How to Make Beer Taste Better

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All beers are not the same, and some are tastier than others. Sometimes, the taste of a particular type of beer may not be appealing, so you will always look for methods to make it tasty and drinkable. Below is everything you need to know to make beer taste better.

How to Make Beer Taste Better

Several tools can be used to enhance the taste of your beer, enabling you to achieve your desired taste. Some are readily available in local bars, while others can be used in the comfort of your home. Below are tips and ways you can improve the taste of your beer:

A glass of beer

Use the Correct Glass

The type of glass you use when drinking beer impacts what you perceive as the taste of beer. Your choice of glass can enhance the appearance and aroma of your beer. This is the reason why many breweries have their own glassware.

Glasses with a flute style are specifically made to enhance the fruity quality of beer, making them suitable for fruit beers. Glasses with thick walls and a handle are ideal for maintaining the taste and coldness of your beer for an extended period.

When it comes to beers with high alcohol content, the chalice or beer goblet is suitable. For instance, the beer goblet improves the beer taste due to the bowl-like shape that attracts more carbon dioxide and is easy to set.

Drink Your Beer Out of a Glass

When it comes to taste, beer bottles and cans cannot enhance the taste of your beer but are ideal for transporting it. When drinking beer, the sense of taste and smell go hand-in-hand, and what you understand as taste is typically the aroma.

If you drink beer from a can or bottle, you suppress the sense of smell, which alters the beer’s taste. Drinking out of a glass activates carbonation, leading to carbonation bubbles and a foamy head.

The head makes the beer achieve a creamy texture, and carbonation bubbles give it an aroma. This, in turn, enhances the smell and taste of your beer, making it taste better.

Pour the Beer Properly

You can enhance the taste of beer by how you pour it into a frosted glass. Getting the right pour ensures that the effects of foamy head and carbonation are achieved as intended. You should rinse the glass with cold water then tilt it at an angle of 45°.

Aim to pour the beer approximately at the midpoint of the glass. Do this while tilting until it reaches the halfway point of the glass. Although this depends on the style of beer you are pouring, make sure you finish the pour with a nice foamy head for a guaranteed high flavor profile.

One of the techniques to make beer taste better

Try Drinking Your Beer at Warmer Temperatures

Drinking beer at warmer temperatures may seem strange, but this significantly impacts the taste. The numbing effect of a cold beer may suppress some flavors but drinking it warm allows you to recognize some more hidden flavors.

What to Add in Beer to Enhance Its Taste

Despite practicing the above tips, numerous additives can enhance your beer’s taste. They include:

  • Citrus Fruits: Citrus fruits are only used to enhance the taste of light beers. Cut it into two, then squeeze its juice into an empty glass or in the beer directly.
  • If your glass contains beer already, make sure you leave some space above the glass as it increases the volume of your tall boy or pint. However, this method is not ideal for dark beers such as Guinness as it will only make it sourer.
  • Beer Salt: If your beer is citrusy or fruity, try placing some salt along the edge of the rim of a glass to balance the sharp citrus. This minimizes the dormancy of the fruits, allowing you to feel the taste of the other ingredients included in the beer. Salt also enhances taste by minimizing the bitterness in beer, making it less bitter.
  • Apple Juice: When apple juice is combined with beer at a ratio of 1:1, the resulting product is more refreshing and appealing. When you mix the fresh juice with the sour beer, the result is shandy. Apple juice reduces carbonation in your beer and removes the unwanted sour taste.
  • Margarita Mix: Margarita contains citrus fruit giving it a high-profile flavor. Adding it to your pint makes it a beergarita, eliminating the sour taste in it. The margarita base is balanced with ice, lemon juice, and water. The ratio to use when adding it to your pint depends on your tastes and preferences. You may opt to use 2:3,1:1 or even drop by drop until you achieve your desired taste.
  • Grapefruit Juice: Unlike apple juice, grapefruit juice is a bit bitter, but this bitterness does not hinder it from improving the taste of your beer. The ratios vary from apple juice, where for grapefruit juice, you’re supposed to fill a quarter of your glass with beer and fill the remaining space with grapefruit juice.
  • Soda: Adding a light-colored soda to your beer does not make it lose its carbonation but rather enhances its smell and taste. You can add sodas such as Sprite ginger ale and Mountain Dew in light beers to improve the taste. Soda can also work as a chaser. Try drinking a shot of soda right after your beer, and taste the difference.
  • Campari: Campari is an Italian alcohol liquor that contains a bitter orange taste. It gives your beer a more appealing taste and can be used in all beers, including cheap ones. Add a drop in a glass containing beer, and you will be good to go.
  • Frozen Strawberries: Frozen fruits have a mouth-watering taste, and you can’t go wrong by adding any in beers. If you mix your beer with frozen strawberries, you improve the taste of the beer while helping to keep the beer cold for an extended time.
  • Creamers: Creamers are only used in dark beers as they suppress the bitter flavors and produce a more pleasant taste. You can try using creamers such as Bailey Irish cream, porters, and stouts. However, they increase the alcohol content in your beer.
  • Simple syrup: Simple syrup is a thick and viscous liquid containing a sugar solution in water. A few drops of this syrup are enough to improve the taste of the entire bottle of beer. You should not add the syrup directly into the beer but warm it first with the beer on the saucepan. You can also use maple syrup as a substitute.
A beer being poured to a wine glass

Frequently Asked Questions

What Makes Beer Have a Bitter Taste?

Beer bitterness is caused mainly by hops’ beta and alpha acids, especially if you add hops early in the brewing process. Low ethanol concentration in the beer may also contribute to the bitter taste.

Does Adding Sugar Improve the Taste of Beer?

Adding sugar during the brewing process significantly affects the color and flavor of the beer and increases the alcohol content. However, if corn sugar is used, it does not affect the flavor of your beer.

Final Thoughts

Are you wondering how you can make your beer taste better? The above guide provides tips and additives to add to your beer to improve its taste. Remember that you will need to add them in the correct ratio and in the right beer style to maintain a high-profile flavor.