How to drink beer

[The_Scientist]

http://www.salon.com/food/beer/index.html?story=/food/feature/2011/06/04/how_to_taste_beer

A tutorial on how professionals teach others to taste and judge beer. Yes, there are now beer sommelier programs and certifications for beer judges. For the rest of us, there are four general guidelines:
1) Pour it into a glass and use the aroma as much as the flavor.
2) Pay attention to every detail, drink slowly.
3) Verbalize what you taste (this may require building your vocabulary).
4) Try lots of beers (my favorite one).

[totm]

 Yes, there are now <snip> certifications for beer judges.

The BJCP has been around a long time.

[Melomom]

You can get the BJCP materials online, they are interesting:

http://www.bjcp.org/study.php

You can read about the characteristics of whatever style you are drinking, gave me as a novice beer drinker an idea of what to look for (not that I always found it!).