six7s
veretic
- Joined
- Jun 17, 2007
- Messages
- 8,716
In pubs in England (dunno about Scotland and Wales), many pubs serve beer (as distinct from lager) at cellar temperatureI never was served warm beer in Britain.I have no idea where this myth comes from.British beer is served cold,but not chilled beyond flavour.That might be the reason for this calumny.
CAMpaign for Real Ale: http://www.camra.org.uk/
Real ale is served at cellar temperature 12-14 C (54-57 F), which is somewhat cooler than room temperature. If real ale is too warm it is not appetizing, it loses its natural conditioning (the liveliness of the beer due to the dissolved carbon dioxide).
On the other hand if the beer is too cold it will kill off the subtle flavour. Unlike keg beer which has to be chilled, real ale has flavours you need to taste! Real ale is not 'warm', 'cloudy' or 'flat'. Real ale is served below room temperature, like red wine; served properly it should be entirely clear; if it kept and served properly it will have enough natural life to be appetizing.