I have found recently that trips to the beer store have been more stressful than they used to be. It is simply an issue of possibilities. There are just so many more beer on good store shelves these days than in that past. Not only has the total number of beer grown significantly – from a few hundred less than 10 years ago to almost 2,500 today – but the pace of new entries has hastened. There are more new beer in the province arriving each month than before.

It can be dizzying to show up at a quality beer store and decide what to buy. I will admit to struggling more than I used to in picking my regular allotment of beer. What do I choose? Go for the new stuff? Pick locally made beer? The latest oak-aged porter or a nice, light blonde ale?

I have coined the issue “choice fatigue”; the struggle to select a handful of beer from a list of thousands.

As I try to do, rather than just lament, I contemplated solutions to the issue, both for myself and for the average beer consumer trying to humbly make their way through beer life. In doing so I worked up four core principles that I find are helpful for me. I wrote them up for my latest Beer 101 (which you can read here)and share them in summary form for you here.

1. Style: This can be a fairly crude filter but it can be very helpful in winnowing the crowd. Simply, what are you in the mood for? No point buying that new Double IPA if you are really hankering for a hearty stout. Follow your palate’s desires.
2. New vs. Reliable: What are you in the mood for? Something adventurous and unknown, which would mean try a new release you have never heard of. Or do you simply want a quality beer that you know, remember and appreciate? Both answers are equally valid – again it is all about the mood you are in.
3. Import vs. Local: While this is a more general question, one that can spur moments of existential angst in a commtited craft beer drinker, it can help in the more specific moment of picking your beer purchases. Do you want to do your bit to support your local breweries, or do you want to stretch your beer legs and explore something new and novel? The answer will differ from trip to trip, but it is important to be aware of it. What have you bought recently? Is there anything particularly interesting from down south or across the pond? An experienced craft beer drinker will do some of both – either in the same trip or by balancing over multiple trips. No local brewer will ever ask you to swear off trying imports, but if all you buy is imports, you might want to ask yourself why.
4. Price: This may seem like an odd category, but it is both fair and an accurate reflection of what most of us experience. None but the wealthiest among us has a bottomless wallet, meaning we have to make some choices about how much to spend. There can be some expensive beer out there these days – $10, $20, $30 per bottle. Most of us simply cannot afford to buy these beer every time. Not when a six-pack of something local and quite lovely can be $15 or less. I often allow myself one expensive beer per trip, meaning the other new, exotic and pricey options have to wait.

The best way to use these principles is as a guide to understanding yourself (how Zen, eh?). They help you explore your desires, needs and practical limitations. We cannot buy every beer available in the province. We can’t. So we have to select a sub-set, which means making some kind of cut. Those cuts should be based on an honest evaluation of what we want. Nothing more should matter.

I hope this helps.