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I'm thinking of organising a beer tasting event for a few mates and I was wondering if anyone had done one and had any tips?

Ideally I'd be looking to get someone to lead the tasting with tasting notes, but I'd also be interested in matching beer with cheese / meats / anything that works really.

Some of the people coming would have tried a good few different types of beer while others may be a bit less craft-aware, so I'd need some 'gateway' beers as well as a few big bad boys for the more experienced members.

Also, does anyone know of any pubs who do/would host such an event?

There is a book Iv read called "tasting beer" very good read about history and styles. Also has section on doing tasting sessions. I payed about 10 euro for it on play.com Its a great read on its own.
TheBeerNut might be along soon and seems the right man if you need a speaker. maybe pm him.

I'd say any pub that stocks the beers and will reserve you a section would do it.

For food pairing tips it's handy to have a copy of [i:3jg5j923]The Brewmaster's Table[/i:3jg5j923] to hand.

I put something like this together a while back and found it was a good idea to follow the ingredients: pick beers that individually show what malt brings, then one for hops and one for yeast, and then one which has them all nicely balanced.

I'd be interested to hear what you picked and why! Anyway, sure we can talk about it tomorrow!

Myself and a few friends spent a great afternoon at a whiskey tasting in L. Mulligan before Christmas. They served us up 8 whiskeys and pitched it at a level that was accessible to the beginners amongst us ... as well of those of us who are a little further down the road <!-- s:) --><img src="{SMILIES_PATH}/icon_smile.gif" alt="" title="Smile" /><!-- s:) -->

I see no reason why they wouldn't be able to lay on a beer tasting too....