Beer tastes best when it is fresh, stored cool and dark, and served at the right temperature for its style — not ice-cold across the board. Light lagers and pilsners are good well-chilled, around 4 to 7 degrees, while ales, IPAs and stouts show more flavour a little warmer, around 8 to 13 degrees. Store bottles and cans upright somewhere cool and out of the light, and drink beer while it is fresh, since most beer does not improve with age.
Serving temperature changes how much flavour you taste. Very cold temperatures suppress aroma, which is fine for a crisp lager meant to refresh but wastes the character of an ale or stout. As a rule, the lighter and crisper the beer, the colder it can be served; the darker and more complex, the warmer. Letting a good IPA or stout warm slightly in the glass often reveals flavours a deep chill hides.
Beer’s enemies are light, heat and time. Light, especially sunlight, can give beer a ‘skunky’ off-flavour, which is why brown bottles and cans exist, so store beer in the dark. Keep it cool and upright; a cupboard or fridge is fine. Standing bottles upright limits oxidation and keeps any sediment at the base.
Most beer is made to be drunk fresh, and hoppy styles like IPAs fade fastest — their bright aromas dull within months. Check dates and buy what you will drink reasonably soon rather than stockpiling. A few strong styles, such as imperial stouts and some barley wines, can age and develop, but these are the exception. CityDrinks’ beer range makes it easy to buy fresh across styles rather than clearing old stock.
Red Horse Extra Strong Beer (24-pack)
Corona Extra Mexican Lager (24-pack)
Red Horse Extra Strong Beer
Corona Extra Mexican Lager
Kingfisher Strong Beer
Guinness Draught Irish Dry Stout
Guinness Draught Irish Dry Stout (24-pack)
