Ask George: Is it a good or bad thing to drink beer out of a frozen mug? Bill B., St. Louis
After cutting the grass on a hot day, there’s nothing better than knocking back a cold one in a mug pulled straight from the freezer. Lighter, lager beers are superb thirst quenchers, a squeeze of lime isn’t a bad idea, and any ice crystals are a bonus. But there are caveats…
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Beer geeks and beer experts will tell you that just like with wine (abide by “the half-hour rule”), flavor is affected by serving temperature, i.e., more characteristics and nuances of cold beverages become apparent at less cold temperatures. At the award-winning Side Project Cellar in Maplewood, for example, each of the draft lines can be programmed to dispense product at three different temperatures, so you won’t find any frozen mugs there.
Imbibers who favor super-cold beer are “more after the refreshment aspect,” notes George Reisch (right). “On a really hot day, taste can be secondary and I get that.” (Spend a few minutes with the recetly retired brewmaster from Anheuser-Busch InBev and he’ll likely tell you the proper way to pour a bottled beer. “Right down the middle,” he says, as doing so will dissipate some of the extra carbonation, as well as create the foamy head where many of the subtleties lie.)
However, Reisch cautions that drinking beer from frozen glassware can be a bad idea. “In a glasswasher in a bar setting, the glasses are treated with a chemical disinfectant which will dissipate if allowed to dry in the open air,” he says. “If the glass is put into the freezer while still wet, some of that taste can get left behind, which will affect the beer.”
At home, using frozen mugs is a less risky proposition. A dry mug works fine, but rinsing the mug prior to putting it the freezer allows for more ice crystals to form, which in turn translates to an even colder beer.
I trust this advice is useful…considering the 100 degree weekend ahead.
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