Though it’s tempting to ask for your beer to be poured into a frosty glass or mug to act like its own mini-freezer, don’t do it. This is definitely something that’s happening, because there’s a bar in my neighborhood that has a huge sign up that says “No Frosty Glasses” on it. While the idea of banning frozen glasses might seem like a stunt by a hipster bar, there’s actually a lot of good reasons to not drink your beer out of a frozen glass.
Let me preface this by saying that if frozen glasses are your thing, have at it. There’s definitely something to be said for going outside with a cold glass of beer on a warm day (your beer stays colder longer). But, if you’re in a temperature-controlled bar where you’re not at risk of ending up with a sun-cooked beer, that frozen glass is doing you more harm than good.
It’s a flavor killer
The biggest reason to ditch frozen glasses, in my opinion, is that cold temperatures kill the flavors in beers. And Greg Engert of Bluejacket Brewery agrees, telling Vine Pair that frosty mugs are the enemy of flavorful beers: “Served too cold, the volatile aromatics [of craft beer] are held at bay.”
Having said that, if you’re drinking a cheaper beer that you might not be that excited about, a frozen glass is probably a good idea. As Engert says, these “macro beers” are usually meant to be more cold and refreshing than flavorful, so the cold receptacle works.
Mugs aside, the ideal serving temperature for most beers is between 40° – 50° F. When you go colder than that you start to change the flavor. Don’t believe me? Try a side-by-side of a beer in a frozen glass and one in a room temperature one. You’re going to get a lot more out of that slightly chilled beer than you are out of the ice cold one.
Presumably, you spent $5 on that nicer beer because you wanted to taste it. Don’t ruin it by putting it in a crazy cold glass and killing the nuanced flavors of it.
It can make it taste weird
Since your glass was presumably cleaned right before it was put in the freezer, there’s a good chance some of that “frost” on the side of your glass is actually sanitizer used to clean it. That’s not something you want to drink.
Also, that glass has the opportunity to pick up tons of crazy flavors you don’t want in your beer. Take a hard look at that bar freezer. Would you eat a sandwich that was just sitting on a rack in it? Probably not. That same funk is also now frozen to your beer glass. Essences of the bartender’s lunch that was put in there to stay cold, flavors from the cleaners used to wipe down the freezer at night.
The same could be said for your home freezer. Think about what food tastes like that’s been in there too long. Why would you unnecessarily do that to your beer?
It can make it foamier
Lastly, your precious frosty mug might be making your beer far foamier than it needs to be. Carbonation bubbles stick to the frost on the side of your glass. That means your beer is going to be a lot foamier than it would be in a room temperature glass.
No one wants a beer with a massive head on it, but when you put it in a frozen mug you’re pretty much setting yourself up for failure.
Again, if you love frozen glasses don’t let me stop you. But give both versions a try. You might be surprised at how much better a non-frosty glass can be.
This story was originally published on 10/21/17 and was updated on 6/17/19 to provide more thorough and current information.