Craft beer stores can be overwhelming and intimidating. For most beer buying folks, their comfort zones of IPA or Lagers do just fine for them. But, when purchasing beer as a gift for someone who knows more than most, terror may strike into the hearts of those who enter the beer fridge hoping to find something that will bring joy to their loved ones heart.
With that said, we here at Lama Dog are here to help with your gift getting, holiday cheer filled purchases. Here are 4 tips that we believe will make your lives easier.
If you have an idea what style they like to drink, stick with that. You know they love crush cans of some fresh Hazy IPA? Get it! Bourbon Barrel Aged Imperial Stouts with all sorts of delicious goodies in it like pistachios, cocoa and vanilla? Get em! Lambic? We gotchu. But, with all of this said, this brings us to tip two and three.
Ask for help from the bartender, or if you can ask if the beer buyer is working. The beer buyer will have the best idea what is in stock, and will understand what styles you throw their way. Asking the bartender is also a solid way to get what you are looking for. Also it’s worth noting that they will also be able to help if you have a specific style in mind. Remember, our jobs involve trying all sorts of beer and we are here to help save the day. This leads us to the third tip.
Let the person who is helping you know your price range. Well stocked beer stores will have beers ranging from $2 to $250. So let them know from the jump what you want to spend. Also have in mind whether you’re looking for a mixed six pack or one or two larger format beers. The more info you can comfortably give, the easier the brainstorming process will be.
Our final tip, gift cards are always cool, especially ones that get you beer. Giving someone purchasing access to a few beers should greatly improve the quality of their lives.
With these tips, we hope that you can walk into a beer store with the confidence to get some delicious beers for your loved ones.
With best wishes, Lama Dog.