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Tasting & Storage Tips

Different beer styles require different serving approaches, as their aroma, flavor, and appearance vary significantly.

Main Beer Styles

Lagers

Pilsner

Helles

Color:

Golden yellow, straw yellow, or light amber.

Aroma:

Clean, hoppy, and malty, with subtle notes of fresh bread and fruit (such as apple and pear).

Flavor:

Clean and refreshing, with bitterness that varies by style, Pilsners are more hop-forward, while Helles is softer and maltier.

Pale Ales & IPAs

Pale Ale

IPA

Color:

Golden yellow, copper-red, or amber.

Aroma:

Rich hop character with fruity and floral aromas, complemented by notes of citrus, caramel, and fresh bread.

Flavor:

Well balanced, featuring pronounced hop bitterness with fruity and floral notes.

Wheat Beers

Wheat Beer

Hefeweizen

Witbier

Blanche

Berliner Weisse

Color:

Pale yellow and naturally cloudy due to suspended yeast.

Aroma:

Fruity, with notes of banana, clove, and citrus.

Flavor:

Fresh and light, with delicate acidity, fruity notes, and virtually no bitterness.

Porters & Stouts

Porter

Stout

Color:

From light brown to dark brown and even black.

Aroma:

Rich chocolate, coffee, and caramel notes with hints of toasted bread and spice.

Flavor:

Full-bodied, with gentle sweetness, a pleasantly bitter finish, and distinctive chocolate and coffee notes.

How to Assess Beer Quality

Evaluate the beer visually by observing its color, clarity, and foam, then smell it, take a small sip, and assess its flavor.

Lagers

Foam:

Abundant, creamy, with fine bubbles.

Clarity:

Clear, bright beer with a stable head free from sediment or foreign particles not characteristic of the style. During storage, the appearance of protein-polyphenol particles is acceptable.

Signs of Poor Quality:

Dull color, haze with excessive sediment, unstable foam, lack of aroma, harsh bitterness, or unpleasant odors.

Pale Ale

Foam:

Abundant, creamy, with fine bubbles.

Clarity:

Clear, bright beer with a stable head free from sediment or foreign particles not characteristic of the style. During storage, the appearance of protein-polyphenol particles is acceptable.

Signs of Poor Quality:

Unpleasant aroma, weak hop character, lack of fruity notes, atypical bitterness, or excessive acidity.

Wheat Beer

Foam:

Dense, creamy, with fine bubbles.

Clarity:

Naturally cloudy. Wheat beers may exhibit light to pronounced opalescence.

Signs of Poor Quality:

Lack of natural haze, absence of fruity aromas, insufficient acidity, harsh aroma, or an unpleasant aftertaste.

Porters & Stouts

Foam:

Abundant, creamy brown foam with fine bubbles.

Clarity:

Opaque, with slight natural haze resulting from the use of dark malts.

Signs of Poor Quality:

Lack of characteristic chocolate, coffee, or caramel aromas, weak flavor, harsh bitterness, unpleasant aftertaste, or a thin body lacking richness and fullness.

Beer Culture

Always Drink Beer from a Glass

Drinking beer from anything other than a glass suited to its style can diminish its flavor, preventing the beer from fully expressing its character.

Always Pour Beer Correctly

Pour the beer down the side of the glass at a 45-degree angle to minimize excessive foam. As the glass fills, gradually straighten it to create a proper foam head.

Avoid Overchilling Your Beer

Every beer style has its own ideal serving temperature, allowing its full flavor and aroma to develop.

Choose the Right Glass for Each Beer Style

One of the keys to fully appreciating a beer's aroma and flavor is selecting the right glassware. The shape of the glass should match the style of beer being served. If you are unsure which glass to use—or do not have the recommended one—a tulip glass is an excellent all-purpose choice, suitable for almost any beer style.

Avoid Overchilling the Glass

The ideal glass temperature is 8–12°C. Do not chill beer glasses in the freezer. Condensation can cause the glass to absorb surrounding odors, which may affect the beer's aroma and flavor. An excessively frozen glass can also prevent a proper foam head from forming.

Check the Quality of the Foam

Different beer styles produce different types of foam, and some styles naturally generate very little or none at all. For example, wheat beers are known for their tall, dense foam, which should remain stable for at least 2–3 minutes. If the foam collapses too quickly, the beer should be replaced along with the glass.

Choosing the Right Beer Glassware

Every beer style is best enjoyed in glassware designed to enhance its aroma, flavor, and overall character.

Lagers

Pint Glass

A versatile choice for both ales and lagers.

Pilsner Glass

Designed for pilsners and other pale lagers. Its tall, tapered shape showcases the beer's color while helping to maintain a lasting foam head.

Ales

Tulip Glass

Ideal for aromatic and stronger beer styles. Its shape captures aromas while promoting excellent head retention.

IPA Glass

The wide upper section helps retain volatile aromatic compounds, allowing the tropical, fruity, and resinous hop aromas characteristic of IPAs to fully develop.

Porters & Stouts

Stout Glass

Designed for dark ales. Its distinctive base helps preserve carbonation, while the wider bowl enhances the beer's rich aroma.

Snifter

Originally designed for strong spirits, the inward-curving bowl traps aromatic compounds as the beer gently warms in the hand, making it ideal for strong and aromatic beers.

Wheat Beers

Weizen Glass

Tall and slender with a flared rim, designed to showcase the characteristic foam and aroma of wheat beers.

Goblet

Well suited to fresh, floral, and fruit-forward beer styles. Its elegant elongated shape highlights delicate fruity aromas.

Beer Serving Temperature

Lower serving temperatures are best suited to lighter beer styles, preserving their refreshing character and thirst-quenching qualities. Dark beers are best served at 10–13°C, as they are fuller-bodied and contain less pronounced carbonation. Strong beers are often enjoyed as warming or dessert beers and are therefore best served at room temperature.

4–7°C

Lagers

Lower temperatures preserve their crispness and refreshing character.

5–7°C

Wheat Beers

Slightly warmer temperatures help reveal their fruity and spicy aromas.

7–10°C

Ales & IPAs

A moderate serving temperature enhances hop aroma and flavor.

8–12°C

Stouts & Porters

The richer and stronger the beer, the warmer its ideal serving temperature.

Pouring Beer

Pouring beer is an art and one of the fundamentals of brewing culture. Beyond influencing the beer's appearance and aroma, a well-executed pour enhances the overall drinking experience.

Choose a clean, dry, and chilled glass free from detergent residue or grease. Any contamination, such as traces of beer, soap, or dust, can interfere with proper pouring, foam formation, and ultimately the beer's flavor and aroma. Hold the glass by its base and tilt it to approximately 45°.

Pour the beer slowly down the inside of the glass to minimize excessive foam, gradually straightening the glass as it fills.

For wheat beers and other unfiltered styles, leave a small amount of yeast sediment in the bottle. Swirl the remaining third of the beer to suspend the yeast, then pour it into the glass to create a stable, rounded foam head.

Fill the glass until the foam just rises above the rim. This creamy top is often referred to as the "cream head." If you have a foam knife, carefully trim away any excess foam at a 45-degree angle.

Beer should be served on a coaster.

Serving Etiquette

Bierdeckel (Beer Mat)

Originating in 18th-century Germany as a lid for beer mugs, the bierdeckel later evolved into the familiar beer coaster. Traditionally made from absorbent cardboard, it protects tabletops from condensation and spills and remains an essential part of beer culture in pubs and restaurants.

Coaster

A reusable coaster made from durable materials such as wood, ceramic, or plastic. Unlike a traditional beer mat, it withstands high temperatures and is suitable for both hot and cold beverages. Thanks to its durability, it is commonly used at home and is also popular as a souvenir or collectible.