After so many years the sud-capped waves of the beer movement have crashed on the coasts and have flowed, gurgled and gathered inland in big cities and small towns all across America.

It is a beautiful thing, especially since beer was such a big part what formed our country (and civilizations everywhere) in many specific ways from the founding fathers to the German immigrants in the Midwest and beyond. Those big, brash names like Schlitz, Busch and Pabst would almost certainly have to tweak their tremendous ‘staches and beards in charming smiles if they could witness the new widespread pride and respect within American brewers and drinkers for their beloved beverage.

That being said, more and more people are picking up mug to surf in the foamy flood, and there are three ideals for rookies and veterans alike that are important to consider utilizing as a code of conduct on their journey. Think of them as life rafts so you don’t drown in the carbonated current. Brew Voyage!

1.   Avoid the Trends

The veterans know them well and the rooks have probably been exposed to them all at least once or twice. The trends include the Hop-Craze, the Fruit Flavor Frenzy and the Shrink Circus to name a few. Whole tasting festivals have been devoted to beer created only around hops. The more it smells like sweaty hockey skate feet and tastes like Pine-Sol mixed with kale juice the better. And hey, if it’s your thing as a veteran beer taster then great, but don’t push it as gospel to the newbies and others.  The fruit flavor frenzy is the blitzkrieg of beer pushed on liquor store and grocery store shelves all over the country infused with lime, lemon, raspberry, snozberry and more. Again, there are some great flavored beers out there, but make sure you don’t catch a terminal case of that advertising virus. Lastly, the Shrink Circus, the mentality that great beer can only come from the small breweries. This is a mini-myth. Great beer can come from any size brewery if the people behind it have a true passion for it with equal parts science, art and creativity. Don’t buy into the hype. Choose your own course!

2.  Build your own Beer Profile

This idea is a tributary of the former. If you are new to the beer appreciation scene, then get out there and try all the different types of beers you can from session IPAs to lambics to kolsches to imperial stouts and everything in between. Remember your favorites and craft your own personal beer list depending on the season or occasion, or just for the hell of it! If you are a seasoned sailor on the seas of sud and have already chosen your fleet, then don’t be afraid to give a new brew or two a maiden voyage every once and awhile.

3.  Don’t be a One-Trick Pony

This idea can be construed as a “hipster” mentality. What does that word even mean anyways? Recently, I’ve heard it defined by musician Ragnar Porhallsson recently as, “[a word] only used by people describing people who are just cooler than them.” At any rate, I don’t have the correct type of polarized Oakley lenses on to tackle that vast ideological tundra. This idea is NOT a bad thing! Once again, a relation to the previous codes, don’t drink only one type of beer constantly. However, if that is the passage you choose to navigate, that is fine and dandy, just know how deep and wide the beer barrel goes.

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