Grand Rapids Casual Beer Tasting Class!

Hey all,

for those of you who were interested in more information on the CASUAL BEER CLASS I'm starting, here's the deal.

1. ITS CASUAL

this is not an in-your-face intense, super serious class. It is laid back, it is conversative and open. There are no dumb questions, this class is all about learning and understanding beer for the beauty that it is. Don't be afraid to drink! This is a class about BEER, and inebriation is a part of it. Of course, don't let yourself go if you have to drive home, but once the main talking section of the night is over, I intend on drinking ALOT of beer, and encourage you all to join me.

The other thing is guys, I'm not an expert. There are countless people that know a WHOLE LOT MORE about beer than I do. I do love beer and have spent years studying it, but there are ALWAYS those who know more than you, and that doesn't matter if you're attending a class or teaching it. Hopefully i'll be able to bring a few of my brewer friends around and get some inside info on certain topics. My desire to teach this class comes solely from a love of beer, and a desire to share that love with others and help them experience it, too.

2. ITS ABOUT THE BEER

this class is all about the love and appreciation of beer! It will help you comprehend, experience, and describe beers more accurately. More importantly, this casual class will help you understand how beer is made, what goes into it, and what makes beer taste the way it does.

Once you have an understanding of how beer is made and what goes into it, you'll find yourself experiencing beer much more fully, delving into the flavors of all of the components and knowing what you're tasting. You'll soon find yourself able to try a beer, be able to slap a style on it, figure out what's right with it and what's left to be desired.

3. FIRST DRAFT SCHEDULE

I'm planning on a majority of the meetings to be at 25 Kitchen and Bar on monday nights at 9p. The special is 2.25 on all their craft drafts and wells. If I am tentatively planning a week at another location, it will be noted in parenthesis.

WEEK 1 & 2 - Introduction: Brewing Basics, ingredients, and process

WEEK 2 - Basics, emphasis on Introduction to tasting. Lager - Pilsner, Bock, and (ale) Pale Ale

WEEK 3 - IPA and Double IPA; focus on hops

WEEK 4 - Wheat Ales; focus on adjunct fruit brewing and yeast

WEEK 5 - Amber, Brown, and Porter; focus on malt

WEEK 6 (Brewery Vivant) - Belgian Beers; focus on fermentation and yeast esthers

WEEK 6 - Stouts; focus on dark malt

WEEK 7  (Hopcat) - Strong Ales, Old Ales, and Barleywines; focus on extreme brewing

WEEK 8 - Off flavors and infection; focus on overall balance, impression, and malt bill

Well there you have it!

PLEASE PLEASE PLEASE give me feedback! This is a group effort, and I want to make sure that I hit all the topics people want!

Cheers,

Ben