Beginners Beer tasting help

[DoubleG]

Hi All,

Not sure if this is thread is in the right place or not but sure here goes!

I have been asked to do a quick beginners beer tasting at a stag coming up in September. Does anyone have any resources for beginners beer tasting material or any ideas of what to run through?

Most of the attendees would not be massively into their craft beer, but would like to sample different beers. I don't want to do something too heavy regarding judging beer just some info on different types and a few tasters.

Has anyone any experience of doing something similar and if so have they any advice?

Thanks!

[irish_goat]

Have you a pub to host in or is it in a house/venue?

They're easy enough to do anyway, I'd select many 4 or 5 different styles and pick popular beers from each style.

E.g.
Pilsner Urquell
O'Hara's Red Ale
Schneider Weisse Tap 7
Blacks Kinsale Pale Ale
O'Hara's Leann Follain

Get a bottle for yourself to drink beforehand and make notes, then go online and cheat a little by seeing what other people have said about the beers. On the day then I always do a quick chat about the difference in malts and hops and then maybe a short introduction to each beer style. If you have homebrew ingredients you can demonstrate the difference between roasted and unroasted malt and this helps people understand why red and ale and stout tastes and looks the way it does. 

[DoubleG]

It will be held in a House the first night of the stag as a bit of an ice breaker to get everyone to know each other.

That's sounds like a good plan going through the different styles I might try that.

[irish_goat]

Just make sure you have enough glasses/a way of washing them in between. And a few packets of crackers can help to cleanse the palate between beers too.

[johnrm]

Maybe a bit OT but...
I was staying with some friends a few years ago and had about 6 random homebrews with me - Some mine, some from other people.
I knew what each of the beers were and the 'story' behind the beer - i.e. what yeast, any hiccups in process etc.
4 of us went through samples the beers over about 2 hours and had a really enjoyable time.
Its interesting to see what aromas and flavours people pick up and to see how people respond to non-commercial beer.