Alcohol

When writing my outline for this post, I was debating how in depth I wanted to get into this because people have written entire books on this subject. My intent is to give a broad general tips on the different types of beer and wine there are. I have recently considered myself a connoisseur of alcohol. I can't get too broad with hard liquor, but I can with beer and wine. By being able to identify the different types of beer and wine, I think those who are hesitant to try alcohol or are still not sure what they like will greatly appreciate it.

Before I get into the different types of beer, I feel that it is important to talk about how beer is how it is stored. Beer served from a keg (on draft) and into a glass is personally the best way to drink beer. In lieu of a keg, a can also works fairly well, but it is important to pour it into a glass too. Bottled beer can be fine, but the darker the glass the better. I thought I didn't like Stella Artois because it was always given to me in a green bottle. When I had it on draft, I fell in love with it. The more light can contaminate the beer, the more likely it is to be skunked. In order to unskunk a beer, you can either put a shot of whiskey in it (a la a boilermaker) or put a slice of lime in it. This is the reason why you typically want to enjoy a Corona with a lime.

There are several different types of beers, but I'm going to highlight four since they are the most common I see in liquor stores (also called gas stations in the Army). These may not be the technical definitions, but these are how they are commonly labelled for example a Pilsner is a type of lager.

1. Pilsners - sometimes called a blonde lager. Most American beers can be described as this type such as Budweiser and Miller Lite. The main way to tell this beer is it's distinct golden color. These beers have a lighter, sweeter flavor that I would almost akin to cereal. While I don't have a problem with Budweiser or Miller Lite, my recommended beer of this type would be a Stella Artois. Again, be sure to drink it from draft. 
2. IPA's - India Pale Ails. These beers have a strong hoppy flavor. Historically, these beers were created because they wouldn't spoil after a long voyage to India partly due to the hops. Unfortunately, I hate IPA's because I am not a fan of hops, so I cannot give a recommendation. Despite this, IPA's are hugely popular, but knowing that I don't like IPA's is what helped me try new beers because I know to avoid them. 
3. Lagers. These beers are typically darker in color and have a stronger maltier flavor. These are actually my favorite type of beers. Beers labelled simply as "lager" will generally not be as malty as others. Typically beers labelled as "red" and "amber" can fall into these categories but will have a varying stronger taste of malts. My favorite beer -without a doubt- is Sam Adam's Oktoberfest. Honestly, it's my favorite part of Autumn. 
4. Stouts - sometimes called porters. These are the heaviest beers. The most popular stout in the world by far is Guiness which I feel has a more coffee and bitter flavor to it. I used to not like it, but since I started drinking coffee, I now love the stuff. Usually these have the most flavor, but may not be refreshing with a meal. I like to think of them as an after meal drink. Of course I do enjoy some Guiness with some Irish potato skins at a local pub. 

Like with beers, wines have even more varieties so I am going to simplify them down to two categories. Wines are basically on a spectrum from dry to sweet. White wines tend to be lighter in flavor whereas reds tend to have an earthier flavor. Regardless, both still fall on the dry to sweet spectrum.

I often find that new wine drinkers generally prefer sweeter wines rather than dry wines, so I would recommend moscatos, reislings, and "soft" wines. Drier wines are harder to classify, but liquor stores usually have a spectrum somewhere like the image below that can help you figure out your preference. Like I said, I first recommend going sweet and then working backwards.

Missing from this chart are meads (honey wines) which are probably the sweetest and a favorite of mine.

If you are interested in wine pairings, the simplest advice that I can give is that red wines go with red meats and white wines go with poultry and fish. With deserts you typically want a sweeter wine although chocolate can be good with an earthy red. The below chart is a little more detailed, but I think my small advice is easier to remember.

Useful for dinner parties or if you want to show off to people.

Lastly, one of the most common questions I am asked on this subject is what is the difference between cheap and expensive wine. Frankly, I can't really tell. I've been told that sometimes what can make wines expensive is consistency. I've had a jug of Carlo Rossi red wine and I thought it was the best wine I've ever had. I later bought another jug, and it was one of the worst reds I've ever had. I can't think of an expensive brand off the top of my head, but my dad always orders the same red at a fancy steak restaurant he likes to take me to when I visit, and it always tastes the same. I won't say it's better than others, but at least I know what I'm getting.