Girls Take Flight!

Hi, I’m Karen Renzulli, and I am just as much a lover of beer as my husband, Tom, who also writes for the site. With the increase of popularity of beer, women enjoying, tasting, and learning about beer is becoming more the norm. While living in Flagstaff, AZ for a brief period, microbrews were the big thing in the local beer scene and we grew to love them. At first sip, I was not in “flavor” of them. I could make a beer last for hours and it was not enjoyable. I decided that if I was to learn to like these new flavors I would have to teach myself a new style of tasting so I could appreciate all the different brews.  Beer tasting can be very intimidating to a woman who doesn’t know about the different styles of beer. I hope to use my knowledge and style of tasting to encourage all ladies to be confident in ordering and enjoying a flight of beer. A flight is a sampling of several beers in small glasses and is a popular way to try new types of beer without committing to a full pint. By using our senses of sight, smell, and taste, we all can join in any conversation about the beer in front of us. With each article, I will focus on one aspect of a flight using my own “girl” take on the topic, and hopefully, make you laugh a little! Please join me in exploring an exciting, interactive way to taste and ultimately appreciate a beer you might never have even considered.

Pucker Up with an IPA

One of the most difficult types of beer to appreciate, and more importantly enjoy, is the IPA. IPA stands for India Pale Ale. It is a hoppy beer style that is described with a puckered pout as bitter.

I felt the same way when I first tried these golden lip smackers. My face contorted and I wanted to spit it out. I couldn’t understand who would actually like this pour. What helped me to enjoy IPAs is not thinking that they were bitter, but that they were citrusy, like a grapefruit. Having this different mindset completely altered my taste buds to expect citrus and not bitterness. I like to rate the IPA on how close it is to a grapefruit or orange. I also like to imagine how refreshing and crisp the IPA would be on a hot summer day sitting by a pool. If I can taste and picture this, then that’s a keeper in my book! By no means are all IPAs citrusy, but I do think this is a fun way to start my flight.  The love of an IPA may not come overnight, but each small sip a girl takes is one giant leap for womankind!

Now sit back and enjoy your flight!