Beer Appreciation
BeerAppreciation’s Beer Education - Beer Myth Busters – Part One
1. “Lager” means a particular brand of beer.
Actually, all beers are either lagers or ales - it refers to the two main ways beers are brewed. A “Lager” is not a brand; it’s a whole type of beer with many different styles and brands.
When a beer is brewed, it can be either an “ale” or a “lager”. Ales were the first beers, a type brewed since 4000 BC. Traditionally brewed quickly at warmer temperatures, ales usually have a somewhat robust beer taste and aroma. Lagers were developed by European brewers in the 1800’s and are brewed more slowly in colder temperatures, and result in a crisper, lighter bodied and somewhat less flavorful brew.
So, when you ask for a “lager” consider that it would be like going a car dealer and asking them to bring you a “big car” - they’ll probably get you one, but you are allowing them to make the selection or you. There are many lager styles (Pilsner, Bock, Light beers) and lager brands so when you ask for a “lager” you could get a Miller Light, Corona or a Becks if you don’t make your own choice. Sure there’s a marketing push that is about how Yuengling’s is a lager - and a Ford is a car too.
Lagers are a great beer style, and a refreshing alternative to more flavorful ales, but don’t forget to make your own choice of beer you really want.
2. Dark colored beers are stronger than light colored beers.
Most people think that a darker hued brew is a stronger tasting brew - so are intimidated by any beer that’s not light gold in color. How many times have I seen people look at an amber beer and recoil saying “I don’t like dark beers - they’re too strong”?
The fact is that the color of beer is determined by the amount of roasting of the grain that goes into it - it has nothing to do with bitterness, alcohol content or even calories. There are many golden ales that are far stronger than the darkest stout (typical Irish stout is lower in calories and alcohol than the typical American lager).
A light golden colored beer like the Belgian Triple can have more than twice the alcohol of a typical American golden lager or pale ale. Conversely, there are darker colored beers that are really quite light and refreshing - the “British brown” style - with NewCastle as an example - is lighter in alcohol and flavor than many lagers.
It may be true that darker or amber colored beers may have as a rule more beer flavor than most commonly found golden lager beers, but it would be more correct to say “I don’t like darker beers - they have too much beer flavor”.
3. The best way to serve any beer is in a frosted glass.
A widely held belief is that the best way to serve all beer is in an ice cold glass encrusted with icy frost. Many bars serve there beers this way, and even people at home will bring you a frosty beer mug to show that they want you to have a great beer experience.
The fact is that certain types and styles of beer are best served very cold - in particular the lager styles (like pilsners) which are brewed cold and don’t have a lot of malty flavor or aroma to start with. Serving them very cold emphasizes their crisp carbonation and lighter flavor.
On the other hand ales - like a Stout, IPA or an Amber Ale are full of aroma, flavors and body - which are masked when served ice cold. The best way to serve ales is in a wide mouth glass or mug that is cool, but not icy. This allows them to warm up a little and share their malty aroma and flavor as part of the pleasure of the drink.
If you want to frost any glass - a tall pilsner glass for a refreshing lager would be best.
Though if you ask me, whether it’s a lager or an ale - I don’t like ice floating around in my beer at all.
4. Light beers have far less calories than any regular beer.
The 90 - 100 calorie light beer is often chosen by the health conscious beer drinker because it is perceived to have far less calories than regular beers. Actually, there is often less than 30 calories difference in the light version of an American lager verses its full strength counterpart. While 30 calories can add up over many beers, it’s not really a lot in itself. One teaspoon of sugar represents about that amount of calories.
Some full flavored “full strength beers” like Guinness Stout are within 10 calories of a typical Bud Light in a 12 oz serving – both having about the same calories as a glass of milk.
So, the real thing you need to consider is - If really like beer flavor at all and you are calorie conscious, should you have four light beers over a couple of hours or three really good “full strength” beers for the same calories. Why wouldn’t you choose three really good beers, and really enjoy what you are drinking?
After all, if you want to, you can have a glass of water or seltzer in between each beer you drink and end up with even more less filling and more satisfying beer experience, and keep your whistle wet for the whole night.
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