FREE Beer Tasting Score Card – Printable

Instructions for a Barley & Hops Craft Candles Beer Tasting Party

This is how we do it!

Yes, you are at the right place. This is a tutorial all about how to throw a killer craft beer tasting party. It is true we do make craft beer candles but we have beer tasting parties to learn more about all of the amazing brew varieties our great nation has to offer.

Cheers & happy tasting!

 How to Throw a Craft Beer Tasting Party

Beer Tasting Party Supply List

• Tasting Glasses – Best size is 5 oz beer tasting glasses (flight glasses). These work great!
• Craft Beer Score Cards – I have attached the custom beer score cards we use for our beer tasting parties. It is printable and FREE! Please feel free to use! (Download FREE printable beer tasting score card.)
• Snacks –  Pretzels, Cheese Tray, Crackers, Mixed Nuts
• Craft Beer – Everyone brings a 22oz’er & a 6 pack of microbrews to share. Make sure it goes directly into a cooler or refrigerator to keep it cold.
• Bottled Water – You will need something to clear the palette.
• Dump Bowl – Some of your guests might not want to actually “drink” each sample. They might just want to “sample.” You will need something for them to dump any remaining beer into. We always use a big mixing bowl.
• Water Cooler – You aren’t going to want to get a new glass for each new pour. Having a water cooler filled with water can be used to rinse out glasses between tastings.

Beer Tasting Party Steps

1. Decide on a time and place. 
2. Set-up your beer tasting area. Have enough seating for all of your guests at a single table. Put a 5oz glass, some bottled water, and some Beer Tasting Score Cards – one for every sample.
3. Pour the beer. Don’t fill the glasses. They only need enough to sample. Make sure there is enough in the glass so your guest can get their nose in the glass to smell the brew.
4. Ask each taster to write down the following observations based on:
   1. Look. The color of the brew.
   2. Smell. Aroma is extremely important with craft beer. You taste with your nose before you taste with your mouth. When you get the head on the beer and the bubbles are actually popping, that’s putting off a lot of aromas. This is the best time to “nose” the beer. Swirling the beer will help revive the bubbling.
   3. Taste. Take small sips and let the beer linger on your tongue and top of the throat.  Take some time to register the flavors. Exhale, releasing the air in your mouth through your nose, and swallow.
   4. Reflect. For any of my fellow art majors out there, this will be easy. Discuss your experience with your fellow beer tasters.
5. Snack-time. Do some light snacking and water drinking between every beer tasting. This will clear the palette, keep your guests hydrated, and slightly sober.
6. Catalog your scorecards. This will help you the next time you head to your local brewpub or liquor store. I like to snap pictures of my scorecards at the end of a tasting.

Happy tasting!

Download your FREE Craft Beer Score Sheet Printable HERE!

Why do candlemaker’s love craft beer tasting parties? Check-out our beer candles here! You’ll get it.