Bottle Conditioned

There’s a right way to drink beer? You mean, drinking beer doesn’t involve plastic, aluminum or a headstand on top of a keg? For 75% of the beer bought in this country, and for probably the same amount of drinkers, beer is simply an alcohol delivery system in a can. Buy it cheap, serve it cold, and drink it fast – that’s the mantra of the average beer drinker in America. What most people don’t know (or refuse to believe), is that great beer is a beverage that requires care in serving and drinking, and it doesn’t involve aluminum.

Firstly, beer in this country is simply served too cold. Images of ice, snowy mountain ranges, and cold water dominate the mainstream beer ads, giving the impression that beer should be cooled to as low as physically possible before being consumed. In truth, most beer (good beer, anyway), benefits from being served warmer than you’d think, helping to bring out the flavors in the beer. Have you ever held an ice cube to some part of your body to numb it? That’s what ice cold beer does to your taste buds, shutting down any chance of you tasting anything pleasant in the beer. Anywhere from 45 degrees to 55 degrees is perfect, depending on the style. As a good rule of thumb, the higher the alcohol content, the warmer the beer should be served.

Secondly, beer is all too often served out of the completely incorrect vessel. No, an aluminum can is not appropriate to drink beer out of. I know what you’re saying: “Oh, well, I only drink it out of the bottle – it tastes better that way” – nope, sorry. Drinking beer through a 1 inch glass hole is a horrible way to experience decent beer, and you might as well save yourself a few bucks and drink water. Do yourself a favor – next time you have a beer, pour half of the beer into a glass, and leave the other half in the bottle and see which tastes better. You’ll never go back to the bottle.

So, what should you drink great beer out of? For me, there are four basic glasses that one should have on hand to accommodate most styles: pint glasses, pilsner glasses, brandy snifters, and champagne flutes. Most low alcohol beers, such as pale ales, amber ales, brown ales, stouts, porters and IPAs will be fine in a pint glass. As alcohol increases, such as in Imperial Stouts and Porters, Barleywines, and Strong Ales, a snifter is great. Pilsners (real, true pilsners) work great in the pilsners glasses, along with other like-flavored styles. Lastly, fruited beers and lambics are perfect out of a champagne flute.

If you’re going to drink great beer, make sure to drink it right. Put away the funnels and the solo cups and serve it how the beer wants to be served – from the right glass, at the right temperature. The only caveat is this: if you’re drinking cheap, mass-produced beer, don’t waste your money on glassware – nothing’s going to help.

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