By Jamie Barrie W e ask this very question when we feature a brewing company and the answer, at least for the ones over the past years, has been very plain and simple, “No.” But you know that we could not stop there and we are going to investigate why. When I got my first apartment, back in my college days, I was always putting my beer mugs in the freezer to get them ready for their next beer pour, but back then, I was drinking a much different beer than the independent craft beers I enjoy these days. If you are using a frosty mug, when pouring your craft beer, you’re actually doing your beer and your palate a massive disservice as the frozen mug will instantly kill a craft beer’s carbonation and flavor. Fact is, the second you pour an independent craft beer into a frosty mug, you’ve released about 80% of the carbonation of that beer and all the flavors and efforts that were put into the beer by the brewer are gone. You have essential- ly flattened your beer instantly, so you are not getting the true inspired flavor of the beer as it was intended from the brewer, which means that you are missing out. To get the true taste out of craft beer, you should serve it at a warmer temperature than you’d think. There’s a reason we enjoy our coffee hot, our red wine room temperature, and our white wine cold. The same is true for craft beer,
they are not all treated the same as different styles of beer taste better to most people at different temperatures.
Here are some general guidelines to get the most flavor from your next craft beer pour: 35–40°F (2–4°C): Mass market light lagers 40–45°F (4–7°C): Czech and German Pilsners, Munich Helles, wheat beers, and Kölsch 45–50°F (7–10°C): IPAs, American pale ales, porters, and most stouts 50–55°F (10–13°C): Belgian ales, sour ales, Bocks, English bitters and milds, Scottish ales 55–60°F (13–16°C): Barleywines, imperial stouts, Belgian strong ales, and Doppelbocks When in doubt remember this rule of thumb: light body and low alcohol beer tastes better cold while full body and high alcohol examples are better warmer. So, after you have filled your growers with your favorite craft brews, it is most likely that you do not have different refrig- erators for each style of beer in your “mancave.” If you do we are impressed! But if you are like most the easiest thing to do to enjoy your beer at its best is to pour and let it warm to your liking before drinking, so that you get the most flavor out of your beer. Well, unless you are grabbing a macro beer then feel free to pour it in a frosty mug as usually colder means better, but if your pouring a craft beer the only frosty you should have is a snowman.
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JANUARY 2019 • SPOTLIGHT ON BUSINESS MAGAZINE
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