When I was 33, I drank some very good beer...

I had an idea awhile ago (maybe a year or so?) that I wanted to learn more about beer. People always talk about wine classes and wine tastings. I like wine, but I'm not that interested in learning about it. Beer, on the other hand... now that's another story. 
   

When I first started drinking, I was partial to the sweet stuff (screwdrivers, daiquiris, things like that) and I had zero taste for beer. But when I turned 21 and saw how expensive it was to buy a mixed drink in a bar, beer looked like a fantastic option. The only problem was that I hated beer. My first sip of beer was Coors Light from a can. I barely managed to swallow it and I wanted to puke. (Come to think of it, that's pretty much the same reaction I have to Coors Light now.) A friend finally introduced me to Yuengling Lager, which I liked. Sort of. Well, it was good enough to get me buzzed, and at the time, that was good enough for me.
   
Over the years, I developed a taste for different kinds of beers. Yuengling Lager is still one of my favorites, but I love going into a bar and scanning the list for a beer I haven't tried. Or a seasonal beer. Or the beer with the most unusual name. But I'd really like to fine tune my knowledge of beer. I want to know the difference between a lager and an ale. I want to know what makes a really good beer.
   

   
My plan is... well, I don't have it down to an exact science yet. What I'd like to do is start with one type of beer - for example, lager - and then sample different types of lager to see what the difference is. Additionally, I'd like to read up on that particular style of beer so I know what to notice when I drink it (color, taste, aroma, etc). A website called Beer Advocate might be helpful here. There's a page on their site called Beer 101, which gives tips and info about beer. This site also lists beers that have been reviewed and rated by people all over the world. I'm also lucky enough to live near a beer outlet that allows you to create your own mixed six-pack. So if I decide to focus on one type, I can sample six different brews. And, of course, I can always ask the Facebook community for suggestions. There are plenty of beer drinkers out there who would probably be more than willing to recommend beer.
   
As you can see, I haven't really figured it all out yet. It's just an idea I'm toying with... sort of an independent beer study for my own edification. I'll keep you posted :)