Beer 101: The Perfect Pour
“While wine will always have my heart, I have to give a tip of the hat to America’s favorite fermented drink - beer! I am excited to introduce one of our first posts on beer from our newest guest blogger Anthony!”
Howdy wine nerds! Now don't be alarmed. I'm not here as a beer fanatic hacker to commandeer the wine blog and only talk about fine brews. Some people may think beer is not the most exciting topic, but I could not disagree more. To me, beer is just as versatile and steeped in history as its grape-based counterpart. And through a series of blog posts, I will try and make beer believers out of everyone who happens to stumble across this website (if you're not already).
I will sum up what my personal story is rather quickly. My name is Anthony. I work at a liquor store in northern New Jersey. I love beer. Don’t get me wrong - I like nothing more than drinking a fine wine every now and then, as well as drinking nice scotches and bourbons, but when push comes to shove I am a beer guy through and through. Then one day after work, Kelley and I were discussing the alcohol industry and when she suggested I guest post, I was happy to step up. But let's get to the more important part of this post… the beer.
So where do we start when talking about beer? I like the idea of starting at the very beginning. When I say beginning, I am not talking about the history of beer or how beer is made, but the beginning of a beer-drinking night. And every beer-drinking night starts with one important thing every beer drinker should know - how to fully execute a perfect pour.
For the most part, a bottle or can of beer does not come with a set of detailed directions like a T.V. dinner might. It may be surprising to the beer-drinking novice to think that there are very specific ways to pour a beer - but do not let that get to you too much because no matter how you pour a beer it is still going to taste delicious. This article is meant to share the “proper” way to pour out a beer so that you can get maximum enjoyment out of your beer purchase.
Before we even start thinking about pouring the beer, we want to get it to the proper temperature. This may come as a surprise to you, but a beer does not need to be as cold as the Rocky Mountains for it to taste its best. In fact, most beers should not be that cold at all, and many beer styles have different temperatures that they should be drunk at to enjoy properly. For example: IPA’s (India Pale Ales) should be served at 45-50 °F and a stout or porter should be served at around 50-55°F. Beer reference guides can easily be found on the internet super highway just in case you want to get your beer at the correct temperature.
Once the beer is at the correct temperature, you can now uncork/open it and prepare for that elusive perfect pour. When it comes to pouring beer, I prefer what beer expert Randy Mosher has to say on the matter: “Pour the beer right down the middle of the glass, wait for the foam to settle, and if needed, pour a little more.” There is no need to dribble beer down the side of a tilted glass like a wimp, Pour it down the middle of the glass with some vigor. It may take a little time to fill the glass, but just be patient because the beer will be fantastic in the end. Hold on a second though, do not forget that every beer has a certain glass that will accentuate the beer’s particular style. It may be helpful to do some research as to what kind of vessel will work with different beers. It is not a necessity, but boy would you look like a true beer nerd if you were drinking an imperial stout out of its proper glass (a snifter glass!).
The last step in this process is the greatest step of all, and that is to enjoy the beer. Kick back and relax because you have followed all of the proper steps when it comes to the perfect pour, and you are now ready to get the most out of your beer drinking experience.
Have specific questions on beer for Anthony? Leave a comment below! Otherwise, stay tuned for more awesome posts on beer!