Arizona Foothills Magazine - Brewed Awakening

To begin your own exploration of these elite and tasty beers, Kerkmans suggests you start by consulting sites like that

of the Brewers Association, www.beertown.org. Following that, he recommends sites like www.fourpoints.com/beer and www.ratebeer.com. Sample the brews rated by other beer enthusiasts and compare your impressions to theirs. You can also arrange to trade bottles with others outside your distribution area through the site. Explore all of these avenues to test out different beers and begin refining your palate.

Kerkmans suggests following this research with

a personal visit to your local brewery. Some will arrange site tours to demonstrate how beer is made. Similarly, converse with the bartenders to learn about each beer on draft. Beer appreciation nights, gatherings where people interested in beer can share a meal while learning how a beer is made, are attaining nationwide popularity. Locally, Papago Brewing and Four Peaks Brewing Company hold dinners where you can indulge in beer-and-food pairings, and sometimes a beer-centric informational presentation. A trip to Four Points by Sheraton, where Kerkmans is C.B.O., can be likewise informative. Through the hotel’s Best Brews program, Four Points’ “beer ambassadors,” under Kerkmans’s tutelage, will help you select a beer, while informing you of everything from how much alcohol that beer contains to how hoppy it is.

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