We love enjoying a cold beer at home, especially on hot summer days. Whether it’s relaxed gatherings, cookouts, post-yardwork, or just couch surfing, the occasions to serve a beer at home are endless.
We stock our refrigerators with our favorite brew and usually serve it in the bottle it came in. Tragic as this scenario may seem to a beer aficionado, straight from the fridge into your guest’s hand is often the reality of home beer consumption. We believe a no-fuss middle ground will elevate your home beer game.
Here are some tips and tricks to improve the drinking experience without holding a beer sommelier diploma or having sophisticated barware.
The optimal temperature to drink beer ranges from room temperature for classic British ales to fridge temperature for neutral blond beers. The principle is that extremely cold temperatures will mask the taste of the beer, the excellent taste but also imperfections the beer may have. Therefore, it is essential to have some basic knowledge in this area.
Fermento Amber Ale is ideally served at 10-12°C. We suggest removing it from the refrigerator 15-20 minutes before consumption.
The small effort of serving beer in a glass will always elevate the experience because it frees the flavors from the beer’s surface. But which glass to choose from?
A unique “degustation” glass has been designed for beer sommeliers to conduct professional tastings. Many beer styles have a preferred glass type. In Belgium, several breweries even provide their own glass to maximize the taste experience.
However, a simple wine glass can go a long way to universally assist in fully appreciating a good beer. The glass should be cleaned using hot water only. The detergent may harm foam formation, even if the glass is well rinsed after washing. Don’t freeze the glass because the ice crystals formed on the glass walls will also damage foam formation. Before pouring the beer, rinse the glass with warm water and dry well to bring it to room temperature.
The beer should be poured into the glass at a 45-degree angle, pour slowly on the glass’s sidewall, and avoid foam formation until half full. Then pour more quickly into the middle of the glass to allow air to mix into the liquid, producing the ideal conditions for forming and stabilizing the foam. The foam should be between 2-4 cm. (1″). Hold the glass by the stem to avoid warming the beer unnecessarily if you like.
Appreciating the color is the first thing to do. Hold the glass up toward a light source or simply against a white surface. Next, appreciate the flavors by deeply breathing in the aroma from the beer surface.
Finally, the beer can be thoroughly enjoyed with a first sip. Some aromas from the beer come from the aftertaste. In fact, that is why beer sommeliers don’t spit out beer during tastings like wine sommeliers do.
Fully enjoy your beer.