Not drinking kind of ruins the advice I was about to give… I’ll still type it for anyone who wants.

Basically that there are dozens of distinct beer styles sold at bars. A person who likes to fixate on details might try to become a bit of a beer expert, or Cicerone, as the beer training program in North America calls it. Yes, there are actual training courses where you learn to drink and identify beer styles.

Now, this isn’t a beer brewing training, it’s more like a wine sommelier.

Anyway, once you start trying to be a beer expert, you use a phone app like untappd to track your beer drinking, and then you try as many unique beers as possible. You can leave reviews and notes in the app.

You then go to brewpubs and microbreweries that are less focused on the music and noise. Keep things calm and go at lunch or for your afternoon meal. Food will be expensive, so it’s often easier to grab a bit of fast food before going into the bar, and then just ordering a beer.

The most important thing here, don’t drink to get drunk, and never drink alone. Try the new beers with a friend, make it a social thing where you both try the same thing and talk about it.

It’s okay to have a favorite style, but do try to branch out and try more, after all, there are thousands of different beers on the market to try.

Ah, well if you do end up hosting a thing, consider being open minded about the alcohol. For some, having the alcohol will be a big part of the social experience and if it’s not allowed, they may not show up.