Is ice cold beer best during a hot Texas summer? Here’s what a scientific study found
Temperature matters when enjoying a pint of beer. The colder the better, says a recent study that looked into how temperature enhances the taste.
The study — led by Xiaotao Yang and Lei Jiang and published in Cell Press, a scientific journal — found that many alcoholic beverages with lower alcohol by volume (ABV) content, such as beer, taste better when cooled. Drinks with a higher ABV content, such as red wine and most liquor, are best consumed at room temperature or warmer.
Thus the ideal temperature for tap beer is at 36 to 40 degrees fahrenheit — “Ice-cold” being 32 degrees or the temperature when water will freeze. By virtue of the study’s conclusion, red wine, which mostly has a higher ABV value, tastes best in room temperature.
So, exactly what is the taste profile that matters in a drink? Ethanol, which is the main ingredient in most alcoholic beverages — “a consequence of the fermentation of carbohydrates with yeast,” according to a paper in the National Center for Biotechnology Information.
The chemical structure of the alcohol we consume, which is primarily water and ethanol, can be found in clusters. The clusters that presented ethanol the most tasted the best. The study found that the chemical structure of drinks changed as they were subjected to varying temperatures. Some drinks with high ABV content, when heated, pushed its ethanol characteristics forward. Drinks with less ABV content pushed its ethanol taste profile forward when chilled.
“At low ethanol concentrations, the ethanol forms more pyramid-shaped structures around water molecules; however, when the concentration of ethanol is increased, the ethanol begins to arrange end to end as if in a chain,” explained Eurekalert.org, a publisher of peer reviewed papers.
The research is valuable to beer brewers for laying out a blueprint on how to craft beer with low ethanol content (low ABV) while having a robust taste profile — much like ethanol as possible. Serving their beverage ice cold gets them the taste they seek.
This ethanol taste profile is described as being “bitter and sweet,” according to the National Institute of Health. Most beers have between 6%-9% of ethanol present.
The Ethanol-water molecules also determine surface tension, an important factor to the carbonation in beer. The lower the temperature, the higher the surface tension, meaning that there will be greater carbonation. So, a chilled beer means a foamy beer, because the next worst thing to a warm beer is a flat beer.
What tastes best: Ice cold brew or room temperature beer?
For beer drinkers across the pond, room temperature beer seems to be the preference. And Englishman on Reddit even asked Americans: “British here. Now I’m assuming that even you guys PREFER a cold beer, and this is purely going off of tv shows and just things I’ve heard before, but, do you guys happily drink beer (lager) room temperature? Que typical TV show where Guy 1 brings over a freshly bought 6 pack of beers.”
However some people do prefer room temperature beer. The British have enjoyed cask ales for centuries — a drink that has no carbonation and served using gravity. It is best imbibed at just over 72 degrees fahrenheit.
Some say the quality of a brew makes all the difference. This American says drinking a European beer at room temperature can be palatable.
Others think it depends on the brand.
While most can agree a crappy beer can be made better chilled.
This story was originally published May 14, 2024 at 8:16 AM.