Bottoms up!

Beer fans pop open their views

(CNN) -- Beer and opinions tend to go together. Next time you're out, just ask someone. Or log on to BeerAdvocate.com.

Celebrating its sixth year, BeerAdvocate bills itself as a site dedicated to beer, built by people who love beer.

"It allows people to get on, give their opinions about beer. We have an open forum where we discuss different beers throughout the world," says Todd Alstrom, who, along with his brother Jason Alstrom, created the site. "You can actually get on the site and rate different beers," says Jason, "not just rate them, but talk about why you like the beer or why you don't like the beer."

Brews are rated on a scale of one to five according to their appearance, taste, smell, mouthfeel, and an overall grade. BeerAdvocate visitors have posted ratings and reviews of almost 6,000 different beers.

"We have a true feeling of community here because everyone is so open to share knowledge and help you out," says Todd. Jason adds that the users are not just a part of the site, "they really are the site."

BeerFly

After you rate and review your favorite or least favorite brew, you can stop by the discussion forums to talk to fellow BeerAdvocate users about all things beer. Regional beers are a favorite topic.

"You've got people that want to travel to different areas, people looking for different beers in their area," says Jason.

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In fact, the subject of finding the best local brews comes up so often, the Alstrom brothers created a special section of the Web site called BeerFly.

"It is great for travelers,"says Todd. "They can find out the best breweries in an area they might be going to, or the best place to have a beer. They can hook up with other users in that area, and check out beer events coming through that area as well."

Teach your tipplers

BeerAdvocate also educates. The site includes an extensive section on how to select, store, pour, and taste beer. It also describes different types of beer and how to homebrew, as well as beer terminology and history. It even discusses which types of glasses should be used for which styles of beer.

"So as a novice or a newby, you might show up to the site with a very basic question and there would be people there to help you out," adds Todd.

Whether you prefer an American beer or a Celebrator Doppelbock, BeerAdvocate.com is a great Internet community for suds lovers everywhere.