Now that you know how the beer is made, here's how to get the most out of drinking our beers. We recommend that you ask for a "sampler" of our beers, which is a selection of six 3 ounce pours chosen from the beers we have on tap that day. Pay attention to the characteristics of each beer that you either liked or disliked. When you are done, let your server or bartender know which beer or beers you liked and why, and they will be able to steer you towards a beer that will suit your tastes.

Appearance: Look at the color, clarity and carbonation of the beer, which is often indicated by "head" or the foamy collar at the top of the glass.

Aroma: Swirl the beer and see if you can detect bready, caramel, or toasty aromas from the malt, or citric or flowery fragrances from the hops.

Flavor: Try and detect malty sweet, roasty, caramel, molasses, coffee, or bready flavors imparted from the grains and flavors of lemon, grapefruit, and mango imparted from the hops.

Alcohol: Is the beer you are drinking either dry and warming or full-bodied and slightly sweet? Chances are it has a hefty alcohol content. Watch out for beers that pack a punch but don't taste like it.

Aftertaste: The beer should have a clean finish, with a lingering tang of hops if it is a pale ale, IPA, or double IPA, an espresso-like or toffee taste if it is a porter or stout, or a clean, thirst-quenching finish if it a lighter ale.

Drinkability: This is the true test of tasting a beer. Would I want more than three ounces of this?