By Phil Joo Hwang

Have you ever walked into an upscale bar or pub and been completely overwhelmed by the menu? The huge lists of beers with ridiculous names leave most mystified — I’m here to help.

Here are just a few types of beers to look out for and what foods with which to pair them:

I have to start with my personal favorite style, the IPA (India Pale Ale).
IPAs have very high hops contents, which give them a very distinctive bitter aftertaste. Beer lovers are often huge fans of the IPA due to its high alcohol content and powerful citrus flavors. WARNING: Some may be too bitter to handle for connoisseurs-in-training, so beware of the IBUs (International Bitterness Units). I suggest that you start with nothing above 80 IBUs, as labelled on each bottle.

Recommendations: Brooklyn Brewery’s East India Pale Ale, any DogFish Head India Pale Ale (especially the 120 Minute IPA), Stone’s IPA and Sierra Nevada’s Torpedo Extra IPA

IPA Holy Grails: Pliny the Elder and Heady Topper

Food Pairings: Red meat, salty snacks/nuts and herbal flavors

Next up is the Pilsner. Pilsners were first made in the Czech Republic and are still made there today. In the last few hundred years, the style has spread all over the world and is one of the most recognizable beers available on the market. Pilsners are light and easy to drink with almost anything. They are usually yellow and watery-looking in appearance, with good amounts of carbonation and fewer calories because of the low alcohol content. American craft brewing has only recently tried to improve on the style, with new interpretations hitting the market every year.

Recommendations: Sixpoint Craft Ales Crisp and River Horse Brewer’s Reserve Pilsner

Pilsner Holy Grails: Prima Pils and Pilsner Urquell

Food Pairings: Fried food, Mexican food and seafood

Finally, the Stout is a very fun and somewhat unconventional style of beer.
Stouts are usually coffee and/or chocolate flavored with notes of cream. Contrary to popular belief, cocoa is actually bitter in its natural state. Therefore, it makes perfect sense to have those unexpected flavors in already-bitter beer. Stouts are also usually thicker in nature, so carbonation levels are lower and the drinks should be poured in a rough matter. The brewing system for Stouts is a bit different, since coffee must be brewed separately and it must be done so that it keeps the full flavor of the beans. This beer style tends to be darker in color and usually has a brownish tint in the head foam.

Recommendations: Nitro Coffee Milk Stout, Lights Out Stout and Sierra Nevada’s Stout

Stout Holy Grails: Bourbon County Stout and Samuel Smith’s Oatmeal Stout

Food Pairings: Burgers, southern barbeque and sweet desserts

A few tips for trying craft beer:

Make sure to drink good beer out of a glass that has a narrow sipping area. If a bar does not serve your craft beer in a special glass, ask for one. This allows for better aroma, and everyone knows that smell is half of taste!
Try a variety of beers and figure out which ones you like with different foods.
Go out to the breweries, try the beers fresh from the kegs and take a tour!
Keep a list of the beers you’ve tried and make sure to stay away from the ones that were terrible; there’s nothing worse than wasting your hard earned money on bad beer.
Drink small amounts at a time to really savor each sip and the hints of all of the different creative ingredients.