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How best to serve a beer depends on several elements.

Beer is a food, and was most likely brewed hundreds of miles away. Like any food, beer is subject to spoilage. It is best to serve most beers chilled, hopefully chilled from the moment it left the brewery to the point it hits the lips.

However, some darker brews such as stouts and dark lagers are meant to be served at room temperature. If in doubt, pick up one of the several books available on beers. Always keep a couple chilled for that heathen who refuses to part with common knowledge' and experience the beer in its natural state.

In a setting like a sporting event, such as a tailgate party, beer should never be served in a glass container or a plain paper cup. Glass is an obvious safety hazard, and paper degrades spoiling the flavor of the beer. Clear plastic is preferable.

For a backyard barbecue or a formal dinner, beer is best served in a clear, chilled, glass so the drinker can admire the color and body of their drink, and to keep the beverage cold. The size and shape of the glass is dependent on the beer, but a mug with a good handle is a good choice, as would a tall, wide-mouthed 16-ounce glass.

Serving beer with the proper head (the foamy half-inch at the top) is an artistic form that requires practice to acquire. A small amount of head releases the bouquet of the beer, enhancing the beer drinking experience.

To serve a beer with a proper head, tip the glass approximately 20 degrees from the vertical, and pour the beer down the side of the glass until there the glass is about two inches from being full. Slowly bring the glass to the vertical while continuing to pour in a continuous stream, and voila! the head takes form.

Learn more about this author, W Thomas Payne.
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