What temperature should I drink my beer?

TAKING THE TEMPERATURE: OPEN UP AND SAY "BEER"
BY: ADAM BOOHER

"Ice Cold Bee-yah!!"

These words echo through baseball and football stadiums throughout the land, as much a tradition as the National Anthem or the seventh-inning stretch. And even though in my mind beer is an integral part of enjoying sporting events, I bristle when I hear the "Ice Cold" part. Nearly-frozen beer may be useful in keeping your hands, or lap, cool on the hottest of days, but if enjoying the flavors and characteristics of beer is important to you, then serving and enjoying beer at the proper temperatures should be considered each time you indulge.

Just as styles of beer benefit from being served in the proper glassware [hyperlink "proper glassware" to related article], each style of beer has an ideal temperature range at which the characteristics, aromas and flavors are fully presented. As a very general rule of thumb, the lighter in body, color and alcohol, the cooler the serving temperature should be. Conversely, big, rich and strong beers should be served cool (cellar temperature - 55-65F), but not cold. Why? Because as a beer warms, it releases all its volatile compounds. For big beers, this means their complexity will continually shine through as it warms. Many lighter beers are meant to be crisp and refreshing...they simply aren't very complex. Warming them up, simply makes them taste, well...yucky.

For example, lighter, pale lagers would be served coldest, in the neighborhood of 42-45°F. Berliner Weiss, wheat beers, dark lagers and altbiers would be in the 47-48°F range. Stouts, IPAs, Lambics, standard British Ales and many Belgian specialty beers would fall into the "Cellar" temperature range - approximately 55°F. Stronger, darker ales and barley wines fall into the range between Cellar temperature (55°F) and Room temperature (60°F). For your convenience, Brewpot's beer reviews and style definitions include ideal serving temperatures. [Assuming we can link to this in a database. If not, strike this last sentence]

A Note About "Room Temperature" - The designation "Room Temperature" in regards to serving beer refers to a temperature of approximately 60F. This designation originated in European wine circles, and is specifically applied to how most red wines are recommended to be served, which is about five degrees warmer than cellar temperature. Some brewers and reviewers may refer to this designation for certain beers. So if you see a review or recommendation that your stronger, darker ale or barley wine be served at "Room Temperature", the recommendation is to serve at approximately 60F, NOT to serve at whatever temperature your room happens to be.

So now that you know the ideal temperatures for your favorite styles, now we'll cover how to execute this in the real world.

At home, unless you have unique refrigerators for each style of beer, each set to the ideal style temperature - if you do, please invite me over - your easiest bet is to set the temperature to match the style of beer that would be served the coldest. It is far easier to let a beer warm up a few degrees to its ideal temp than to try to chill a beer a few degrees to get reach the ideal. Take the beer out of the fridge and let it sit for as long as it takes to reach the ideal temperature range - which varies based on the temperature of the room.

If your fridge does not have a temperature display in it, you can purchase and install an internal thermometer (Ranco make a very neat and relatively inexpensive digital unit - check out eBay), and adjust the fridge until the ideal level is reached. Follow the thermometer manufacturer's installation instructions carefully for proper placement - get it too close to the cold-air output or coil, or put in on the door, and you may not capture the true internal average temperature. There are even thermometers that can be threaded through the door, so you can view the internal temperature of the fridge without opening the door, but installation on this type of solution is far more involved. Free Brewpot tip: refrigerators and freezers set up this way may also be used by homebrewers for lagering!

When you are out at your favorite watering hole, understand that most places store all their beers at one temperature, based on delivery method, not style of beer. Draft beers could be in the 38-42° range, bottles even colder. If your bar keeps their bottles in a huge trough filled with ice, know that those bottles could be close to 32°. Just like at home, if the beer you are served is too cold - a distinct likelihood - then allow it to warm up for a few minutes (warm hands make a perfect heating element, when placed against a cold, bulbous glass). Another logical action is if you realize the beer being served is well under the ideal temperature, go ahead and order your next one well before you finish your current one. Obviously, if you're at home, you be your own bartender, as well as patron.

One other key note about ordering beer. While it may be logistically difficult to maintain each style of beer at its ideal temperature in a restaurant or bar, it is far easier to provide glassware at the correct temperature. Many places unwittingly think they are doing a favor to their beer drinkers by offering chilled or even frozen mugs. But unless you just really don't want to taste that Miller Lite, be sure to reject the offer of a frozen mug. Not only will it retard the beer from warming up to the ideal temp, but you may even get an unexpected "gift" in your beer - chunks of ice. Which melt, and turn to...water! On the flip side, you should also reject that mug or glass that comes right out of the dishwasher, and is visibly steaming. A hot glass is no friendlier than a cold glass.
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