Over the course of the past few years, the craft beer industry has grown immensely. In fact, there are now more than 2,700 craft breweries across the country, and that number only seems to be rapidly growing. If you enjoy trying new beer, you might be interested in exploring the world of craft beer as a means of honing and sophisticating your tastes. However, the world of craft beer can be a bit intimidating, so it's best if you have a bit of help when it comes to getting started.

Make Note of What You Like

The flavor possibilities are truly endless when it comes to craft beer. From chocolate stouts to banana bread ales and everything in between, you'd be hard-pressed to find a craft-beer flavor combination that doesn't yet exist. Therefore, getting started in exploring craft beers and finding ones that you like can be a challenge. This is where it can be helpful to have at least somewhat of an idea of what you already know and like in a beer.

For instance, do you prefer a lighter taste or something more hoppy? Do you tend to go with darker or lighter colored beers? Making note of this can help you pick a few craft beers to get started with.

Know What to Look For on the Bottle

As you taste different craft beers, you're going to find some that you really enjoy and some that you can't stand. You'll want to make note of what you like and don't like as you expand your horizons. Specifically, upon tasting a beer, there are a few things you should take note of on the bottle, such as

• the style of beer
• a ABV percentage
• the name of the brewery

Attend a Beer Tasting Event

Finally, if you're really not sure where to start, consider attending a beer-tasting event. Many craft breweries hold them regularly and will charge just a small fee. From there, you can taste a number of different beers to get a feel for what you like without having to buy a full pint of each. Furthermore, many of these events include food pairings, so you can make a night out of it with friends (and maybe even meet some new friends in the process). 

Exploring the world of craft beer can be a lot of fun, but by keeping these tips in mind, you'll have an even more enjoyable experience. For more information, talk to a specialist like Pacific Wine Merchants.