The craft beer movement has profited tremendously from the Web, with loads of helpful blogs, review-sharing forums and sites like the new BeerPetitions.com, which allows beer drinkers to take matters into their own hands and call for certain beers to be carried in their local shops and bars.

Another online beer tool that has arrived recently is BeerChooser.com, a site based in Pittsburgh that could be especially helpful to fledgling beer fans. It’s a kind of interactive beer-lover community that employs its users’ ratings of specific beers to suggest others they would like.

You can create a “wish list” to keep track of beers you’re hunting for, which, as the site notes, can come in handy when you are faced with a deer-in-the-headlights moment upon encountering an especially good selection of brews.

Here’s more info from the site’s founders:

New Website Brings Power Of The Web To The Beer Aisle 

Pittsburgh, PA September 14, 2009 — A new website takes the guesswork out of choosing a six-pack. BeerChooser.com, the brainchild of beer-lovers Jacob McKean and Laura Skelton, uses a collaborative filtering system – of the kind popularized by Netflix and Amazon.com – to help beer drinkers find new beers they’ll love. 

BeerChooser.com asks users to rate beers they have tried using the site’s one-click rating system. It then filters the ratings of many different users to accurately predict the preferences of individuals. With this system, BeerChooser.com can make startlingly accurate predictions of how users will feel about beer and tailor recommendations accordingly.

The site also features an easily printable “Favorites” list and “Wish List,” helping BeerChooser.com users remember recommended beers and personal favorites on their next shopping trip. BeerChooser.com also has a mobile site, allowing users with mobile devices to access all of BeerChooser.com’s features on the go. 

“BeerChooser.com takes advantage of the power of the crowd. Instead of just getting recommendations from a few friends, you can benefit from the experience of all BeerChooser.com members,” McKean said.

Consumers have never had more options in the beer aisle. According to the Brewers’ Association, there are now 1,525 breweries in the United States, the highest total in 100 years. At the same time, the cost of beer has risen as brewers have been hit with rising prices for raw ingredients.

“The goal of BeerChooser.com is to make it easier for people to try new beers. BeerChooser.com can help you figure out what you’re going to like before you spend your money,” said site co-founder Jacob McKean.