How to run a beer tasting workshop for a company team

Agreeing the brief with the organiser, beer list, alcohol-free option, timing and group size: how beer sommeliers run tasting workshops for company teams.

5 min read

A beer tasting workshop for a company team works when it is built around the group, not around your favourite bottles. Agree the brief with the organiser first: why the team is meeting, how many people, where, when, and how many of them don't drink alcohol. Then choose a short, varied beer list with an alcohol-free path of equal quality, keep pours small, serve food and water, and turn the tasting into something the team does together — guessing styles, voting, building a pairing — rather than a lecture. Fix the date and headcount early, and confirm the final numbers a few days before.

Start with the organiser's brief

The person who books is rarely the person who tastes. An office manager, an HR lead or a team head wants an activity that brings people together, fits the time they have and doesn't embarrass anyone. Before suggesting a programme, ask the questions that shape it.

  • The occasion: a team-building afternoon, an end-of-year party, a client evening, a welcome for new staff. The tone is not the same.
  • Group size: the number of people decides the format, the number of bottles and whether you need a second host.
  • Place: their office, a meeting room in a hotel, a bar or a brewery. Ask about tables, a sink, a fridge and whether drinking is allowed on site.
  • Time slot: a late-afternoon workshop before people head home is not the same as one closing a full day of meetings.
  • Non-drinkers and dietary needs: ask how many guests will not drink alcohol, and about allergies for the food served alongside.

Building a beer list for mixed groups

A company team mixes beer fans, occasional drinkers and people who think they don't like beer. Choose beers that show how wide the range is: a light lager, a wheat beer, a fruity or sour beer, a hoppy pale ale, a dark roasted beer. Five or six beers are enough for a workshop; more becomes a blur. Order them from light to strong so palates stay fresh.

An alcohol-free path, not an afterthought

Plan a real alcohol-free tasting alongside the main one: quality alcohol-free beers in matching styles, so those who don't drink taste and vote like everyone else. Present it at the start as a normal choice, without asking anyone to explain why. In a work setting, nobody should feel pushed to drink.

Pours and food

Keep pours small and serve water from the start. Bread, cheese, charcuterie or simple snacks slow the pace and open the door to pairings. Keep the strongest beers for the end, and don't refill glasses on request. Remind the organiser that guests need a way home, and follow the drinking-age and serving rules where you work.

Making it a team activity

The organiser is paying for a shared moment, not only for knowledge. Give the team something to do together.

  • Blind tasting in small teams: each table guesses the style, the strength or the country, and scores points.
  • Aroma game: pass round jars of malt, hops, coffee or citrus peel and ask teams to find them in the glass.
  • Pairing challenge: give each table three snacks and ask them to defend the best match for one beer.
  • Final vote: the group picks its favourite beer, which you can name in a short recap sent to the organiser.

Timing and group size

A workshop of around ninety minutes to two hours leaves time for a welcome, the tastings, the games and a relaxed end. Above a certain size, one host can no longer talk with each table: decide your own limit, and bring a second person or split into two sessions beyond it. Arrive early enough to chill the beers, set the glasses and lay out the tables before the first guest walks in.

What to agree in writing

  • Date, start time and place, with the name of the contact on the day.
  • Expected headcount, including non-drinkers, and the deadline to confirm the final number.
  • What you bring (beers, glasses, snacks) and what the venue provides.
  • Your price per person or per group, and how you invoice the company.

Booking team workshops with Book

On Book, each service has a name, a price and an optional description shown on your public page. Create a service such as "Team beer tasting" and describe the format, the length, the alcohol-free option and what's included. When an organiser wants a date, you can open a slot for that service and book the group yourself from your calendar, with the contact's name and the number of people; add their email if you want them to get the confirmation. Write the venue and any dietary needs in the booking note: it shows in your new-booking email and in the calendar file sent with the client's confirmation.

ServiceExample slotExample price
Team beer tasting (per person)1 h 30€45
Team tasting with food pairing (per person)2 h€65
Private workshop for a team (up to 15 people)2 h€650

Prices and durations are examples: set your own. If the organiser changes the date, reschedule the booking from your bookings list and tell them yourself, since Book doesn't email clients about changes. Book costs €5/month, everything included: unlimited services and bookings, no commission, no contract. It doesn't take payments or send invoices.

How many beers should a team tasting include?
Five or six beers are enough to show the range of styles. Keep pours small, serve food and water, and finish with the strongest beer.
What do I do for colleagues who don't drink?
Prepare an alcohol-free tasting of equal quality and present it as a normal choice from the start. Ask the organiser for the number in advance.
Can the organiser book for the whole team online?
The public booking form takes one place per booking. For a company group, agree the date with the organiser and book the group yourself from your calendar with the number of people.

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