In the beer industry everyone from beer distributors to beer brewing companies need the right education and training resources. As the owner of a beer business, you know that your staff members benefit from any extra knowledge about ale, hops, lager and beer.

Whether your business specializes in wholesale beer or the best brand names that the beer industry has to offer it is essential to understand the drink itself. Beer education and training includes everything from explaining the differences between ale, hops, lager and beer to understanding the laws that govern your business. When looking for beer education and training resources, consider:

1. Finding information from a beer industry association.

2. Learning the latest facts and figures about your beer business with online informational resources.

3. Attending a class to learn about beer and the beer industry worldwide.

Action Steps
The best contacts and resources to help you get it done

Join a beer association or group for access to educational resources

Whether you own a bar or a beer brewery, there is a beer industry association or group for you. These professional groups specialize in educating and training their members. They also keep every member up to date on the latest beer industries news.

I recommend: The Brewers Association is dedicated to provided members and non-members with the latest beer industry information and beer training materials. For additional education and training resources check out Beer Advocate. It is an independent community of beer professionals and enthusiasts.

View online informational resources for the best ale, hops and beer training available

The Internet is an unbelievable source of beer information and education, if you know where to look. Some informational sites offer educational articles that are written by beer industry professionals, while others offer instructional videos for your business.

I recommend: Check out Forbes.com for the latest in beer business education. For educational articles, read through Beer 101. It is an ideal resource for any business owner.

Find education and training classes to become well-versed in each beer brand

You do not have to be a bartender or a bar owner to attend a class about beer. There are beer brewery classes and general classes about the beer industry worldwide. Consider both local and online classes to gain additional expertise about every type of beer beverage.

I recommend: Vino 101 offers an Internet based class on beer and spirits. For a self taught study program check out the Online Beer Guide. It offers education on beer types, styles and vocabulary.

Tips & Tactics

Helpful advice for making the most of this Guide

• •  Be sure to educate yourself on the laws and codes that govern your business. While your employees may not be required to have specialized beer education and training, you business may need certain licenses or certifications.

Beer brewing companies produce two different types of beer: lagers and ales. The main difference between a lager and ale is not related to the alcohol content. Rather, it lies in the brewing process and ingredients. As a result, a lager typically tastes milder than it's more stout and bitter-tasting counterpart.

Extra hops, malts, and roasted malts add to the ale's more robust taste. For your beer business, it's imperative to understand your customers' preferences and keep your shelves stocked with fast moving sellers.

The choices in beer brands are vast. The beer industry offers your business profits from domestic and imported products. Domestic beer distributors sell wide selections of ales and lagers.

Beer importers give your store access to specialty beers that have a loyal customer base as well. When you purchase beer for resale, consider the following:

1. Choose beer with a recent brewing date to maintain optimum freshness.

2. Acquire a wide variety of lagers and ales, domestic and imports and bottles and cans in various quantities

3. Set up your own brewpub or work with microbreweries.

Action Steps
The best contacts and resources to help you get it done

Find local beer distributors

Beer wholesalers work with distributors to get the beer to you. Locate beer distributors in your specific geographic area. Use distributors for domestic and imported beers.

I recommend: Purchase popular domestic beers such as Budweiser, Bud Light, Miller Genuine Draft, Miller Light and Coors Beers. Include a selection of popular imports such as Guinness, Bass, Dos Equis and Heineken Beers. Find a distributor in your area through Micro Matic Inc., or the National Beer Wholesalers Association.

Attend a beer industry trade show or convention

Give your business the competitive edge by learning the 'ins and outs' of the beer industry.

I recommend: Meet with other beer wholesalers, retailers and distributors and make important networking connections that can improve your business. Register for a trade show at the National Restaurant Association or the National Beer Wholesalers Association. BeerFestivals.org has a monthly list of international and stateside beer festivals.

Brew your own beer or work with microbreweries

Microbreweries and brewpubs have become extremely popular as beer patrons search for a new beer to satisfy their quest for the perfect brew.

I recommend: Purchase everything you need to brew your own beer and set up a brewpub from the The Beer Info Source and Specialty Products International. BrewPubZone has a complete list of microbreweries and brewpubs offering many varieties of home brew.

Tips & Tactics

Helpful advice for making the most of this Guide

• •  Strategic product placement and smart visual merchandising play an important role in your beer sales. Cold beer typically sells much faster than non-refrigerated beer. Use your cooler space as efficiently as possible.
• •  Keep in mind that beer sales typically spike around holidays, especially during the summer months. Offer special promotions to boost your beer sales during non-peak times.

Beer is made by fermenting malted cereal grains such as barley, although corn, rice and wheat are also used. It is usually flavored with hops and may also contain fruit flavorings. Beer is an extremely popular beverage, and its consumption is exceeded only by water and tea. The earliest forms of beer may have been made as long as 10,000 years ago, although hops was probably not used as a flavoring until after 800 A.D. Today, beer is made by a few multinational companies, as well as thousands of regional breweries.

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Wort

Wort refers to the mixture of malted barley and water that will become beer. Hops and yeast are later added to the wort so that it can begin to ferment.

I recommend: GreatBrewers.com provides a glossary of many terms used in the manufacture of beer, including wort.

Carboy

A carboy is any large container that holds the wort. It is typically made of glass, which is nonporous and easily cleaned.

I recommend: BrewSupplies.com offers a glossary of terms used in beer-making, such as carboy. It also provides extensive resources for home brewers.

Alpha Acid Units (AAU)

The AAU is a measurement of bitterness expressed as the percentage of hops that is alpha acid by weight. This value varies from year to year, so a given amount of hops will not necessarily produce the same amount of bitterness.

I recommend: Lee's Brewery provides a summary for the use of AAUs in the manufacture of beer.

Malted barley

Malted barley is barley that has been allowed to partially germinate before stopping the germination process. This increases the sugar content of the barley, which allows it to ferment more easily.

I recommend: Rich's Beer Glossary explains the uses of malt in beer-making, both as a noun and a verb.

Yeast

Yeast are single-celled organisms that consume sugar and produce alcohol and carbon dioxide as a byproduct. There are many types of wild yeast, but Brewer's yeast has been specifically developed for its ability to make beer.

I recommend: Beer Color Laboratories has a more detailed description of the use of yeast in brewing.

Hops

Hops (Humulus lupulus) is a climbing herb, and the term 'hops' may also refer specifically to the dried flower used as a bittering agent in beer. There are many varieties of hops, and their use provides the characteristic flavor of modern beer.

I recommend: BeerTutor.com provides definitions for many terms used in the manufacture of beer, such as hops.

If you own a bar or a restaurant that serves beer, at one point or another a customer is sure to come up to you and ask you to explain beer types and styles. Having a good working knowledge of what makes beers different will be a wonderful boost in credibility and could help you attract the more serious beer drinker.

When you think of beer types, do not think of Miller versus Bud. These are simply beer brands. The three major beer types are as follows:

1. Ales, which are fermented at a temperature between 65 and 75 degrees using a top fermenting yeast;

2. Lagers, which are fermented at 46 to 55 degrees using a bottom fermenting yeast;

3. Lambic beers, which are fermented using bacteria and wild yeast.

Action Steps
The best contacts and resources to help you get it done

Find out more about different types of ale

One of the most popular types of ale is pale ale, which is light in color and has a distinct hops flavor. Very light pale ales are also known as blond, golden or amber. India Pale Ale is the highest in hops and has a slightly sweet and fruity taste. The darker ales include bitter ale, brown ale and barley wine. The darkest of the ales is porter, which has a malted taste to it.

I recommend: Ajax Turner, a distributor in the Nashville area, sells a wide variety of ales, including Beach Bum Blonde Ale and Red Hook Amber Ale. Clipper City Beer, a Baltimore beer producer, sells a porter and a barley wine under its Heavy Seas label.

Check out the types of lager available

The three most popular types of lager in the United States are American lager, Pilsner and Bock. American is a very thin beer and has that typical beer taste people expect from mass-produced brands. Pilsners taste lightly of malt and hops and have a clean, slightly bitter flavor. Bock is fermented twice, which give it a thick, mature taste, very heavy in malt.

I recommend: It is not hard to find an American lager. Just look for original Budweiser. Most beer distributors in the U.S. sell it. One of the most popular Pilsners is Pilsner Urqell, which is also very common. Michelob makes Amber Bock, which is one of the most common Bock style beers. It uses hops imported from Germany.

Consider stocking lambic beer

If your establishment serves lambic beer, you will be admired by many who know the beer industry. This beer type comes from only one place, Belgium, where the air contains the microflora needed to properly ferment this beer.

I recommend: If you'd like to stock lambic beer, contact Lindemans beer brewery. It sells the most popular lambic brand in the U.S. This company has exported its brew stateside since 1979. Read the article on BelgianStyle to find out more about Lambic beer.