Every homebrewer knows that brewing up beer is only half the fun. Once you’ve created your secret recipe and brewed it to delicious perfection, you need to show it off! Here’s how to host an unforgettable home-brewed beer tasting party that will make you a local celebrity among your beer-loving friends.

The first element of any beer-tasting party is, of course, the brew itself. Once you’ve made your tasty, tasty beverages, you need to be able to serve them! The best way to do this is with a home kegerator or keg refrigerator, which will keep your brew at the desired temperature for the optimum taste and carbonation level. A kegerator kit can convert an ordinary refrigerator into a home brewer’s personal source of beer on tap, or you can invest in a  specialized system for dispensing your beverage masterpieces. Ideally, your dispensing system should be equally as epic as your brew.

Once the beer is sorted and the beer kegs have been tapped, the next step is figuring out your ideal foods to go with what you’ve brewed. The best approach is to treat your food pairings like tapas, with small plates designed to complement the beer that you’re serving.

If your homebrew is a pilsner or light lager, pair it with lighter foods so that your flavors will complement rather than compete with one another. Spring or summer rolls are good options, as are all varieties of sushi. If you prefer to use a cheese pairing, a creamy brie is an excellent option, particularly with fresh berries or peaches in the summer. If your homebrew is an IPA, try pairing it with something slightly spicy like kimchi fried rice, curry, or spicy black bean nachos. For a cheese pairing, try spicy camembert. If you’ve brewed up a porter or similarly dark brew, you can choose foods with a strong enough flavor to stand up to the porter’s intensity. Rich, buttery cheeses make an excellent pairing: a Wensleydale or stilton work well here, along with nice, crusty bread. You might also include some grapes or figs to add some sweetness to the mix. Alternately, Porters go amazingly well with chocolate and chocolate desserts.

If you’ve been awesome enough to brew up multiple types of beer and ale, it’s best to go in courses, serving the lighter brews first and then moving to the darker brews. That way, you’re moving from the most subtle flavors to the boldest flavors, rather than the other way around.

Once you’ve tapped your keg(s) and set your menu, the only thing left to do is to bring your friends over and indulge! Show off your mad brewing skills and your extensive knowledge of home bar equipment, and inspire your friends to try home brewing themselves. Then eat, drink, and be merry, knowing that you have the best homebrew – the best homebrew party – in town!

Raise a Glass to Draft Beer Sales!

For over 60 years, Micro Matic has been recognized as one of the world’s leading suppliers of draft beer equipment. Specializing in keg-to-glass technology, we offer a total solution for meeting your draft beer equipment needs. Our dedication to customer service is supported by four regional sales and distribution centers, the Micro Matic Dispense Institute for training and education, and a Certified Installer Network for draft beer installations. Want to speak with a “perfect pour” expert? Contact Micro Matic today.