Supermarkets say they're trying to improve the information they offer about how beers taste, but for all the froth they still seem to be sold as wine's poor relation, says Sophie Atherton

Anyone can pick out a multi-pack of lager if their mates are coming round to watch the football but choosing a beer that's a bit more interesting or special is still far from straightforward. Today's drinkers might want to buy beers they discovered on holiday, and supermarket aisles now boast American ales such as Goose Island IPA, Tsingtao from China, and Belgian beers like Bacchus Kriek alongside established British favourites like Adnams' Broadside and highly-rated newer beers such as Thornbridge's Jaipur.

But while the UK's supermarkets are stocking a much wider range, their beer sections are still devoid of information about taste. Guided by distinctions between sweet and dry, food matching tips and so on noted on the bottle, it's still much easier to choose wine.



Worse, in some cases the supermarkets have increased confusion. Tesco ran a poster campaign in the beer section over the summer which contained some glaring errors: pale ales and oak aged beers found their way on to lager posters, two out of three of the dark beers featured weren't dark at all and many of the descriptions were nonsensical. All this led to scorn and derision from beer enthusiasts and bloggers.

Since that embarrassment, the store seems committed to making improvements and is revamping the section with "flavour profiling", categorising beers as "rich, dark and strong", "fruity", "fuller flavoured", "speciality" and "light and easy drinking". It's a step in the right direction but the categories still lack meaning for those with little idea of what different beers taste like and are confusing for people used to choosing beer by style (bitter, lager, stout etc).

Sainsbury's Great British Beer Hunt pitted 16 beers chosen by regional panels including customers against each other to win a contract to supply 300 of its stores. There was lots of detail and tasting notes during the process but the same level of information is yet to be duplicated in all of its stores. "We don't want to be condescending towards our customers" says buyer Oliver Chadwyck-Healey, but he concedes there is something to be learned from the way they sell wine.

Morrison's is looking at a more 21st century solution to modernising its beer aisle with touch screen drinks selectors that will help customers choose beer (and other drinks) by country or to match particular foods. If done well it sounds a brilliant idea, but has the potential simply to fall into the trap of tacky gimmicks. An in-store screen where Asda customers could view its useful online beer tutorials would be a small but incredibly savvy measure.

Beer may be cheaper than wine, but that's no excuse not to tell people what it tastes like and why they might want to buy it. Even if you know your beer, wouldn't you be more likely to buy it at the supermarket if there was a flavour description and food matching suggestions rather than a list of hop varieties - if you're lucky - or just a price label if you're not?