How Do You Chill Beer Glasses?

When you’re at a bar ordering a beer on tap, how often have you noticed your bartender reaching for a chilled beer glass? Now you may be wondering why they do this and whether you should be adopting the chilled beer glass method when you’re enjoying a pint at home too. So, follow along as we’ll give you an insider tip on how to chill your beer glasses and whether you should be doing it at all in this article.

Why do people chill their beer glasses?

One of the biggest beliefs of serving beers in a chilled glass is that it can help keep your drinks cold. This, however, may depend if your beer has already been pre-chilled. Pouring a pre-chilled beer into a chilled beer glass may cause the temperature of the beer to dip too low, masking the flavors of the brew altogether. Ideally, most beers should be served at a temperature between 40 to 55 Fahrenheit for you to enjoy its brewing flavors to its fullest.

Separately, many beer lovers also use chilled glasses to bring room temperature beer down to an immediately drinkable temperature. This is most common if you’re pressed for time, making chilled beer glasses a great thing to have if you couldn’t pre-chill your beer beforehand.

How to chill beer glasses: A step-by-step guide

Before learning to chill or a beer glass, it’s important to remember that you only want to chill and not freeze your glass. This simply means you’ll want to see a pale film of white develop around your beer glass but not too much that ice crystals can be seen forming. By ensuring you get this step right, you could be elevating the way you enjoy beers forever. Here are several steps on how you could chill your beer glasses:

Using a freezer

Despite its name, using a freezer is one of the easiest ways to get your beer glasses chilled.

Step 1: Prepare a clean beer glass and wet it with cold water. Wipe the base dry to avoid having your glass stuck to the surface of your freezer.

Step 2: Leave the beer glass in the freezer for approximately 30 to 50 minutes. This may vary according to your freezer’s temperature so be sure to check on your beer glass periodically.

Step 3: Remove your beer glass from the freezer and pour room temperature beer to enjoy instantly “chilled” beer.

Using wet paper towels

If you’re in a hurry to chill your beer glasses, using wet paper towels can help hasten the process. In most cases, this method could also help pre-chill your beers and soft drinks.

Step 1: Wrap your beer glass with some wet paper towels. You don’t need a thick layer of coverage but do ensure to keep most of your beer glass surface covered.

Step 2: Place your beer glass that has been wrapped in the freezer. Leave in between 3 to 5 minutes and remove the glass from the freezer.

Step 3: Peel away all paper towels, wipe the glass clean, and pour your beer as usual.

Using iced water

Unlike using wet paper towels, this method is much more environmentally friendly. It should also quicken the process of chilling your beer glasses, although you’ll need to keep a closer eye to your glass in case it freezes.

Step 1: Fill your beer glass to the brim with iced water.

Step 2: Place your filled beer glass into the freezer and leave in for no longer than 8 minutes. Be sure to check on the beer glass as closely as you can.

Step 3: Remove the beer glass from the freezer and discard the ice water. Wipe the beer glass dry and pour in your beer as usual.

The dos and don’ts of chilling your beer glasses

As you can see, chilling your beer glasses isn’t difficult. But let’s look at some dos and don’ts that you’ll want to follow to ensure you get full benefits of the beer glass chilling process.

Dos

• Do make sure that your beer glass is clean before you begin the chilling process. This includes removing any soap residue or dust to ensure you won’t incorporate the taste into your beer after.
• Wipe the base of your beer glass dry so it won’t be stuck to the surface of your freezer. This avoids breaking your glass when you want to remove it from the freezer.
• Where possible, do leave some space between your beer glass and the other items in your freezer. It’s best if you have a freezer specifically for your beer glasses and drinks so you won’t have any unpleasant flavors from frozen foods or other items mixing into your chilled beer glass.
• Avoid chilling any thin beer glasses. Beer mugs and pilsners work best as they won’t crack or break as easily.

Don’ts

• Remember never to freeze your beer glasses. Frozen beer glasses may alter the flavors to your beer and even cause foaming issues when you pour.
• Never place hot beer glasses into the freezer. The instant change in temperature may cause your beer glass to break, hurting you in the process.
• Don’t use chilled beer glasses for every type of beer. Beers such as Porters, Stouts, IPAs, and bitter beers may be best enjoyed at room temperature, so you get a more pronounced flavor. Instead, chilled beer glasses should only be used for beers such as ales, lagers, and pilsners as they should be enjoyed cold.

The final word: Do I have to chill my beer glasses?

In conclusion, drinking from a chilled beer glass is up to your personal preference. While some beer drinkers don’t mind using regular beer glasses that’s been set to room temperature, others may prefer a cooler and more refreshing sip of beer. For some beer drinkers, chilled beer glasses that mellow down the flavors of the beer also makes it easier for them to chug down on a hot summer’s day. Ultimately, you’ll want to try the differences between enjoying beer through a regular beer glass versus a chilled glass to find our which drinking experience suits your best.