America has for the longest of times been subject to a standard of beer that is generally laughable, and is indeed laughed at by the rest of the "civilized" world. Budweiser, Miller, and Coors, "The Big Three", have long dominated the palettes of United States citizens because of their widespread availability and massive marketing campaign that has implanted their names into our vernacular. If you were to ask any average everyday American to name the first beer that comes into their minds, I would bet $100 that 95% of them would respond with one of those 3. Even I am guilty of such knee-jerk responses. So it is no surprise that America has accepted these brews as the de-facto standard for beer.

But all was not lost. These low taste, watered down, rice filled imposters could not keep a stranglehold forever. The Micro-Brew Revolution, started in no small part by Jim Koch (Owner of Samuel Adams Brewing. Co.), introduced to an unsuspecting populous a level of flavor, color, and quality that hasn't been witnessed on American soil for more than 100 years. Once their taste buds had experienced the cornucopia of gustatory sensations that full bodied ales and lagers had to offer, there was no turning back. Today, Americans enjoy access to a seemingly limitless supply of different beers, ranging from the most bitter IPA to the maltiest stout.

With this I declare that life is indeed too short to waste your time, your money, and your precious taste buds, on substandard beer.

The world of beer is large and diverse one, and one that is not without its occasional bad decisions and spoiled brews. An inexperienced palette can and will be intimidated by the sheer magnitude of choices available. Because of this, I have seen fit to lay out the "Basic Laws of Beer Drinking", in order to guide people through the World of Beer.

1. Ease your taste buds into the world of microbrews

For the untrained palette, diving into a Imperial Stout or Barleywine would be a grave mistake. If you are used to drinking one of the "Big Three", try to start with a Summer Ale or if you are feeling adventurous, an Amber Lager. From there, branch out to IPAs, Brown Ales, and finally to Stouts and Black Lagers. After that, they sky is the limit with boutique and rare ales.

2. Don't allow yourself to be bored, or satisfied

There is simply too many brews out there to settle on one. Sure, in your travels you will most likely encounter a beer that you truly adore, and that is fine. But don't be content with that, buy your favorite, and then get something that you have never had before. I for one do this every time I buy beer. I always get something that I have never tried before. After a while, this can be quite a challenge to find unique beer. Venture off the beaten path, go to a new store, anything to continue your path to beer nirvana.

3. Drink for taste not to get drunk

There is a saying, that people in Italy don't get drunk intentionally, they get drunk because they drink too much of a delicious beverage. Going to a party and getting a bit tipsy is all well and good, but don't let beer control your behavior, or worse, use beer as an excuse for your behavior. Drink in moderation, if you start to feel yourself becoming intoxicated, drink some water, eat some food, and most importantly, wait to have your next drink. If you are hosting a beer tasting (or any other tasting for that matter) serve your guests small portions, not full pints.

4. Use all of your senses when tasting beer

Beer is about more than just taste. Its color, carbonation level, alcohol level, smell, head formation, and temperature are all very important factors. Next time you try a new beer, pour it into a glass and look at it, observe the head formation (if any) and color. Bring it towards your nose and smell it. Then take a small sip, swishing it around a bit to get the full impact on your tongue. Try to pick out subtle flavors and similarities to other beers. Swallow. Observe the aftertaste (if any). Repeat the smelling and tasting as the beer warms up (if it was chilled to begin with, which is a personal preference). I guarantee this will bring out hidden character in your beers. Even ones that you may have drank hundreds of times before.

5. Have fun

At the end of it all, beer is a supposed to be a fun, social beverage. Bring your friends over to try new and unique brews, attend brewery tours, and join a local "pint" club. Whatever you want, this is your life, and your beers.

In closing, I want to also touch on another important topic. Local Pubs and Breweries. Please support your local businesses of all kinds, the amount of character and history your local pubs have can never be replaced, and they don't deserve to die out in the wake of large bar chains like Dave and Busters, and the "Big Three". In short: buy local, and buy often.

Cheers.