How to drink beer correctly – about mistakes, glasses and snacks

Drinking beer correctly is not a way to achieve intoxication, but first of all, enjoying the aroma and taste of the drink. A competent presentation can smooth out the shortcomings of the recipe and emphasize the advantages of the selected variety, especially craft. Basic control parameters: temperature, glasses and snacks.

4 most common mistakes

1. Chill the glass. Contrary to popular belief, a cold glass does not improve the perception of beer, on the contrary, it provokes foaming, makes the drink stale and insipid, and holding a cold glass in your hand is not very pleasant. The best option is to simply rinse the glass under running water at room temperature.
2. Chill beer. If we have a valuable variety in front of us, and not the usual “unleavened” store-bought lager, strong cooling is a sure way to deprive ourselves of the lion’s share of the nuances of taste. Best of all, the bouquet opens at room temperature, if you definitely want to make the drink cooler – just keep it in the refrigerator for 10 minutes. The most correct solution is to cool the beer to the temperature recommended by the manufacturer.
3. Leave beer in the sun. Bottles should be stored in a dark, dry and cool place. If sunlight hits them, the beer spoils.
4. Too long storage. Beer does not improve from aging in bottles, often on the contrary, it loses its taste and aroma.

Popular types of beer

Gone are the days when beer was divided into “dark” and “light” – now in any bar a discerning taster will find at least a dozen varieties. In order not to be disappointed in beer forever, you should choose a variation to your taste.

Camps. They account for up to 95% of all mass beers sold in stores. On average, lagers are less hoppy and lighter than ales. The category includes pilsners, Vienna lagers, bocks, March beers. Typical representatives of the style: Heineken, Bud Light, Natural Light, Harp, Corona, Miller Genuine Draft.

Эли. Compared to lagers, they are more full-bodied, sweetish, with a fruity aftertaste. IPAs are distinguished by a pronounced hop profile, distinct bitterness. Ales include pale ales, bitters, stouts, porters, barley and wheat beers, triplets, brown ales.

Bittery. The most bitter and hoppy ale.

Statute. Dark ale with a creamy texture, in the bouquet you can often distinguish the tones of chocolate, coffee. There are oatmeal and oyster stouts. Famous representatives of the style: Guinness, Beamish, Samuel Smith Oatmeal.

Wheat beer. Light-bodied ale with a light aroma of cloves, apples, spices. The least hoppy and bitter type.

The BJCP (Beer Judge Certification Program) classification of beer styles is the most authoritative list in the world.

Proper glasses

Beer mugs are suitable for IPAs, pilsners, various ales, stouts, smoked and wheat beers, porters.

Pint glasses are great for IPAs, pale and American ales, cream ales, English bitters, dark lagers and stouts.

Goblets serve Belgian IPAs, strong dark ales, quadruples and triplets.

Pilsner glasses – Viennese and Japanese lagers, pale lagers, doppelbocks.

Glasses for Weizenbier (wheat beer) are used, in fact, for all types of wheat beer and light pale ales.

What to drink beer with – the right snack

The rule of thumb is that light beer is paired with lighter foods like salad, chicken and fish, while dark beer is paired with heavier foods like meat. In addition, regional varieties always make excellent gastronomic pairs with local dishes.

Additionally, you can focus on the taste profile of the drink:

1. Caramel and coffee aromas are suitable for smoked meats.
2. The stronger the hop bitterness in the drink, the better it pairs with fatty foods such as salmon, pizza, and fried foods.
3. Sweetish-fruity varieties are served with grapes, cheeses, light Italian snacks.

How to pour beer

Beer should be stored in a dark, dry and cool place at +10-13°C. If this indicator is higher, the drink will deteriorate, if it is lower, it will become cloudy and become insipid. The strongest varieties normally tolerate warmer conditions – about + 13-15 ° C, and light wheat brands are best stored at + 7-10 ° C.

You should take a clean glass, tilt it at an angle of 45 ° and carefully fill it to the middle, pouring beer along the wall, but from a height of a couple of centimeters, so that the drink has time to saturate with oxygen. Then put the glass straight and pour to the top, no longer along the wall, but in the usual way. If everything is done correctly, a small but dense foam cap is formed.

How to taste

First you need to evaluate the appearance of the drink, admire the color, texture. Then you can lightly shake the liquid in the glass to feel the aroma. Professional tasters are in no hurry to immediately drink beer, preferring first to thoroughly understand all the nuances of the bouquet.

Finally, you can take the first sip, hold the beer in your mouth for a while so that the taste opens up to the maximum. There is no need to rush, but also to savor too much, stretching one serving for an hour – too, as the beer will run out of steam and become tasteless.

conclusions

1. Beer glass or mug must be made of natural materials (glass, ceramics). Plastic changes the taste of the drink.
2. Beer should be poured from a height of 2-3 cm, without lifting high above the edge of the glass. First, they pour about half a glass somewhere, wait for the foam to settle down, and only then top it up.
3. Beer should be drunk in small sips, savoring the taste, and not in one gulp.
4. It is best to drink beer at room temperature without refrigeration.
5. You can have a beer snack with anything, but the ideal gastronomic pairs for an intoxicating drink are meat, smoked meats, fatty cheeses.
6. Beer bottles should be stored in an upright position, not laying on their side (this is how the liquid comes into contact with the metal cap and changes the taste).