Heading to the beverage retail store to pick up some beer? With the massive selection available these days, it can get overwhelming trying to choose the right ones. According to USA Today, beer has the largest market share at 53.9%, followed by spirits at 23.9%, and wine at 22.2%. Here's a quick guide to three tasty beer styles worth grabbing the next time you stop by your local beverage retail store.

1. Try Some Classic Ales

You can't go wrong starting with a few classic ale styles that have stood the test of time. These beers are crowd-pleasing options that offer a nice balance of malty, sweet flavors and mild bitterness. When browsing the aisles of your beverage retail store, look for English bitters, pale ales, amber ales, brown ales, and Scottish ales. Most major beer brands will have their interpretation of these classic styles. They make for great backyard barbecue beers or casual weekend sipping.

2. Step Up to Some Heartier Brews

Once you've gotten a handle on those light, crisp ales, it's time to move into deeper, richer territory. We're talking about stouts and porters - two styles you'll commonly find stocked at your beverage retail store. These dark brews are made with roasted malts, which lend notes of coffee, chocolate, toast, and caramel to the beer. They have a gorgeous black or deep ruby color and a lush, velvety mouthfeel. And while some people think dark beer is heavy, quality stouts and porters are very drinkable. Their subtle sweetness offsets any heaviness.

3. Explore the IPA Spectrum

No article about beer is complete without discussing India Pale Ales. There's a vast range of IPAs on the shelves of your beverage retail store - from clean, crisp West Coast IPAs to pungent, fruit-forward New England IPAs. While extremely hoppy beers used to be an acquired taste, modern IPAs have found ways to balance intense hoppy bitterness with juicy, tropical fruit notes. Not only has this widened the appeal of IPAs, but it makes them exceptionally food-friendly, too.

When you head to the beer aisles of your nearest beverage retail store, keep this list in mind. Grabbing an assortment of classic ales, hearty dark brews, and contemporary IPAs will give you an excellent introduction to some of the top styles that beer enthusiasts enjoy. Visit Long Island Beverage today if you're ready to enjoy a new and refreshing beer.