Sprecher Brewery to offer beer-tasting classes
You won’t become a beer connoisseur in a couple of hours, but you will have some fun, and you might even share a drinking song or two, in beertasting classes that Sprecher Brewery will launch in April.
The classes will be held at Glendale-based Sprecher the first Wednesday of the month in April, May and June. They’re aimed at exploring the “sensory and technical” aspects of different styles of beer.
“At its core, this is an advanced beer appreciation class,” said Anne Sprecher, spokeswoman for the brewery.
“The purpose of the class is not to create beer snobs. For those people who feel they know too much about beer already, this is not for them,” she said.
Each session, from 6 to 8 p.m., will move from the brew house to the taproom. It will begin with an indepth discussion of the brewing process, followed by a tasting of eight different beer styles paired with tapas plates.
“Some of these combinations are really surprising, in a good way. Things you might not try on their own take on a new dimension when paired with the beer,” Sprecher said.
A couple of examples: Piper Scotch Ale paired with smoked trout, smokehouse almonds and Roth Kase Smoked Moody Blue cheese. And there’s IPA beer with Grand Cru Gruyere cheese, pickled beet and ruby red grapefruit.
The classes will be taught by John Wahlig, a retail operations manager for Sprecher Brewery and a home brewer. The fee is $30, and each class will be limited to about 10 students.
Think of it as getting dinner, beer and a lesson for your money, Sprecher said.
“And there’s going to be a lot of time for discussion.”
Each class will cover the same eight beer styles. “Whether you’re confounded when someone asks you which beer style you prefer, or you’ve been home brewing for a while, you’ll enjoy this class,” Sprecher said.
There are many ways to learn about craft beer, from the Homer-esque, one-pint-at-a-time method to more organized training in classes like the one at Sprecher Brewery.
The Milwaukee Beer Society has had “learn by drinking” sessions where the group heads out to a brewery. Other times, the group samples several versions of the same style of beer from different breweries.
Sprecher Brewery’s class will guide you through established tasting techniques and the basics of serving beer. And since it’s going to be fun, there might even be a drinking song, like “99 bottles of beer on the wall,” to end the night.
“Why not? It’s a good bonding activity,” Sprecher quipped.
To sign up, go to www.sprecherbrewery.com or call (414) 964-2739.