The Beer Project, Courtsey of Pike Brewing.

Beer tasting. It's a new hobby for me, but one that has quickly spurred intense opinions, desire to spread information, and even vacations centered around beer tastings.
Beer gets a bad rap. When people say that they are off on a trip to Napa for tours of wineries, or spending a Saturday going wine tasting, most people don't bat an eye. But if you say you're going to a bar for a night of beer sampling, it seems you are quick to be branded an alcoholic.

But those are the size of beer tastes. Those of us who enjoy beer are often not sitting in a dark bar tipping back bottle after bottle. In fact, dark bars make it difficult to judge the color and clarity of the beer. It's the people slipping off the stools after too many Bud Lights that are giving us a bad reputation.
Beer tasting is hard work. New beers crop up constantly. But there are certain styles that one should try, from certain regions in the world, to get a taste of what is available and what styles you might like.
While I have been tasting and rating beers for about seven months now, with 243 beers logged on ratebeer.com, I sadly haven't tasted some of the most defining beers available. That's where Pike Brewing comes in. They have a "Pike Pub Club", which challenges you to try every beer available at their pub (their brews plus a collection of bottles). Considering I've only tried six (!) of their 24 bottles, it's time to get moving. GYM and I plan to be proud owners of engraved growlers by next June.