The last, for now, at least, in our series exploding beer mythology:
Myth #16 – The (Imported Brand) We Drink Here Isn’t the Same as What They Get in its Home Country
How this myth became so pervasive and enduring is quite beyond me, since it runs so obviously opposite to all business logic. I mean, really, why would a brewery jeopardize its reputation and endure the hassle of brewing a separate beer for foreign markets, particularly when ingredient costs are a relatively small brewing expense? Answer: They wouldn’t, and don’t. So the draught Guinness, bottled Becks and canned Pilsner Urqell we get in North America is exactly the same as what is sold by the brewery domestically, just slightly less fresh for its journey. (Exceptions to this myth are brands like bottled Guinness and canned Sapporo, which are produced under license on this continent and so by definition differ at least marginally from what is brewed by those companies in their respective home nations.)
Myth #17 – Beer is at its Best When Served Ice Cold
Blame the big breweries for this one, since it’s to their benefit that beer is served as cold as possible. Why’s that? Because when a beer is flavour-challenged, as are many of the big name brands, ultra-cold service levels the playing field by suppressing taste. If a beer has good character and flavour complexity, on the other hand, more moderate cold or even cellar temperature does it better service.
Myth #18 – If You Take Beer Out of the Fridge, It Will Go Bad When You Try to Re-refrigerate It
When I first heard this one, I thought the person repeating it was joking. But no, they were dead serious. The best guess I can come up with for the origin of this is the common prohibition against refreezing meat, but how that translated into beer is quite beyond me. Simply, it’s false, end of story.
Myth #19 – “I Had a 28% Alcohol Beer in Germany”
Sorry, but no, you didn’t. What people repeating this myth are usually talking about is a brand called EKU 28, which at one time was a contender for the title of the world’s strongest beer, but was then and remains today only about 13.5% alcohol. The “28” is a reference to the specific gravity of the beer prior to fermentation. (For the record, the world’s strongest beer at the time of writing is the Boston Beer Company’s Utopias, which weighs in at 25% alcohol by volume.)
Myth #20 – Beer is Bad for You
A drink that’s the liquid embodiment of bread, packed full of nutrients and vitamins? One that more and more researchers are saying is, when consumed in moderation, beneficial to the heart and effective in lowering levels of LDL, or “bad” cholesterol? How can that be bad for you? It can’t, unless you abuse it regularly and on an on-going basis. So here’s to health! Cheers!
