(via Marginal Revolution)
Original R&R post here.
Some Chicago Boyz know each other from student days at the University of Chicago. Others are Chicago boys in spirit. The blog name is also intended as a good-humored gesture of admiration for distinguished Chicago School economists and fellow travelers.
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I spent a year at Dartmouth and every weekend I had dinner in a great pub (that is no more). The usual dinner was beef stew or turkey pot pie (both made in the pub kitchen) and a pint or two of Guiness served at the correct temperature. Most restaurants and bars serve Guiness too cold.
Fascinating post David. Thank you!
Its certainly true many places serve over cooled beer. But since the small producers IPA revolution, we have so many great beers, that Guinness is really second rate at this point. I still drink one once in a while, but mainly for old times sake.
PenGun: Its certainly true many places serve over cooled beer….
I wonder is that isn’t a second-order reaction to the difference in European vs. North American average temperatures where most people live? One reason air conditioning, for example, is so prevalent here is the higher temps (due to lower latitudes and other climate effects) that we have “enjoy” to what they have over there in Yurp, present weather notwithstanding.
Beer over here arrives on your table (or bar) icy cold because a lot of people in the past drank it that way by preference because they were hot, dry, and thirsty. Thirsty people in colder climates called for drink that was cool perhaps or even room temperature, but not ice cold. (And, say, just what is the temp in European rooms anyway?)
Caution! I’m not placing a great deal of weight on this argument ””
If the beer is too cold it hurts the taste. Well diminishes it may be more accurate, as very cold beer is less tasty than cold beer. Now IPAs and things like Guiness are best just cold. I do like my Japanese beers very cold though, like an American beer.
The popularity of “lite” beer here is a sure sign that taste doesn’t enter into the consideration of many beer drinkers. Over chilling can hardly hurt something that has next to no flavor at all. People that worried about calories should be drinking water.