Learning to Appreciate a drink (without being a snob)

I’m sure we have all dreamed of doing the cliche sip of wine with our pinky out after sniffing it. However, let’s be realistic here, who really does that?!?! The fact is, you can still learn to appreciate the taste of a choice beverage with just a little practice. The pinky is optional. Side note: this is for learning how to appreciate top shelf drinks, not beer. If you want to acquire a taste for malty alcohol like beer, habit is the best policy, but I’ll talk more about that later.

To learn how to appreciate the flavor of a drink, there are ten details you need to spend special time focusing on.

1. If possible, drink from a glass big enough to fit your nose as you drink. This allows you to smell all of the aromas. After all, smell is part of the whole tasting experience! (That’s why I plug my nose when drinking Everclear XD ).

2. No mixing until you know what you like! Try your alcohol PLAIN without any added liquids. This allows you to fully taste what the alcohol has to offer. After all, how do you know that you would like to mix your liquor with Coke or Grapefruit Juice or whatever, if you don’t even know what it tastes like alone?

3. Keep the amounts small. It is important to taste in small doses because you don’t want to overwhelm your palate. Also, in small doses, you can take in all of the smells and tastes without the pressure of having to finish a whole glass!

4. Experiment with ice. Although some alcohol has a whole other world of flavors that are brought out with more room temperature temps, ice can also introduce other flavors (or mask ones that are too strong). Ice takes drinks to a whole other level, and for those of you who are unable to take strength of alcohol, the good thing is that it waters the drink down as it melts!

5. Swirl it up! Don’t be afraid to watch your drink swish around in your glass a little. Swirling your liquor releases hidden flavors and unleashes the aromas. Remember, smelling was #1 on this list!

6. Take forever to take a sip. Sipping slowly allows you to feel every aspect of the alcohol. Think of it like jumping off of the diving board into a swimming pool for the first time…you ease in, sit down, and then just kind of slip in. That’s how it should be for your sipping when learning to appreciate taste.

7. Ask around. You can taste a bunch of different types on your own, but it never hurts to also ask your friends or the bartender for a recommendation. That way you have somewhat of a starting point.

8. Be willing to sacrifice money for quality. If you want to be able to appreciate the finer things in life, you must be willing to shell out a few more dollars. A $10 bottle will not have the same quality as a $100 bottle. This is unfortunate, but true.

9. Oldies are goodies. This may be common knowledge, but the older the alcohol, the better the quality. Simply put, older drinks have had time to mature. And like men and women, they just get better with age!

10. Don’t be discouraged if you don’t like something. There are way too many different variations of alcohol out there, so don’t get upset if you don’t like one. Keep trying and eventually you’ll get it right. Think of it like dating. You go though 20 first kisses before you finally reach that last first kiss. Aww…

Before I go, as promised, here is how to learn to appreciate the taste of beer. First, like I said, it must become a habit. Malt beverages are sometimes difficult to acquire a taste to, but there are different types.

If you are like me and don’t particularly like malty tastes but still want to appreciate the taste of a beer, I suggest trying the fruitier beers like Red’s or BudLight Lime. Additionally, you can opt for drinks like wine coolers.

If you want to try and develop a palate for a strong, malty beers, go for the classics like Budweiser.

If you want to try hoppy beers and develop a wheaty like, go for any IPA.

Again friends, learning to appreciate any drink takes time. Grab a glass and get to tasting. In the words of Patrick Star, “pinkies out!”