Enjoying a craft beer at your favorite bar with friends is a fantastic plan. But drinking it at home can also be a special moment, if you know how. That's why today we give you 5 tips to enjoy craft beer at home. Take note!
Where to buy craft beer
Currently, you can find different brands of craft beers in stores or shopping centers. Keep in mind that craft beers are a product in constant evolution, they are "alive". We advise you to buy them in an establishment that stores them correctly, preserving them from light and heat. These are enemies of craft beers! You can also buy them directly from the producer, in their online store. This way, you ensure that the storage is adequate. We, at Cervezas Althaia, pamper them so that they arrive at your table in perfect condition.
Storing craft beer at home
If storage in an establishment is important, how you store them at home is just as important. Avoid the enemies of craft beer, you know, light and heat. Place them in a dry and cool place. Don't leave them at the bottom of the fridge forever! Although it's unlikely that a good craft beer will remain untouched for long, don't you think? Oh, and always keep them upright, especially if they are bottles.
How to serve a craft beer
As the saying goes, "to each his own." There are a thousand ways to serve them according to personal preferences. Some prefer a lot of foam, others little... But a method that usually works is to serve it by tilting the glass at 45º until it reaches 2 or 3 centimeters from the rim, wait for the foam to settle, and then finish serving it. Of course, it's better with a chilled glass, never frozen.
At what temperature to serve craft beer
Here too, personal preferences apply. In Spain, we tend to drink it very cold, so cold that it prevents us from appreciating all the nuances of a good beer. It would be a shame to ruin the organoleptic characteristics of a craft beer due to an incorrect temperature, don't you think? These simple tips will help you enjoy it to the fullest:
- As a general rule, they should be served between 3 and 13°C.
- Lagers are served colder than ales.
- Higher alcohol content beers are served warmer than lower alcohol content beers.
- Darker beers are served warmer than lighter beers.
Glasses for drinking craft beer
If it's about drinking to quench your thirst, any container is adequate. But if what you intend (and we advise) is to delight yourself by drinking a craft beer, pay attention to the glassware you use. Remember that in our taproom we sell specialized tasting glassware, in case you are interested.
- Some craft beer styles are more suitable for drinking from a mug. The advantage of this format is that it prevents the heat from your hand from transferring to the beer. The mug is perfect for mild and refreshing craft lagers like our delicious Mediterranean Lager.
- If you prefer to drink it from a glass, the snifter glass or balloon glass is perfect for swirling the beer and releasing all its aroma. Suitable for very aromatic and complex flavored beers like Barlovento or an Imperial Stout like Batiscafo.
- The Trappist glass or chalice with a very wide and thick mouth is perfect for intense beers. Its shape allows for a foam head of up to 2 centimeters above its rim. Suitable for IPA style beers like our Mediterranean IPA and, of course, the double IPA Mistral. We also have its "alcohol-free" variant, Mediterranean IPA "sin alcohol”.
- As for glasses, there is a huge variety, but the most commonly used are usually Pokal glasses or Pilsner glasses. Their trumpet shape prevents carbonation from escaping and allows the color of the beer to be intensely appreciated. Very suitable for crystalline beers like our bright and blonde American Pale Ale Cap Blanc.
- Flute glasses are very versatile, both for long drinks and for tasting beer in small sips. They are appropriate for carbonated and fruity beers. At Cervezas Althaia we have several perfect ones like the citrusy Alisios or the Baltic Porter style Kraken.
Now, with these 5 tips to enjoy craft beer at home, you have no excuse. Extract all the aroma and flavor from a craft beer made with respectful and 100% natural techniques.
You can take a look at our online store and choose the one you fancy most among the different styles of craft beers we produce. You're sure to find yours!