You know that one-of-a-kind, white whale of a bomber you got your hands on two years ago? The one you’re hoarding in the dark recesses of your closet, waiting for the perfect time to open? Unless you’re expecting a visit from Sam Calagione or Charlie Papazian sometime soon, it might be time to host a bottle share.
Historically (as in, the last few decades), bottle shares were informal gatherings of home brewers and beer aficionados. But thanks to the recent craft beer revolution, these events have become more inclusive and more frequent, but also more structured. Some are even organized on sites like BeerAdvocate and Twitter.
With the limited availability of certain brews, bottle shares are a great way to try new things. If this is your first time, fear not. As the host, you can make your party as formal or informal as you want, but we’ve come up with some ground rules to help you get started.
PICK YOUR VIPS
You’re not throwing a kegger here. The ideal group size for a bottle share is between four to 12 guests, though there are always exceptions. You want to have enough people to get some variety with the brews that show up, but not so many that everyone is hammered before you’re able to sample each beer.
BRING GREAT BEER
The unspoken rule of bottle shares is that it’s a competition to see who can bring the most hard-to-find/limited/barrel-aged/unique beer possible. The spoken rule is to just bring something you’re excited to try and to share with others. But it’s also important to bring enough beer. Generally, that means that each guest brings enough to give everyone a 2-ounce pour or so. Bombers, growlers and crowlers are all good shareable options. Beware: sometimes these little parties can produce TOO MUCH beer – a “cellar dump” if you will. Seek a happy medium. The last thing you want is palate fatigue or even memory loss.
You’ll also want to bring an adventurous palate, says our friend Tony Drewry, Brewery Liaison & Black Ops at Untapped Festival. “Even if you don’t like a beer, it’s important to understand what you don’t like about it so you can make informed choices in the future.”
Since you’re the host, you can even pick a theme if you want. Do you want all Belgian brews? All barrel-aged? Vertical tastings? White whales only? Local jewels? It’s your call.
HAVE A PLAN
The most successful bottle shares have some sort of structure to them. If you put all the bottles on a table and start handing out bottle openers like Oprah hands out free cars, there’s bound to be some chaos. Consider having each guest open his or her bottle, then pouring some for everyone to drink and discuss together. Maybe even have your guests conduct blind tastings so there are no preconceived notions about what they are about to taste.
You’ll also want to have something on hand to soak up all that brew. This includes water, most importantly, both for hydrating and rinsing glasses. Food, too: Think cheese and crackers, pretzels, homemade pizza, maybe even some barbecue. As host, you control the pace of the party, and if one of your guests brings a beast such as Dogfish Head’s 20 percent ABV World Wide Stout, it’s nice to have a snack or two at the ready.
Have a plan for getting home as well. The casual nature of these get-togethers, combined with drinking a lot of small pours, can give you false confidence when it’s time to get behind the wheel.
MIND YOUR MANNERS
This probably goes without saying, but don’t be a jerk. We’re all Beerknurds here and, try as we might to deny it, everyone likes to occasionally show off their arcane knowledge and rare-brew-acquisition skills. But we’re also here to have fun, and bottle shares are about camaraderie as much as the beer. Don’t brag about your bottle while ignoring everyone else’s. Don’t trash another guest’s beer before he or she is able to comment on it, and do NOT spend the whole time on Untappd.
Have fun.
