While many of the steps to create this type of party are similar to a wine tasting, beer tastings can range from totally casual to a little fancier totally depending on the types of beer you serve along with the appetizers you serve. There are so many beers available and so many local and boutique craft breweries that your options are unlimited!

1. Make a guest list of approximately 10 people. This is an ideal number of people for mingling and won't be so many that you feel overwhelmed while trying to properly entertain. You can invite a group of people that already know each other, or people that you feel would get along well and enjoy meeting each other. The tasting activity lends itself to natural conversation, so most people should find plenty to talk about.
2. Plan the party time for the type of food you are serving. When hosting an appetizers only party, make this clear to your guests and have the party start later than the normal dinner hour so that people will have a chance to eat before they arrive.
3. Send out the invites. Request RSVP's at least several days in advance so that you will know how much food and beer to purchase. Mailing formal invites is great, however, since this is a more informal type of party you could send an Evite, e-mail or just text/call depending on how well you know everyone. You will probably get a much better response this way. Send out invites about 2-4 weeks in advance depending on the time of year. People get busier around the holidays and need more advance notice, but give them too much notice and people forget.
4. Once you know the guest list, you can determine the best place in your home to have the party. If you have a large enough kitchen with plenty of room to sit or an island to work with, I think this is a great place to host the party. It keeps the mess to a minimum and your guests in one location. If you need to choose another room, just make sure you have plenty of table space to set up the food and beer and that there will still be plenty of room to include seating and plenty of room for people to move around without bumping into each other. I don't suggest hosting in the nicest/most formal room of your home because you don't want your guests to stress about spilling or making a mess, you want them to feel comfortable and relaxed.
5. Now you can choose your beer! Are there types of beer you love and want to show your friends? Are there new beers you want to try? If in doubt, choose a selection from a local brewery, you can't go wrong. Keep it to about 4-5 varieties.
6. How much do you need to buy? That depends a little on your specific guest list. At a minimum you will need to plan for about 2 bottles of beer per guest. However, if you want your guests to linger a little longer after the end of the tasting portion of the evening, you may want to plan for 3 bottles per guest. Just be mindful to not over-serve anyone and make sure everyone has a way home without having to drive. An average pour for a tasting would be about 2 oz, but you can adjust this based on the needs and desires of your guests.
7. Determine what kind of food you want to have. Since this is an appetizer party, finger foods or things that are easy to eat while standing work perfectly. You can use our beer tastings pairing menu to select food pairing specifically by beer types and add the recipes you'd like to make right to your meal plan for the week you are hosting. One recipe per beer should be enough food. Set out pretzels or saltine crackers as palate cleansers for those who wish to have them.
8. In general you will need one glass per person, plenty of appetizer sized plates (disposable or not), note cards and pens for anyone who wants to jot down thoughts about the beers, and buckets for anyone who would prefer to empty their glass without finishing it.
9. Any additional decor you want to add is up to you! You can see all of our table setting and party decor ideas here.
10. Picking some music to play in the background is optional, but a nice touch as well. Just keep the volume low so that no one has to talk over the music, and consider the tastes of your guests in determining what genre to play.