Chilled Glass...

Honestly it's how you like it....stouts get more flavor when it warms up....so stouts especially barrel aged....loses a lot of flavor when cold....but on another note, when I was Barcelona airport, the really froze their mugs and whatever beer I had, for some reason was the best beer I had at 11am

 

Whenever I drink KBS, I swear I don't get the chocolate until it is almost room temp.

 

You realize there are temperatures between cold (whaterver you consider cold) and room temp (I'm assuming between 65-75 degrees)?

With that being said, there is still a large difference between drinking a beer at 32 degrees and 42 degrees which is what I assume most people would be debating. I don't think anyone actually prefers a beer at what is actually room temperature. I enjoy bigger stouts and barleywines at cellar temp but I would say the large majority would not enjoy a beer nearly as much at 75 degrees as they would at 55 degrees.

 

I'm thinking room temp to be 68-72, cellar temps right around 55 or so. I just happen to prefer my beer cold for all styles, probably colder to start than most. I like frosted glass too, can't believe what little condensation takes place that could change the structure of the beer, but these are AAL, PA, sometimes an IPA. Off I'm out whatever they bring is just fine. Personal preference here, for most cool seems to be about right and that's fine with me, my beer fridge is set for 50.

 

At the Michigan Summer Beer fest, Dark Horse was pouring their bourbon barrel plead the 5th through an ice luge. No joke.

 

Oh my god

 

Frozen glass is good for root beer and nothing else.

 

I went to a bar for the first time last night because a couple of my friends asked me to meet them there. Nothing much worth mentioning on tap, so I just ordered a Yuengling lager. The bartender takes the glass and proceeds to roll it around in the ice chest to cool it down! I couldn't believe what I had seen. Glass should never come in direct contact with the ice in the ice chest for a variety of reasons. Needless to say, I had that one Yuengling and was done. We ended up going to a different bar not long after that anyway, and I have no plans to go back to that bar again.

 

It's your beer. You paid for it with your money. Therefore, if you want to drink that beer out of the skulls of your dead enemies, by all means...

With that being said, I, personally, don't like my beer in a frosted glass. I generally drink in a controlled-temperature environment and the frosted glass makes both my hand and my beer too cold for my liking. As stated many times before, when a beer is too cold, the temperature adversely affects your ability to taste many of the subtle nuances, which doesn't "destroy" the beer, but you're definitely missing out on some of the finer details that the brewers painstakingly wove into the flavor.

My best recommendation to you is to take two bottles of the same IPA, and drink one in a frosted glass. Take notes. Remember what you smell and taste. Take the 2nd bottle, drink it from a clean, room temperature glass. Take notes. Compare notes. How did the two differ? How did beer #2 taste as it sat and warmed up in the room temperature glass? Which experience did you prefer? Even if you prefer the frosted glass, at least now you can honestly say that you have made an educated decision. Do the same with stouts.

That's the beauty of the craft beer world. No one but you can make these decisions. It's all about what you like to drink, and how you like to drink it! Cheers.

 

I avoid frozen glasses... But not quite at all costs. When I first started drinking craft I would freeze glasses as a carry-over technique from BMC days, but over time I've found it generally kills the head on beer; like, creates an unappealing icy foam with crappy retention and texture.

But why not avoid at all costs? My girlfriend VERY rarely pours a beer for me. I'm talking about 9-10 times in the last 2 years. When she does hook me up, it's in a frozen glass and I don't say a DAMN thing besides "Thanks, babe, love ya". Making her feel like I'm ungrateful would be way, way too high of a cost. I suppose I could try the reason/logic approach, but I'm just not going there.

 

I agree. Do what you want. My brother sent me a picture of a KBS in a frosty mug (I suggested he buy it). He drank the whole 4-pack in one sitting out of frosty mugs. Would I have done that? No. Is it ok that he did? Hell yes. He had a great night.

 

For those who haven't tried it, the thought of letting a beer warm up, or drinking straight from the cellar might seem weird, but for sure in my experience (and I know many other BAs') some styles really do open up new flavors when not so cold.

I would skip the frosted mug or frozen glass, but do what tastes good for you. Although I do suggest for big beers: DIPAs, stouts, barleywines, quads, etc. that you experiment without the chilled glass and sip it while it warms

 

No thank you.

 

They are a bummer, but when it's the only thing available and the bar has a nice bottle selection what can you do?

 

You're intentions were good but this is not why (or, perhaps more accurately, how) lagering was invented.

 

Lagering was created to provide beer with a crisp smooth finish, which if the beer warms or ages at room temp this does not happen.

 

I put thick shaker pint glasses in freezer one hour before dinner regularly. In the summer, when my cellar runs a little warmer: pouring the 60 degree beer into a frozen glass results in a great serving temp for stouts.

I commonly put a 750ml in the freezer for 20 minutes for a RIS if sharing for wife: the goal is serving temp without flavor loss. Then poured into room temp glass,

If it is a 750 ml saison or sour the bottles go from cellar> freezer 20 minutes> chilled glass to reach the optimum serving temp. Keeping the bottle upright of course, yeast stays at bottom if bottle conditioned.

Some beers are better at room temp while others are meant to be colder. I read the labels and check the style guide on this website for optimum range

Not all beers are meant to be served at room temperature. I've been known to make a water bath in the sink, place the corked bottle in it, and monitor the temperature with a meat thermometer to get the serving temp right.

 

Shitty beer in a dank pool hall beckons for the frosty mug.

AAAAHHHH

 

Yes... which is not what you said previously.

 

Lagering wasn't "created" with some end-game in mind (besides having beer) it was done as a matter of necessity/practicality