Earlier today, a good friend of mine told me he was going to bring me a bottle of King Henry, a bourbon barrel aged barleywine recently released by Goose Island. I then sent him a text message asking him to take it out of the fridge about 30 minutes before coming over so it can warm up a little and therefore release all the flavors offered by this magnificent brew. At the time, he happened to be at the house of a friend who is also a bartender somewhere that serves beers like this. That bartender said the place he works serves this beer in a frosted mug. Unbelievable!!! Frosted mugs are for root-beer floats!

Be wary my friends. It’s sad how many restaurants and bars brag about their huge tap selection and then ruin the beer by serving it in a frosted mug after it’s already stored at cold refrigerator temperatures.

Like good cheese and red wine, there are a lot of beers that display the most and best flavors when served closer to room temperature. If you order yourself anything that’s not a lawnmower beer and it comes in a frosted mug, thank them for it and then ask for a different glass that won’t diminish your beer’s flavor and aroma.

Cheers!