Drinking beer is already good as it is. Whether it’s been a long day at work or you’re watching your favorite sports on TV with friends and family, there’s always a good reason to enjoy some beer. Some people prefer this type to wine; it’s more laid-back and also pairs well with different food choices. If you’ve been drinking beer since time immemorial and you think you already know enough about enjoying it, you might be in for a surprise.
There are actually more ways to enjoy an ice-cold glass of beer. Liquor lovers may have very well tasted beer more than so many times in their lives, but there’s still a thing or two that they could always learn about how to enjoy their favorite beer to the fullest.
Upping Your Beer Experience
Movie nights, birthday dinners, or date nights at home—the list could go on and on as to which occasions and celebrations would call for some cheers and beers. While each experience may not the same as one another, you can make up it even more by thinking of creative ways to enjoy your usual beer night.
Beer hampers from Purely Gourmet, for example, are a good idea to make your beer drinking more pleasurable and worth doing again. These pre-packed hampers are sort of like a starter pack that contains all that you need to start cheering and toasting.
When pouring your beer, make sure the glass is clean and of the right size and shape. Start pouring beer in one side of the glass from a height of at least 2–3 cm and at an angle of 45 degrees. As you pour, level the mug or glass slowly until the contents reach at least half of the mug’s height. When the formed foam has started settling in, fill it up until 3/4 of its size. Bartenders and beer lovers believe that this is the right way to enhance the aroma of the beer.
Pair It Up
Your favorite beverage could also taste even better if you’ll pair it with different foods and flavors. Other people actually like to eat their dinner while drinking beer. This happens usually at bars and restaurants that serve beer on their menu. Food and beer go well together as long as you choose what goes well with the type of beer you’re having.
To give you an idea, here are some tips and examples:
- German beer usually has a lighter taste, so you’ll want food with mild flavor so it won’t overpower the delicate notes of your drink. Chicken or fish dishes are some of the preferred options if you want the classic German beverage.
- For ale or brown beer, you might want to try drinking it as you enjoy your favorite steak. While steaks are popularly paired with wine, you won’t go wrong with brown beer or ale if you want to enhance the meaty flavor of the steak.
- Indian pale ale (IPA) tends to taste a little bitter and hoppy. So the food to pair with it should have an equally strong flavor, or else it’d be overwhelmed by the IPA. Since this type of beer has a hint of bitterness in it, it’ll go well with spicy hot sauce like those from Sonoran Spice.
- If you’re a Corona lover, you probably notice how it has a cooling effect just like IPA. For this reason, Corona pairs well with Mexican food. Some of the best pairings include hot wings, salsa, and other foods that use chili as the main ingredient.
- Desserts could also be enjoyed together with your favorite beer. It may not be a tasteful idea for some, but there are actually times when beer could enhance the after-dinner experience that you want to taste from your favorite dessert. Try ice cream or sherbet with your go-to beer, and you won’t regret it for sure.
Serve It Right
Another key to enjoying beer to the max is to know the right way to serve and consume it. For one, drinking it in plastic cups may be the trend in college parties and such, but using an adequately shaped mug or glass is still the best way to go. Mugs are recommended for smoked beer, IPA, English stout, pilsner, brown ale, black ale, blonde American ale, and red ale.
Pint glasses, on the other hand, are more suitable for beers with low alcohol content such as cream ale, dark lager, English bitter ale, and dark stout. If you’re feeling a little extravagant, go for goblets that are best paired with Tripel beer, Belgian IPA, strong dark ales, and quadruple beer.
Who would’ve known that there are different glasses that should go with particular types of beer, right? Now that you’ve found that out and next time you’re drinking beer with your mates, you know better. You can also use this information, should you need a gift idea for liquor lovers in your friends or family.
What Not To Do While Drinking Beer
If you wish to be a beer connoisseur, you shouldn’t just take note of the best ways to enjoy your drink. More so, take note of what not to do to avoid making mistakes only a rookie would commit. Here are mistakes you’d want to avoid to enjoy the beer experience:
- Frosting The Glass: A frozen glass or mug would only lead to your beer foaming, thus destroying its carbonation and aroma. Be sure to drink your beer from a room-temp glass.
- Drinking Beer Too Cold: Other people seem to have a misconception that ice-cold beer is the best way to enjoy it. However, that’s not really the case. Beer experts recommend you take out a can or bottle of beer from the fridge and just leave it be for at least 10 minutes before consuming it. This will allow for the typical aroma and brew flavor of the beer to come out naturally.
- Stacking Beer In The Fridge For Too Long: Most beers age swiftly, and when they do, they eventually lose their distinct taste and aroma. If you don’t want this to happen, make sure to consume beers in your fridge only a short period after buying and storing them.
Drinking Beer Like An Pro
Everybody agrees drinking beer is a good way to have fun and while away on vacations. As you do, why not maximize the experience and know how to best enjoy one of the most-loved beverages? All the tips on this post could go a long way in giving you the best experience that you need as you have a great time with friends or even on your own. Just remember to set your limits and don’t drink and drive.
