We Drank Warm Beer…On Purpose!

The ever-increasing chill in the air and the heavy holiday meals call to mind the wonderfully warm beverages of winter. Warmed apple cider, egg nog and hot toddies have always been holiday favorites so when I read an article about mulling beers I knew we had to try them. The article mentioned several beers that would hold up well to being served warm; however, my local BevMo happened to only carry one. We tasted the recommended Duchese de Bourgognes (from Belgium). 

We filled our Crockpot about ¾ full with water, turned it on to high and waited for the water to reach a temperature of 130°F. This took one and a half hours. Luckily we had the tasty Autumn Maple by The Bruery on hand to tide us over. We placed the opened beers (but still in their bottles) to sit in the warm water bath when the temperature was about 100° and allowed the water bath to continue heating. With frequent water temperature checks from our candy thermometer we noticed that the beer inside the bottle was frothing a bit and pillowy, cotton-candy-like tendrils were poking out of the tops of the bottles. That just made it that much harder to wait to taste it! Finally the water bath reached the recommended serving temperature and we poured our beers into room-temperature pint glasses. 

The aroma was intoxicating and there was a unique head consisting of larger-than-usual air bubbles (compared to a cold beer). Holding the pint glass that was filled with warm beer was a new experience but the real treat was the feel of the frothy bubbles on the tongue. I could tell it was an excellent cold beer but having it warm really allows you to taste more elements of the beer. The effervescent bubbles, which lasted sip-after-sip, reminded us of drinking a really bubbly soda pop. But the bubbles which are usually associated with a cold drink, combined with the aromatic and tasty beer flavor was definitely a unique treat. The tasting was assuredly a success and a delight all around. 

 The article had mentioned that you could mix the warmed beer with certain spices (which is where the mulled term comes from) but this particular beer is already delicious without needing anything else. We will definitely be serving this warmed brew at future holiday parties.

Cheers!

-The Beer Dietitian

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