more styles with even more diversity, best of luck.
