FAQ: How cool should my beer be?

These days it seems that chilled is cool when it comes to serving beer. Wetherspoons, for instance, has gone to considerable trouble and expense to make sure its mainstream lagers are being served between 1 and 3 degrees Celsius consistently in its outlets.

For a real ale drinker, that's cold. Their drink should be served from a cool cellar at between 11 and 13 degrees Celsius. Warm beer is the scourge of the real ale drinker. It's better to have a pint slightly too cold than slightly too warm, especially in tis era of golden, hoppy beers. (Go on — argue with me at the forum if you want to!)

DJN — February 2007