Visiting a brewery taproom for the first time
A brewery taproom serves beer close to where it was made, often only days after it was packaged or kegged. Here is how to make the most of a first visit, from reading the menu to ordering your first flight.
What a taproom is
A taproom is a bar run by a brewery, usually at or near the brewery itself. A brewpub is similar but brews on site mainly to serve its own customers, often alongside a full kitchen. Both serve beer at its freshest, close to the tanks it came from.
Freshness is the reason to go. Hop aroma fades within weeks. Lager loses its crispness with time and heat. In India, where the cold chain from brewery to shop is not always reliable, a taproom is often the only place to taste a beer exactly as the brewer intended.
Reading the menu
Taproom menus list more than names. Expect:
- Style: lager, wheat beer, IPA, stout and so on.
- ABV: alcohol by volume. Most fall between 4 and 7%. Anything above 8% deserves a smaller glass.
- IBU: International Bitterness Units, a rough guide to bitterness. A lager might be 15 to 25 and an IPA 40 or more.
- Pour sizes: taster, half and full.
Our guide to reading a taproom menu covers the terms in more detail.
Start with a flight
A flight is a set of small pours, usually four to six, served on a paddle. It is the best way to taste the range on a first visit. Order from lightest to darkest, or lowest ABV to highest. Strong, bitter or roasty beers can overpower whatever follows them.
Taste each one twice: once for a first impression and again after a sip of water. Notice how the beer changes as it warms a little. Pick your favourite and order a full glass of it if you want more.
Why freshness shows in the glass
Beer starts changing the day it is packaged. Hop aroma comes from oils that oxidise and fade. A hazy IPA can lose much of its fruit within a few weeks, faster when warm. Lager loses its clean snap and picks up stale, papery notes. Wheat beers lose their banana and clove brightness.
In a taproom, the beer has often travelled only a few metres from the cold room to the tap and been kept cold the whole way. That is why the same beer can taste noticeably better at the brewery than from a shop shelf in another city. It is not your imagination.
Try it yourself. If the brewery also sells its beer in cans in shops, buy one and compare it with the taproom pour on your next visit. Note the hop aroma, the bitterness and how clean the finish is. Freshness is one of the easiest things to taste once you have compared the two side by side.
Ask for samples and ask questions
Most taprooms will give you a small sample before you commit to a glass. Ask. Staff usually know the beers well and enjoy talking about them. Questions that get useful answers:
- Which beer is freshest today?
- Which one is the brewer proudest of?
- What is on that is not available anywhere else?
Some breweries run short brewery tours at set times. If you see tanks behind glass, ask whether a tour is possible.
Taking beer home
Many taprooms sell beer to take away in cans, bottles or refillable containers called growlers. A crowler is a large can filled and sealed at the counter. Our guide to growlers and crowlers explains how long each keeps.
In India, whether a brewpub or taproom can sell beer to take away depends on the state's licensing rules. Many can only serve on site. Rules vary and change, so ask the staff what is allowed.
Pace yourself and get home safely
Taproom beer is fresh and easy to drink, which makes pacing matter. Eat something. Drink water between beers. Carry ID, since the legal drinking age varies by state in India.
Plan your ride home before you go: a cab, the metro or a friend who is not drinking. Never drive after a taproom visit. Our guide to Munich beer halls has tips for taproom culture abroad too.
Taste like a brewer
A flight on a quiet afternoon is a good time to practise. Smell each beer before tasting. Write one word for aroma, one for flavour and one for the finish. Compare them side by side. You will notice more on the second visit than the first.
Most people can tell they prefer one beer over another but cannot say why. That is the gap a sensory course fills: reference aromas for hops, malt, yeast and faults so your notes become precise.
Your first step: next time you visit a taproom, order a flight and write one word for each beer's aroma before you taste it.
Common questions
What is a beer flight?
A flight is a set of small pours, usually four to six, served together so you can taste a range of beers without drinking full glasses.
What order should I taste a flight in?
Lightest to darkest, or lowest ABV to highest. Strong, bitter or roasty beers can overpower lighter ones that follow.
Can I ask for a sample before ordering?
Yes. Most taprooms are happy to pour a small sample before you choose a full glass.
