Ale vs. Lager

• Since ales are higher in alcohol content and fuller in flavor than lager beers, they should be served at a higher temperature, for the simple reason that the warmer temperature is more conducive to sipping and savoring the flavor, while cold beers are intended for refreshment, and in some cases, aggressive chilling is a ploy to mask an insipid beer by numbing the taste buds. Nevertheless, the warmest an ale will be served at is around 55 to 60 degrees Fahrenheit. The majority of ales are drunk at 50 to 55 F, and India pale ales can be comfortably drunk at 45 to 50 F.

Bitter Myths

• Few English ales are served at room temperature, whatever the stereotype. For a start, a perfunctory scan of the layout of a typical pub will reveal that ale kegs are typically stored in a cellar beneath the bar, where the temperature is much lower. While room temperature is around 70 F, most cellars are maintained between 53 and 57 F, representing a considerable difference. While many lager drinkers would not consider this temperature cold, neither is it warm.

Beer Composition

• Chemically, there is no reason why ale should not be drunk cold -- meaning, that it is chilled beyond its natural cellar temperature. While ales are fermented warm, the beer is already pasteurized and sterilized by the time it reaches the keg, meaning that fermentation has ceased. Chilling the ale will not affect its composition. On the other hand, you might question the wisdom of doing so. Colder temperatures conceal depth and flavor in an ale, which eliminates the attraction most drinkers seek in the first place. Serving bitterer stouts such as Guinness at low temperatures proved a successful marketing ploy which introduced the beer to a new fanbase, but most ales are not bitter enough to justify such a measure.

Cask Ale Exception

• The only place where cask-conditioned ale – or “real ale” -- is still served on a regular basis -- is in Britain, even if the popularity and ubiquity is dwindling. Unlike keg beers, cask ales contain live yeast, which continues to ferment in the barrel. Cask beers are more volatile and can spoil if stored incorrectly, and require a hand pump to draw, without the use of gas. Crucially, cask beers should not be served cold; rather, they yield their flavors and maintain body at a cool 54 to 56 F. Unfortunately, the additional maintenance a cask beer requires means that they are increasingly more difficult to find.