Have a Tasting Party

Whether it’s out at a restaurant or at home, a tasting party is a fun activity to try out some new flavors and maybe find a new favorite.

Tasting beer or wine are the most common. And now that many grocery stores or liquor stores have a “Pick a Six” (where you pick 6 different beers), it’s easier than ever to organize a tasting.

But it’s exciting to try this with other things too. Try out different dip’s or spreads, and things to dip with. Try out different cocktails.

There’s tons of things you could experiment with.

How It Works

Of course you can just casually taste things. But for the full experience, you can rate the drinks, rate them on a few different characteristics, and talk about what you liked for each one.

There are also some great scorecards out there to organize your thoughts. For example, this one for beer and this one for wine. Or you can make your own if you are good with Canva, Illustrator, Inkscape, or another design tool.

Now that you have your scorecards, it’s time to setup the drinks. First, set out 4-6 glasses for each of you. (Or just one set if you’re comfortable sharing)

Now, number each one with a piece of paper underneath. And pour the drinks. One person can do this to keep it secret from the other.

Finally, start tasting! You both start with the same number and give it a taste. Individually write down some notes and a rating. Then, talk about what you liked or didn’t like. Give another quick taste and think some more.

After a couple minutes to discuss and drink, move on to the next one. You’ll start to notice even more things once you have some more drinks to compare it to.

Once you’re at your last drink, review you scores and compare what you liked. Is it the same for you both? Is your best their worst? You might be surprised at what your partner picks!