American Craft Beer The Best Craft Beer, Breweries, Bars, Brewpubs, Beer Stores, And Restaurants Serving Serious Beer.
No matter how well-informed beer lovers are there a popular beer misconceptions which like Bigfoot or Loch Ness monster sightings are pervasive.
So welcome to our latest Debunking Beer Myths, where we destroy brewed misconceptions, this time with the help of beer experts at Firestone Walker Brewing.
Beer Myth #1: Dark Beers Are Stronger
Turns out the color of that beer you’re enjoying doesn’t necessarily indicate its strength (read: Alcohol content).
Sure many stouts and porters come with high ABVs, but not all of them. And there are tons of light-colored beers that will deliver a serious alcohol buzz like Double IPAs.
But the “dark beers versus light beers” misconceptions go further than just the alcohol content.
“Guinness Draught is the classic example of a dark beer that actually has a very light body and low alcohol,” Sam Tierney, Brewery Manager at Firestone Walker’s The Propagator R&D brewhouse in Venice, California explained. “It’s the same strength as light lagers and has a similar viscosity, but for some reason, everyone seems to think it’s this super thick, chewy beer.”
Beer Myth #2: Beer from Cans, Bottles And Kegs All Taste Different
We’re big believers that beers in cans can taste different from beer in bottles and one Firestone Walker beer expert agrees with us in most cases but stressed that “there are a few exceptions.”
According to Firestone Walker’s Sensory Research Analyst, Craig Thomas, who is tasked with regularly testing beer from different packaging to its ensure its quality at the company’s production brewery in Paso Robles, a beer can taste differently depending on how it is packaged.
“Our panel regularly identifies one-way kegs (i.e. plastic key kegs) as having a slightly different flavor from other packaging types. Any other flavor differences are likely more a product of storage conditions or service as opposed to the package itself.”
“For instance, glass bottles (especially green or clear ones) allow light ingress, which can produce a skunky character in the beer. If a draft beer tastes different from a can or bottle, this is probably due to the draft system, not the keg itself.
