Summer’s Coming — Chill Out!
Summertime is renowned for sun, fun, and vacations. This season wouldn’t be complete without bikinis, barbeques and beer. Along with the good vibrations, some days are downright unbearable and we look for some sort of relief. It’s during the unforgiving scorchers around the country that we try to stay cool by swimming at the beaches, water parks and pools or we opt to stay indoors and set the air conditioning to max.
While it’s a must to stay hydrated on a hot summer’s day with plenty of water so as to avoid heat exhaustion and dehydration, it’s also a beer lover’s duty to enjoy what summer has to offer you. During this time we lean towards refreshing, crisp and lighter tasting brews, such as wheat beers, lagers and fruit beers.
As far back as I can remember, while summer and beer commercials went hand in hand, the emphasis was always on a nearly frozen beer. The image of a sexy and sweaty bikini clad hottie wiping the sweat off her forehead with a cold can of beer will always be ingrained in my memory,
along with the long and satisfied “aaahh” that followed her relief. I don’t even remember if she ever drank it, all I took away from those 30-second spots was that a cold beer on a hot day spelled relief. The concept of a frosty one is just that – a concept crafted by the big boys of beer marketing. These Mad Men knew what worked, because to this day so many Americans request beer in a chilled glass as much as chain restaurants have them available.
What some beer drinkers fail to realize is that beer isn’t supposed to be served out of a frosted mug, nor should there be ice cubes floating in a pitcher. These methods, due to melting and condensation, water down the beer, thus diluting it. While beer is made with water, it isn’t meant to taste watered down. Brewers carefully craft their beers with a delicate blend of malted barley (or wheat, rice, sorghum, etc.), hops and spices so that you enjoy their flavors to the fullest. So when I’m at an any town chain restaurant o
r bar and the server boasts that the beer I just ordered will come in a mug kept in a freezer, I always ask for a regular glass. Mind you, I’ve also had beer served to me in a glass that was clearly taken directly from the industrial dishwasher with automatic heating units to dry the glassware. I don’t want a hot beer either, and neither should you.
Across the pond, as friends who have gone to the U.K. have told me, beer is served at a warmer temperature than the American taste buds are accustomed to. While it may seem warm, the correct serving temperature depends 
on the particular kind of beer served, much like wine. For instance, India Pale Ales, Bitters and Brown Ales are best served at warmer temperatures (54-57 F), compared to hefeweizens, lagers and pilsners, best served from 39-45 F. How cold is too cold? I don’t expect you to carry a thermometer with you when you drink, but if your beer is so cold it’s practically flavorless, my best guess is it’s probably below 39F.
If you truly need something very cold for some instant relief, a water with lemon or iced tea most definitely does the trick. After you’ve cooled down enough, then order a beer. Let your mood guide you to what kind of beer you want to drink; then, quench your thirst and give your taste buds a treat to the wonderful craft. Beer is always a great and refreshing choice for a hot day, or any other day for that matter. Aaahh.
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