What is the Best Temperature to Drink Beer?

Wondering what temperature to drink beer?

You don't have to be a beer cicerone to know that cracking open a toasty warm beer is about as appetizing as drinking a cup of tobacco chewer's swill, but knowing what temperatures best befit different kinds of beer is a lesser-known nuisance of beer appreciation.

Fear not! We've dedicated this entire blog to explaining what temperature to drink beer. This way, when you finally get that moment to enjoy a tipple or two of your favourite brew, you'll be enjoying it to it's fullest potential. 

Why Beer Temperature Matters

The temperature of your beer makes a huge difference in how it tastes. For example, extremely cold temperature slows down volatilization, and the aromatic compounds in your beer will linger. Translation: since our taste is rooted in our sense of smell, if you can't really detect smells, you won't detect taste.

And, if the temperature of your beer cooling apparatus is too low, your beer will freeze. 

What is the freezing temperature of beer?

The exact freezing temperature of beer depends on the beer's alcohol content.  However, the short, generalized answer is that is around 6 and 20 percent will freeze at approximately 28 degrees F.  

What Temperature to Drink Beer

Even though you wouldn't want your beer to be sun-warmed, not all beers need to be chilled--or even consumed at regular fridge temperature, which is usually 4 degrees C or cooler. In fact, darker beers that are higher in alcohol content really come into their own full-bodied beauty at around the 10 degrees C mark.

With this range in mind, here is a list of the best temperatures to drink beer. 

Pilsners and Pale Lagers: Playful pilsners like Steam Whistle are ideally served at a temperature between 3 and 4 degrees C. 

Medium Lagers: Serve lagers at a temperature around 8 degrees C. 

Light Lagers: Enjoy light lagers at a temperature of 0 to 4 degrees C. 

Amber/Oktoberfest/Marzen Lagers: You're going to go a little bit warmer for these darker lagers. Aim for a temperature of 10 degrees C. 

Blonde/Cream Ale: These light-bodied ales are ideally enjoyed at around 7 degrees C. 

Pale Ale: Imbibe your pale ale at a flavourful temperature of between 7 and 10 degrees C. A fuller body English-style pale ale tastes great at 10 to 12 degrees.

India Pale Ale: Crank your fridge temperature to 3 degrees C to get the best flavour from your IPA. 

Stout Ale/Black Ale/Porter: These heavy bevvies are suited to a warmer temperature range. We're talking between around 12 degrees C. 

Wheat Beers: Whatever the form of your wheat beer, the best temperature range to serve one at is between 4 and 7 degrees C. 

Our Head Brewer, Erica McOustra says, "Beers such as highly hopped IPAs where the suggested range is cooler, can change and develop over the course of enjoying a pint, such that more aromatics pop out as it warms up. I'd say there are no hard and fast rules when it comes to how you like to enjoy your beer, personal preference dictates all."

Educating yourself on what temperature to drink beer may seem like a trivial matter in this age of serious concerns, and we agree that we should never turn our backs on the things that are BIG deals.  

However, the small deals, like the temperature of our beer, can provide us with those perfect moments of simple pleasure that give us the perspective we need to stand strong so we can affect change where and when it really matters. 

So chill your brew perfectly, friends, and enjoy the little things that make the big things easier to bear.