Shouldn’t all beer be served icy cold?

It wasn’t so long ago that a beer was just a beer, and it had better be served cold. Many Australians will recall this iconic advertising montage: a series of blokes, working hard in their respective fields, pausing to wipe a sweaty brow as they gaze off in anticipation of a cold beer. Ignoring the brand, and the need for the beer to be ‘big’ and ‘the best’, the key to this message was that the beer must be served cold.

The truth is that not all beers are best served cold. All beer styles have a temperature sweet spot where they readily reveal their subtle nuances and express their distinct flavour profiles. We know what you’re wondering: How cold is cold? What temperature should my beer be? How do I control the temperature of my beer? Read on to learn the best temperatures for serving lagers, ales, IPAs, sours, stouts and more.

Generally, the colder the beer is, the less of it you’ll taste. Not only do icy temperatures suppress flavours and aromas, but they also numb your tastebuds. Sometimes, icy cold perfectly suits the style (lagers, pilsners, low ABV beers), but for many styles (stouts, porters, ales, IPAs) an icy temperature yields a subpar experience. By serving beer at a warmer temperature, no warmer than cellar temperature (10 to 15 degrees celsius), it can help bring out layers of flavours. But serve a beer too warm, and it will come across flat in both carbonation and bitterness.

To keep it simple, we’ve broken the serving temperatures down into three categories. The temperature ranges overlap because there are no hard-and-fast rules – these are merely suggestions. At the end of the day, it all comes down to your personal preference. We can’t stop you from enjoying an ice-cold stout, but we do suggest you at least try it at cellar temperature, just so you know what you might be missing out on.

• Ice cold: 1 to 5 degrees celsius
  The beers: Mainstream lagers and pilsners, light-bodied or low-ABV brews

In this category, the conventional wisdom of ‘the colder the better’ rings true. These styles are enjoyed for their refreshing bitterness, and tend to be lower in ABV than most other beers. A low ABV is often a sign of a clean, crisp flavour profile that won’t reveal more layers as it warms up. The colder the beer, the better it retains carbonation, and the less aroma it releases. So, pop these beers in the back of the fridge or at the bottom of the esky for optimal enjoyment.

• Cold to chilled: 4 to 10 degrees celsius
  The beers: Most ales, IPAs, sours, wheat beers, full-bodied lagers, saisons, nitro stouts

Here’s where things get interesting. Moving away from lagers toward a broader range of styles, each with a multitude of unique expressions, means you’ll find beers that are more forgiving as they warm up. It’s okay to over-chill these styles, so long as you allow them to come to temperature before, or while, you’re drinking it. Here, the aromas, flavours and mouthfeel evolve in the glass (yes, we recommend serving these in a glass) as the beer reaches its sweet spot. As long as you don’t do these styles an injustice by serving them ice cold, you’re golden.

• Cool to cellar temperature: 7 to 15 degrees celsius
  The beers: Porters, stouts, strong ales, barleywines, cask ales

These beers are forgiving, too, but they are more sensitive to the cold and don’t properly reveal themselves at cooler temperatures. Failing to serve them at a suitable temperature keeps their complexities and nuances locked away, and they present as thinner, more bitter and simpler than they truly are. When served closer to cellar temperature, these beers unfurl, with roasty bitterness melding into malty sweetness, and build to their peak power.