Whenever you head to a bar, you might feel that there are so many beers on offer that you are unsure what to choose, or even what the difference is between them all.
There are cans, bottles, and beers on tap. There are so many choices that it can be hard to decide on what beer you want to try.
Draft beer, also known as draught beer, is a very popular beer with beer drinkers as it is extremely fresh, but what exactly is draft beer? If you are unsure what draft beer is, you can find out here!
This article will explain to you what draft beer is and everything you need to know about it. You can become more familiar with draft beer here and what makes it so popular with beer drinkers.
What Is Draft Beer?
Draft beer is the beer that is stored in kegs in a bar and served from a tap.
They are usually the beers that are at the front of the bar so you can read the signs on the taps and decide what beer you want to be poured for you.
The bartender then simply pulls the tap to release the beer, filling up your glass.
What Keeps Draft Beer So Fresh?
There are several reasons why draft beer is one of the freshest beers that you can drink. The reason that draft beer is so popular is due to its freshness, but what keeps draft beer so fresh?
The freshness is one of the reasons why draft beer is loved by many, but what helps it remain this way?
No Exposure To Sunlight
As draft beer is kept in barrels, it is not exposed to sunlight. This keeps the beer fresher for longer as the sunlight does not affect the beer inside, so the beer will not lose any of its taste.
This allows the beer to remain fresh and cool as the keg prevents the sun from affecting the beer.
Oxygen Cannot Escape
To keep the beer fresh, oxygen needs to remain inside the barrel. The barrel prevents any oxygen from leaking out of the barrel, so the beer can remain fresher for longer.
If the oxygen was able to get out of the barrel, the beer would turn flat, but it is unable to seep out of the barrel.
The Popularity Of Draft Beer
As draft beer is very popular, it is consumed at a high rate. This means that there is never usually lots of draft beer that is sitting in a keg for too long.
This keeps the beer fresh for when customers want it and ensures that the beer is not left for long, keeping it fresh and tasty for people to enjoy.
Where Does The Name Come From?
The name draft beer comes from the way that beer was delivered in the 18th century.
Beer was transported and served from a barrel, and the word ‘draft’ comes from the Old English word ‘Dragan’, which means to carry or pull.
The word draft is used in the United Kingdom, Ireland, New Zealand, Australia, and North America, it is known as draft beer.
The History Of Draft Beer
When looking at the history of draft beer, the earliest records of beer being stored in barrels are in Medieval times. In 1691, barrels were described as being very useful storage units for beer as they kept the beer fresh and cool.
In the 20th century, beer started to become stored in pressurized containers, and the term draft beer only referred to beer that was stored in these containers.
Draft beer was served with the pressurized mechanism instead of just being stored in a barrel.
How Is Keg Beer Different From Draft Beer?
Keg beer is different from draft beer as it goes through processes of filtering and pasteurization.
Draft beer doesn’t usually go through these processes, which is what makes keg beer different from draft beer.
Keg beer is also stored in different containers to draft beer as it is often stored in containers made from stainless steel.
This makes it easier to store and transport, but some people prefer to taste beer from a barrel instead of a stainless steel container.
How Should Draft Beer Be Stored?
Draft beer should be stored in a wooden barrel at a temperature of 54 degrees Fahrenheit.
The temperature for storing the beer is very important as you do not want the temperature to be lower than 54 degrees Fahrenheit as this could affect the beer.
If the beer is too cold, it will taste flat and will not have much flavor, but if it is too warm, the taste will be affected.
How Should Draft Beer Be Served?
Draft beer should be served at temperatures between 45 degrees Fahrenheit and 50 degrees Fahrenheit.
This allows people to appreciate the flavors of the beer and not be distracted by the temperature.
If the temperatures are off when the beer is served, it can affect the taste and how the person drinking the beer enjoys it.
Is Draft Beer Better Than Bottled Beer?
Draft beer is considered to be better than bottled beer for several reasons. When draft beer is stored in barrels, it is protected from sunlight and is kept fresh.
When it is stored in a bottle, it does not have the same freshness as the draft beer that has been stored in a barrel.
The oxygen cannot escape the barrel, but oxygen is more likely to escape from a bottle, affecting the taste.
Storing draft beer in a barrel helps it to remain fresh and taste great, and although beer tastes great from a bottle too, it does not have the same freshness as draft beer from a barrel.
Although draft beer from a barrel is considered better than beer from a bottle, there are lots of factors that can affect draft beer when it is served.
Serving it at the right temperature can affect the taste of the beer and making sure that it is rested helps to improve the flavor profile of the draft beer.
Therefore, although draft beer tastes better from a barrel than from a bottle, it needs to be served properly. Without being served properly, draft beer will not be as tasty nor will it have the same effect on people.
The freshness will not be as prominent and the flavors could become affected, so serving draft beer from a barrel properly is important.
Final Thoughts
To conclude, draft beer is the beer that is poured from the tap in a bar. The beer is stored in barrels to keep it fresh, which is the best place for the beer to be stored.
When it is stored in a barrel, the beer is kept out of sunlight and the oxygen remains inside the barrel, so it is kept fresh until customers decide that they want to drink it.
Draft beer from a barrel is often thought of as being better than bottled beer for the reason that the barrel keeps the beer fresher for longer.
When draft beer is not served correctly at the right temperature, the flavor can be affected, so serving draft beer right is important.
I want to share with you all of my favorites, as well as share advice on picking certain alcohols and flavors.
I hope you enjoy my articles as much as I enjoyed researching them!
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