Walking into a brewery for the first time can feel a little overwhelming.
Maybe you’re staring at a tap list with names you’ve never heard before, your friend is talking about hops and tasting notes while you’re secretly wondering what any of that means, or there are 12 beers on the board and you simply have no idea where to start.
If that sounds familiar, I’ve got good news: order a flight.
One of my favourite things about craft beer is the tasting experience itself. There’s something fun about trying a few different beers side-by-side, noticing how the flavours change and discovering something you might never have thought to order. And in my experience, you don’t need to know much about beer to enjoy tasting it. You just need to be curious.
As someone who spends a lot of time visiting breweries around BC, one of the questions I hear most often is, “What should I order if I’m new to craft beer?” My answer is almost always the same: start with a tasting flight.
Beer flights are one of my favourite ways to experience a brewery because you get a little taste of what that brewery is all about in one tray. Instead of committing to a full pint, you can sample a few different styles, compare flavours side-by-side and hopefully discover something you never would have ordered otherwise. And you definitely don’t need to be a beer expert to order one. In fact, that’s kind of the point.
So, What Exactly Is a Beer Flight?
If you’ve never ordered one before, a beer flight is a selection of smaller beer samples served together, usually on a paddle, board or tray. Most breweries offer somewhere around four to six samples, although every brewery does things a little differently. Some have set flights chosen by the brewery, while others let you build your own from whatever is currently pouring.
Think of it as a tasting menu for beer. Rather than looking at the tap list, choosing one beer and hoping you love it, a flight lets you try several styles side-by-side. Maybe you’ll confirm that you’re absolutely an IPA person, or maybe the Pilsner you almost didn’t order ends up being your favourite beer on the board. That’s half the fun.
Why I Almost Always Recommend Starting With a Flight
One of my favourite things about exploring BC’s craft beer scene is just how different every brewery can be. You might walk into one taproom and find crisp Lagers and traditional European-inspired beers, then visit another brewery down the road that’s pouring Hazy IPAs, fruit Sours and experimental small batches. Even within a single brewery, the tap list can take you from something incredibly light and refreshing to something dark, roasty and completely different.
In my experience, a flight is one of the best ways to experience more of that brewery’s personality in one visit. It’s also one of the easiest ways to figure out what you actually like because beer descriptions can only tell you so much. Sometimes you need to taste a West Coast IPA beside a Hazy IPA to understand how different they are, or try a Porter beside a Stout to figure out which one you prefer.
I also think flights take some of the pressure out of ordering, especially if you’re newer to craft beer. You aren’t choosing the beer you’re going to drink for the next hour; you’re just choosing a few beers you’re curious about. If you love one, great. If you don’t, you’ve still learned something about what you might want to order next time.
How Do You Choose What Goes on Your Flight?
This is where people tend to overthink things. If you’re looking at a tap list and have absolutely no idea where to begin, one of the best things you can do is ask the person behind the bar.
The people working in the taproom know those beers better than almost anyone, and they’re usually more than happy to point you in the right direction. You don’t need to know beer terminology either. Just tell them what you normally drink, what kinds of flavours you enjoy or even what you know you don’t like.
Try something as simple as, “I usually drink lighter beers. What should I try?” or “I don’t love really bitter beer. What would you recommend?” You can even just say, “I’ve never tried a Sour before. Which one should I start with?”
Personally, when I’m building my own flight, I like choosing a bit of variety rather than four beers that are incredibly similar. I’ll usually pick something familiar, something I’m curious about and at least one beer I normally wouldn’t order. I’ve found that sometimes the most unexpected choice ends up being the one I enjoy the most.
Yes, There’s Actually an Order to Drinking Your Flight
Here’s something a lot of first-time brewery visitors don’t realize: the order you drink your flight can make a difference.
Most breweries will arrange your flight in the order they recommend tasting it, so if they do, follow their lead. If they don’t, there are a few easy things you can look at before diving in.
In my experience, it’s usually best to move from lighter, more delicate beers into bigger and bolder flavours. Starting with the strongest Double IPA on your board and then going back to a subtle Lager can make that Lager much harder to appreciate because the stronger flavours and bitterness can linger on your palate.
My easy rule is: light to dark, lower ABV to higher ABV, and lower bitterness to higher bitterness.
You don’t have to follow this perfectly every single time, especially when things like fruit Sours, barrel-aged beers or sweeter styles enter the mix. Colour isn’t always a reliable indicator of flavour intensity either. But if you’re staring at your flight wondering where to begin, it’s a pretty good starting point.
ABV, IBU and All Those Other Letters
Beer menus come with their own vocabulary, but there are two abbreviations you’ll see fairly often: ABV and IBU.
What Does ABV Mean?
ABV stands for Alcohol by Volume, and it simply tells you how much alcohol is in the beer. You might have a 4.5% Pilsner sitting beside a 5.5% Pale Ale, a 6.5% IPA and an 8% Double IPA. If everything else on your flight seems relatively straightforward, working from the lowest ABV toward the highest is an easy way to decide where to start.
I find this particularly helpful when I’m tasting several different styles because it gives those lighter, more delicate beers a chance to shine before moving into something bigger.
What About IBU?
IBU stands for International Bitterness Units and relates to the bittering compounds in a beer. You won’t see it listed at every brewery, and the number alone doesn’t necessarily tell you exactly how bitter a beer will taste, but it can still be a useful clue.
For someone just getting into craft beer, I don’t think you need to start memorizing IBU ranges. My advice? If you’ve got a crisp Kölsch on one end of your flight and a big West Coast IPA on the other, I’d probably start with the Kölsch and save the hop bomb for later.
How to Actually Taste Your Flight
This is where beer tasting can start sounding intimidating. You’ll hear people describing beers as resinous, biscuity, piney or any number of other very specific things, and it’s easy to think you’re somehow tasting your beer incorrectly if your immediate reaction is simply, “Oh, I like this one.”
You’re not. In my opinion, the best part of tasting beer is discovering what you enjoy, not trying to come up with the most impressive description.
I like to start by looking at the beer. Is it pale and clear? Hazy and golden? Deep amber? Almost black? Then give it a smell before taking your first sip. Depending on the beer, you might notice citrus, tropical fruit, bread, pine, coffee, chocolate, caramel or something completely unexpected.
And here’s a little beer-tasting tip: give each beer at least two sips before deciding what you think of it.
Your first sip helps introduce your palate to the beer, especially if you’ve just tasted something completely different. By the second sip, you may start picking up more of the flavours and characteristics that weren’t immediately obvious the first time around. It’s a simple habit I recommend when tasting a flight, and it can make a surprising difference.
Then ask yourself a few questions. Is it crisp? Sweet? Tart? Bitter? Smooth? Fruity? Roasty? Refreshing? Most importantly: do you like it?
Move on to the next glass and compare. Sometimes tasting two beers beside each other makes their differences much more obvious than drinking them individually ever could. And if one reminds you of grapefruit while your friend insists it tastes like pineapple? You’re both allowed to be right.
A Few Beer Styles You’ll Probably Meet Along the Way
BC brewery tap lists are constantly changing, but there are a few styles you’ll see again and again.
Lagers and Pilsners are great places to start if you like something crisp, clean and refreshing. Pilsners often bring a little more hop character and bitterness, but both can be very approachable introductions to craft beer.
Wheat Beers tend to be smooth and easy-drinking, sometimes with citrus, fruit or spice characteristics, while Pale Ales can be a nice bridge into hoppier beer, offering noticeable hop flavour without necessarily having the intensity of an IPA.
Then, of course, there are IPAs, which are a huge category all on their own. A West Coast IPA might lean bitter, citrusy and piney, while a Hazy IPA can be softer, juicier and packed with tropical fruit aromas.
On the darker side, Porters and Stouts can bring flavours like roasted coffee, cocoa, caramel and dark chocolate. Then there are Sours — bright, tart and often fruit-forward.
Personally, Sours are a style I always encourage people to try at least once, even if they don’t think of themselves as a “beer person.” I’ve watched plenty of people who swear they don’t like beer discover that they absolutely like that beer. It’s one of my favourite things about introducing people to different beer styles.
What I’d Put in Your First Flight
If you’ve never really explored craft beer before and handed me the tap list, I’d probably try to build you a flight that introduces a few different flavours without throwing you straight into the deep end.
I’d start with a Craft Lager around 4.5–5% — something crisp, clean and familiar. Next, I’d add a Wheat Beer around 5%. It’s still approachable, but we’re starting to introduce some different flavours and aromas.
For the third beer, I’d go with a Pale Ale around 5–6%, which gives you a nice introduction to more hop character without immediately jumping into a massive IPA. Then I’d finish with a Hazy IPA around 6–7% — something juicy and aromatic that gives you a chance to experience just how flavourful hops can be.
Would that be everyone’s perfect flight? Absolutely not. But that’s exactly why you’re ordering one. The whole point is figuring out what your perfect flight looks like.
Start With What You Already Like
One thing I always tell people is that you don’t have to completely abandon the beer you already enjoy just because you’ve walked into a craft brewery. If you’re usually a Coors Light drinker, try a locally brewed Craft Lager. If Corona is your go-to, look for a Mexican-style Lager. Blue Moon drinker? Try one of the brewery’s Wheat Beers. Love Guinness? See if there’s a Dry Stout on tap.
In my opinion, starting with something familiar makes the whole experience a little less intimidating. Once you’ve found something you enjoy, you can start branching out into styles you might not normally choose.
And if you have absolutely no idea what you like? Even better. That’s exactly why flights exist.
Take a Photo Before You Drink Everything
This one comes from experience. You order four beers, find one you love, finish your flight, start chatting, maybe order another beer and then an hour later realize you have absolutely no idea what that amazing second beer was called.
One of my favourite little habits is taking a photo of my flight and the beer list before I start. You can also jot down the names you loved in your phone. Over time, you’ll start noticing patterns in what you order and what you enjoy. Maybe you thought you were an IPA person but keep saving Pilsners. Maybe every Sour you love has raspberries in it. Maybe you’ve discovered you have a thing for Dark Lagers.
Knowing that makes your next brewery visit even more fun.
If you’re travelling around the province, the BC Ale Trail app is another great way to keep track of your brewery adventures. You can check in at participating breweries, earn points along the way, discover nearby brewery stops and start building a brewery bucket list for your next trip.
The Most Important Rule? Have Fun With It
In my opinion, ordering a beer flight isn’t about proving how much you know about craft beer. It’s about being curious, trying something you haven’t had before and getting a taste of what makes each brewery different. Sometimes you’ll find your new favourite beer. Sometimes you’ll give something a couple of sips and realize that particular style just isn’t for you. Both are part of the experience.
After visiting breweries around BC, that’s probably my favourite thing about ordering a flight: you don’t have to know what you like before you walk through the door. You get to figure it out as you go.
So the next time you’re exploring the BC Ale Trail and find yourself staring at a tap list wondering what on earth to order, don’t overthink it. Grab a flight, ask a few questions and try something you normally wouldn’t.
Your new favourite beer might be sitting on that little wooden paddle.
Every Pint Tells a Story
