“What’s your favorite beer?” It seems like an innocent question, right? And when you’re interviewing for a role in the beer industry, it makes perfect sense. However, this simple conversation starter might be putting your hiring practices, and organization, at risk.

Interviewing candidates may seem like a simple task. I mean, you’re just chatting with people and gauging whether they would be a good fit for your team. However, seemingly harmless questions can quickly open you up to risk of discrimination or bias claims. In 2026, most people understand why you wouldn’t ask someone what church they attend, or if they have reliable daycare for their children. Those are pretty clear no-no’s and can quickly lead to discrimination of protected classes, such as religion or sex. But, what about the questions that are meant to help you gauge “culture fit”?

Liability is less about intent and more about impact. You might be asking “what’s your favorite beer?” to learn about the candidate’s ability to judge products, to get an idea of what they may recommend to consumers, or just to make small talk. The risk though, comes from what you might unintentionally learn, especially if that person doesn’t drink.

There are many reasons a person may not consume alcohol — religion, health conditions, alcohol dependency or a family history of it. All of which can very easily look like discrimination if that person doesn’t get the job. And if you’re looking at that list and thinking “alcoholism isn’t a protected class” — think again! Recovering from alcohol dependency is protected under the Americans with Disabilities Act.

Perhaps your candidate doesn’t drink beer because they just don’t want to. While that may not be legally protected, it does create the perception of an exclusionary work environment — “if I don’t drink, my colleagues won’t accept me.” Either way, it’s not a good look.

So, what can you ask instead? It’s first helpful to think about what knowledge is necessary to do the job. If it’s a role that requires product or industry related knowledge, try something like:

• “How do you stay informed of trends in craft beer?”
• “What styles do you think are the most desired among consumers currently?”

Bottom line: If you can reasonably tie your question to an actual function or requirement of the job, you’re generally in safe territory, but a candidate’s personal drink preferences usually don’t hold up under the pressure test.

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