Beer Is More Complex Than Wine, and Now There Is A Way to Understand It with the Release of the Beer Tasting and Hop Appreciation Kit

Houston, TX (PRWEB) September 27, 2007 -- Beer's image gains a step on wine as the first ever beer tasting kit, designed to train all levels of enthusiasts how to better taste and appreciate beer (http://www.tasteyourbeer.com), is released for the growing craft beer movement by TasteYourBeer.com.

While the concept of a wine tasting kit has been around for a long time to help train the palates of wine drinkers, the concept of a beer tasting (http://www.tasteyourbeer.com/buy.html) kit is new. "Lets face it, beer has an image issue and when most people think of beer they think of frat parties and football games. Beer is so much more than that. Most people don't realize that beer has a much more diverse flavor profile than wine. Wine is basically made of grapes, water and yeast, but beer can draw upon literally hundreds of different ingredients to product an almost limitless flavor potential. It only makes sense that the beer drinker today could use a helping hand in understanding these flavors", says Brian Lewis, owner of TasteYourBeer.com.

"Most people are ignorant of what good beer tastes like and what their choices are. Really, there is no such thing as a person who doesn't like beer and anyone who says they don't is unaware of what beer has to offer. With a little understanding there is a beer for everyone."

The new Beer Tasting and Hop Appreciation Kit (https://www.shop.tasteyourbeer.com/displayProductDocument.hg?productId=1&categoryId=1) from TasteYourBeer.com is designed to help people better taste, appreciate, and learn about beer. Previously, if someone wanted to learn more about beer's complex flavors and aromas first hand there were no simple options. They had to practically start a research project and invest the time of reading books or hunt online for scattered bits of information.

If someone wanted to discover the different hop flavors of beer there really were no options available to them other than brewing up a batch for themselves and experimenting with different recipes, which is what most of them did. Now, with the aid of a beer tasting kit, anyone from the beginner to the avid home brewer can learn to taste beer like a pro.

The main component of the kit is the thirteen different hop samples that provide a large range of aromas to the user. These are a key part of the kit due to the unfamiliar nature of hops to most people. "Most people wouldn't know what a hop is if it came up and bit them on the nose. The hops really bring home to people the inner workings of beer. We feel like we are making beer discovery easier and more fun, now anyone can understand beer and get to know its soul. People will be able to talk intelligently about beer and distinguish the flavors like the most sophisticated wine sommelier."

Also included is an in depth Beer Appreciation Guide to teach the user how to properly appreciate beer and how to use the kit. A Quick Start Guide is included for the impatient. To help train the eye, a color chart consisting of 12 different shades of beer is included. Finally, a scent refresher is provided to help reduce scent fatigue after repeated sniffs of hops and tastes of beer.

To complete the beer tasting experience, access to a pair of point and click, online databases are included with the kit. The Hop Database (http://www.tasteyourbeer.com/researchcommercialbeers.php) is an industry first, publicly available tool, which pairs hundreds of commercial beers with the hops that are found in them. The Terms Database (http://www.tasteyourbeer.com/researchterms.php) consists of an extensive list of terms used to describe beer and possible causes of those characteristics. Both of these databases are currently open to the public at TasteYourBeer.com under the Know Your Beer section.

"By providing everything you would need, all in one package to explore some of the complexities of beer, I am hopeful that beer will gain its rightful image as a sophisticated beverage."

While wine tasting parties are a common occurrence, hosting beer tasting parties is also a growing trend. The beer tasting kit also has a section devoted to helping people host beer tastings of their own. Available for download at TasteYourBeer.com are the resources needed for holding a beer tasting. Included are score sheets, placemats and even a custom beer bracket for holding a head to head beer competition, a la college basketball tournament.

The idea for TasteYourBeer.com occurred after a series of events that lead owner Brian Lewis to the idea. "I had a light bulb kind of moment that was a direct result of taking allergy medicine, home brewing, my wife not being able to read my mind and my desire to make everyone love beer as much as I do. I had recently started taking allergy medication after having no real sense of smell my whole life, a result of living in Houston. I was brewing a batch of homebrew and trying to explain to my wife how hops affect the beer's flavor. In frustration I pulled the remaining bits of hops out of my fridge and told her to take a sniff and taste the beer. She complied and looked at me with a somewhat exasperated look on her face and said 'Why didn't you just say to do this to begin with?'"

"I also took a smell and thought, wow the flavor of the hops really jump out when you smell the hops and the taste the beer together. The essence of the beer had never come through so clearly because I could finally smell for the first time in my life. That's when I realized that everyone should be able to experience what I was experiencing."

For additional information or to acquire a sample Beer Tasting and Hop Appreciation Kit (http://tasteyourbeer.com/press.html) for a product review, please visit us. The Kit is currently available for purchase from our beer appreciation store (http://shop.tasteyourbeer.com) and will be coming soon to select beer retailers.

About TasteYourBeer.com

TasteYourBeer.com was started in November of 2006 and is privately owned and operated in Houston, Texas. Our mission is to provide our customers with everything they need to appreciate their beer to its fullest and to broaden their horizons in the appreciation of beer.

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