Why Craft Beer Shouldn’t Be Served In A Frosted Glass

One of the quintessential dad moves of all time is leaving a mug in the freezer at night and drinking a beer out of it the next day to unwind after a hard day’s work. But if you or your dad are pouring a craft brew into a frosty mug, you’re actually doing your beer and your palate a massive disservice.

According to Richard Easterby of Craft Conundrum in Charleston, South Carolina, a frozen mug will instantly kill a craft beer’s carbonation and flavor. “There is an epidemic going on out there,” he said. “People with frosted pint glasses — this does nothing for your beer. The second you pour a craft beer into a frosted mug, you’ve released probably 80% of the carbonation of that beer. So all the flavors that were in there, the acidity we’re used to ... you’re flattening that beer instantly.”

To get the most out of craft beer, Easterby says you should serve it at a warmer temperature than you’d think. IPAs should be served at 48 to 50 degrees Fahrenheit while stouts taste their best around 55. But the good news for your old man is that if he drinks Bud, Coors, Miller, or any other “dad beer,” he can keep putting his big mug in the freezer. According to the cocktail culture blog Vine Pair, “If you’re going for a macro lager … feel free to get frosty, since there’s not much flavor at stake. But with craft beer, the central concept is flavor, typically lots of it.”