“Perhaps the most challenging aspect to hosting a beer tasting is leading the discussion and keeping everyone focused on the beer”

Perhaps the most challenging aspect to hosting a beer tasting (besides discovered a time to schedule the tasting among your friends) is leading the discussion and keeping everyone focused on the beer and their experience tasting it.  The trick is to ask questions of your tasters, and to be sure to ask pointed questions to the tasters who may be less forthcoming with their opinions.  Ask the group: “What are some flavors that you’re tasting?” or “Which beer do you think is the hoppiest?”, then ask Joe Wallflower, specifically, “Joe, what do you think of the finish of Beer X?”  If you can cultivate a lively discussion, you’ll have a successful tasting – no matter what the brews taste like.

John Michael Verive, “How to Host a Home Beer Tasting Party”, Beer Paper LA 2:3 (July 2014), 15.