Beer Season: Do You Know How to Drink Beer?
Core tip: A wide variety of beers are sold, including ice beer, draft beer, draught beer, dark beer, and non-alcoholic beer. Consumers can choose according to their own tastes and preferences.
With the arrival of summer, beer is once again favored by the public. Especially when gathering with friends, ordering some refreshing and delicious snacks along with a large glass of chilled beer is an exceptionally pleasant feeling. But can beer really relieve summer heat? How do you check the alcohol content of beer? Are you suitable for drinking beer... How many things about beer don't you know?
Many types of beer, choose according to your preference
The market offers a wide variety of beers, including ice beer, draft beer, draught beer, dark beer, and non-alcoholic beer. Consumers can choose based on their own taste and preferences. According to industry insiders, ice beer is stored at freezing point, causing it to form a cold haze (ice crystals, proteins, etc.), which is then filtered out to produce a clear beer; draft beer is beer that has not been pasteurized; draught beer is beer where the clear beer is directly injected into a fully enclosed stainless steel keg from the production line, and when served, carbon dioxide is added using a draught machine, and the beer is kept at a temperature of 3°C to 8°C; dark beer is mainly made with caramel malt and black malt, uses less hops, and is brewed with a long, strong saccharification process; non-alcoholic beer uses a special process to prevent yeast from fermenting sugars, producing only aromatic substances, and is a type of beer that has all the characteristics of beer except for alcohol.
Beer is best for cooling off when drunk with foam
Most people wait for the beer foam to almost disappear before drinking, which is actually a misconception. Industry insiders explain that the foam in beer gives it a refreshing and thirst-quenching effect, helping to dissipate heat and relieve summer heat. This is because when carbon dioxide enters the stomach, it expands when it encounters heat and is expelled through burping, thereby taking heat away and has the effect of clearing heat and relieving summer heat. Additionally, the foam in beer is different from the foam in carbonated drinks; besides carbon dioxide, it also contains a large amount of soluble protein, which can dilute the bitterness of hops and the irritation of alcohol, and can also isolate the direct contact between air and the liquid, reducing the oxidation of beer. Therefore, it's best to drink beer with its foam. As the foam dissipates and carbon dioxide is released, people can enjoy the refreshing taste and the aroma of hops to the greatest extent.
Therefore, it is essential to keep the glass clean when drinking beer. Oil is the enemy of beer foam; grease on the rim of the glass will significantly reduce the foam's longevity. Therefore, pouring the beer eight-tenths full, drinking in large gulps, and finishing a glass quickly are all tips for maintaining the foam and flavor of the beer.
Original wort concentration is not the same as alcohol content
Many people believe that the strength of beer is its alcohol concentration, but this is not the case. The beer strength that people often refer to is the original wort concentration of the beer, not its alcohol content. Generally speaking, the alcohol content of beer is listed in the ingredient list on the beer packaging, usually around 4%, or ≥3.6%, ≥4%, etc. Therefore, consumers must not confuse the original wort concentration with the alcohol content. It is understood that the original wort concentration is a very important indicator for measuring the nutrition and taste of beer. Its size is directly related to the amount of malt added by the company during the production process. Adding less malt and hops will directly affect the taste and quality of the beer.
Patients with stomach diseases should stay away from beer
Medical research has shown that moderate consumption of beer or liquor can reduce the risk of heart disease and maintain heart health; help prevent thrombosis and prevent ischemic stroke; and improve insulin sensitivity, reducing the risk of diabetes. Of course, the most important prerequisite is moderation. After excessive drinking, the above effects will no longer exist.
Relevant research data indicates that people who drink more than 5 liters of beer a day are most likely to develop colorectal cancer. At the same time, the following groups should not drink beer: patients with digestive tract diseases, such as those with gastritis, gastric ulcers, or colitis; patients with liver diseases. People with acute or chronic liver disease have impaired liver function and cannot perform detoxification functions in a timely manner, making them prone to alcohol poisoning, and alcohol can directly damage liver cells; patients with cardiovascular and cerebrovascular diseases and pregnant women should also not drink beer. In addition, infants, young children, the elderly, the weak, and some patients with deficiency-cold syndromes should also avoid drinking beer. Furthermore, special attention should be paid to not taking medicine with beer, not drinking beer together with strong spirits, not drinking beer that has been stored for too long, not drinking bulk beer stored in thermoses, and not drinking beer after heavy sweating.