You've heard of having a bunch of friends over to the lot for a martini and cigar party. How about a shrimp boil? Maybe a monthly rib fest. Let's try something different: A Beer Dinner.
It's not all about the beer. Foods that pair-well with each other are on tap, too.

Think of it as a beer tasting; the brew is served in eight-ounce cups. Open a six-pack, everyone getting the same beverage. Once that first tasting has been exhausted, move onto another brand and style.
Start with the lightest stuff. Not light beers, God forbid. You're looking for a subtle beginning for both the ale and the finger food. Work your way up the ladder - from delicate to strong. Kick things off with soups, dips and salad. End with deserts of fruit, cakes and flan. In between, serve main entrees including meat, fish and vegetarian.

The only rule is that this is a Beer Dinner. Not a wine or soda dinner. It's O.K. to have water on hand, but no coffee, tea or anything else other than beer.
Here are some other matters you might want to click-off in organizing your Beer Dinner:

€One way to make this a non-paying event is to ask invitees to assemble their own pairings, bringing enough brew and food for everyone attending. Ask them to tell you in advance what they are coming with so you can create a menu for the Beer Dinner (and avoid duplicate entries).
€Pick a theme to wrap-around your Beer Dinner. Holidays are perfect grist for subjects, but be mindful: When good beer and good food come together, every day is a holiday.
€Go five-by-five, five beers, five courses. That means you're looking at a soup, hors d'oeuvres, salad, entr©e and dessert.
€Use choices that either follows the yin and yang betwixt the beverage and the bite and/or foods that complement the brew. A good rule of thumb is that your beer should be tarter than the eatables or sweeter than the food. If you're highlighting a bitter hop ale, make sure what you're serving can stand up to the strength of the suds.
€Vote on the favorite course of the night. After a few Beer Dinners, you'll be able to have a "Best of Beer Dinner."

You want to make sure that the price of admission isn't too far out-of-reach. If it's a €bring your own€ affair, forget the charges. If not, a reasonable cost is around 40-bucks a head. Will you accept tips for the volunteer servers? Include that in the ticket price ($5 is a good, fair figure).

Would you like to plan a Beer Dinner? Come back next week and we'll have some food and beer suggestions to get the ball rolling.