11 Common Beer Myths That Should Be Debunked Forever

In decades past, beer had a reputation among most Americans as a working-class drink. If you worked with your hands, it’s what you chugged with a bunch of your friends after work. For everyone else, it was an easy-to-drink refresher to enjoy at cookouts or ball games, or a foamy reward for an afternoon of mowing the lawn.

What it wasn’t, however, was varied or terribly interesting. Unless you went out of your way to seek out imported specialty brews, beer meant cheap light lager. But when President Jimmy Carter legalized homebrewing in 1978, he also sparked the birth of the American craft beer movement: Homebrewers who mastered their craft went pro and opened breweries featuring their own handcrafted creations. Today, 90% of craft breweries were launched by former homebrewers. The American beer scene thus became a lot more diverse and exciting than it was in times past, but hoary old cliches about beer, how it tastes, and how to enjoy it persist. 

A team of beer-loving experts is here to debunk some common (and irritating) myths: Roman Maliszewski, principal co-founder at Tapster Tasting Room; Grant Wood, brewmaster at BERO; Kyle Johnson, beer and mixology expert at Fatpour Tap Works; Jenn Klein, resident beer expert and certified cicerone at Yard House; Nicole Erny, master cicerone at Sons of Liberty Alehouse; and Matthew Campion, co-founder of Lunchbox Brewing Company.

Among the most persistent myths is the belief that dark beer is always heavy and highly alcoholic. And while it can be — many of the biggest and heaviest beer varieties, such as imperial stouts, are dark — the family of dark beers is a lot more varied than many casual drinkers imagine. “There are scores of specialty malts that can be used in beer to offer flavor and color, and that is completely separate from how alcoholic, thick feeling, or rich a beer’s flavor may be,” Nicole Erny said.

She added that you can still enjoy dark beer even if you dislike heavy beers. “A dry Irish stout or a German-style schwarzbier are examples of beers that are nearly black in color but are light in body, low in alcohol, and extremely quaffable!” she said. Matthew Campion agrees. “We brew a dark Mexican lager that surprises a lot of people. It pours a rich, dark color, but drinks incredibly crisp and light,” he said. In short, no correlation exists between color and sweetness or alcohol content, so don’t rule out dark beers if you’re in the mood for something crisp and quaffable –- you just might discover a new favorite.

Fans of craft breweries who’ve enjoyed deep dives into nuances of West Coast and New England IPAs or argued with friends about the difference between porter and stout sometimes overlook or even look down on lagers. In their minds, lager is the cheap, watery stuff their grandfathers drank in front of the TV back in the day or the miserable stuff of college keg parties and drinking games. These varieties have given lager a bad name, and if they were the only types available, we couldn’t blame anyone for giving lager a pass.

Jenn Klein, however, said lager deserves a closer look. American lager is not just the boring commodity beer of old, and craft brewers now explore the surprisingly diverse range of traditional German lagers, from crisp pilsners to malty Oktoberfests to smoky rauchbiers, which vary dramatically not just in flavor but in color. “Lagers are one of the most versatile beer styles out there!” Klein said. “There’s a world of variety in lagers alone, so they’re anything but boring.”

There’s nothing wrong with drinking beer from a can at a party. But if the only way you’ve ever tasted beer is from a can, bottle, or red Solo cup, you are not experiencing everything it has to offer. This may not matter that much with a casual beer at a ballgame, but if you’ve made the effort to obtain a really special brew, the right glassware really can make a difference. Contrary to popular belief, all those different shapes for glasses –- from round, stemmed goblets to classic straight pint glasses -– aren’t just for show. Rather, they’re intended to accentuate the distinctive features of different beer varieties.

“The shape of the glass can enhance the aroma and help manage carbonation, allowing you to experience the full complexity of the beer,” Jenn Klein explained. “Ever seen how Belgian bars use different glasses for different beers? It’s for good reason.” For instance, goblets help minimize foam and thus enable drinkers to better enjoy highly carbonated beers such as Trappist ales. In contrast, tulip-shaped glasses (with flared rims), serve to preserve the head, which enhances the flavors of other beer types. And tall, fluted glasses are the best choice of lighter, highly carbonated beers such as German lagers.

A solid rule of thumb among food lovers is to pair regional dishes with wine or beer from the same region. This both honors tradition and lets diners experience how these creations were originally enjoyed. And these combinations –- such as Bavarian beer and sausages at Oktoberfest –- have endured for a reason: Both the food and drink are easy to obtain together in their place of origin, and eaters find them delicious.

For this reason, diners often turn to light Mexican lagers when at their favorite Mexican restaurants. But according to Nicole Erny, you have better choices. “I might get some hate for this one, but pairing Mexican lagers with tacos isn’t usually a home run,” she said. “While light and refreshing and offering a palate reset, those beers don’t really do anything interesting in most taco pairings.” Mexican lagers, she explained, aren’t homegrown beverages that evolved as part of Mexican culinary tradition, but a later introduction created by German immigrants to Mexico. For more interesting matches for tacos, she recommends thinking outside the box. “Fruity and strong Belgian ales, German weizens, and beers with roasted components are my favorite places to start when creating dynamic pairings with Mexican food!” she said.

Good beer should be treated with respect –- nobody likes old, skunky, or stale-tasting beer. And most casual beer drinkers know the refrigerator is the best place to maintain a beer’s quality. More serious beer fans strive to control the temperature at which they store their beer, fearing that any temperature fluctuation, say, from refrigerator to car to potluck drinks table, will make it turn skunky.

While these beer lovers are correct that frequent temperature swings can compromise beer quality and hasten staling, they won’t technically make it skunky. “Skunking in beer is caused by a chemical reaction with blue-green light,” Nicole Erny explained. “Most beer in green or clear bottles doesn’t have any protection, and a glass of beer exposed to direct sunlight can start to taste skunky in minutes!” So if you’re striving to avoid skunkiness, look out for light exposure, not temperature -– and be sure to avoid storing your beer in direct sunlight.

Another longstanding cliché is that beer will give you a pot belly –- we’ve all seen depictions of beer-swilling guys in wife-beaters who look as if they’d swallowed a basketball. For this reason, many calorie-conscious people shy away from beer, opting for other beverages instead. But while regular beer is not exactly a diet drink, it has no special belly-fattening powers, either. “It’s not the beer -– it’s the total calorie intake and how much alcohol you’re putting down. Everything in moderation,” Kyle Johnson said.

Unfortunately for beer lovers, beer carries its share of calories -– an average of 150 a pint –- so if you go out and enjoy several rounds with a hearty burger and fries, the calories add up fast. In addition, alcoholic beverages in general contribute to bigger waistlines, because they compel the liver to burn alcohol rather than fat. So while you may save yourself a tiny number of calories by opting for a glass of wine (around 130 calories), it won’t be much better for your waistline than a beer.

For many of us, a fluffy white head is the defining visual feature of a freshly poured pint. But some see a head as a waste of space that could otherwise be occupied by more beer. And while it’s true that a good pour shouldn’t involve a giant torrent of foam, a bit of foam is a good thing that actually serves a purpose.

“People often think a beer should be poured all the way to the top — nope. You want some foam,” Kyle Johnson said. “A good head helps release aroma and makes for a better drinking experience.” Jenn Klein agrees, adding that the head not only helps us better perceive the beer’s aromas, it helps trap the carbonation. “It’s a sign of a well-poured beer,” she said. In addition, the foam contributes a unique look and mouthfeel to each beer – depending on the beer variety, the foam can give the beer a creamy or sparkling mouthfeel. And while the optimal head depth varies by style, it’s good to aim for a depth of ½ – 1 inch.

Another old myth that refuses to die is that the British drink warm beer. This is simply untrue -– you’ll never get a steaming mug of beer with your traditional English pub meal. Rather, it’s just not as cold as American drinkers are accustomed to. “The whole ‘British drink warm beer’ thing… it’s not warm, it’s just not ice-cold. It’s often cellar temp, and that’s intentional,” Roman Maliszewski said. “Some beers are meant to be served that way so you can actually taste them. In the U.S., we’re so obsessed with cold, but that’s not always better.”

Indeed, too-low temperatures can obscure the flavors of beer while accentuating its bitterness, and beer connoisseurs recommend different serving temperatures to bring out the best in different beer varieties. American light lagers, which often don’t have a lot of depth in flavor anyhow, are tasty at just over freezing temperature (between 33 and 40 degrees) on a hot day, while pale ales and IPAs are at their best between 45 and 50 degrees. In general, stronger beers are better at warmer temperatures than lighter beers, and lagers are typically served colder than ales.

While craft beer has earned serious respect from drinkers, some of whom research and seek out the best local breweries wherever they travel, it still doesn’t get a lot of respect as an accompaniment to meals. Popular wisdom has it that beer is fine for casual meals of pizza, wings, or burgers, but it you’re going to a white-tablecloth restaurant with serious food, wine and cocktails should be the drinks of choice.

But the variety and finesse of today’s best beers mean they have a place at the fine dining table as well. “Beer is so versatile. I’ve had saisons that pair much better with grilled fish than any wine ever could,” Roman Maliszewski said. “That idea that beer has to be casual or heavy is outdated — it can be elegant, nuanced, and complex.” Kyle Johnson suggests several pairings for beer and grown-up food –- stout, he said, is a great match for meat and potatoes or any dish you’d partner with red wine. Blondes and wheat beers are great matches for chicken or seafood, and sours pair well with funky cheeses and salty meats. And if you’re still in the mood for burgers or wings? Choose an IPA. But be careful what you put on your burgers or wings. “I’ve often seen people pairing IPAs with spicy foods,” Grant Wood said. “[But] IPAs make foods spicier because the same nerves that register food as spicy register beers as bitter. “

Most beer drinkers know beer doesn’t last forever. But it’s easy to overlook how quickly it can lose its quality. If you’ve ever purchased several cases of your favorite brew on sale, stored them in your pantry, and found the last case wasn’t nearly as tasty as the first, you’ve experienced this deterioration in action. “My favorite myth is that it’s best to ‘lay some beers down’ and store them for months or years before drinking them,” Grant Wood said. “Beer is not wine, and I don’t believe that they improve with age. Most beers are meant to be enjoyed as fresh as possible. Time does not improve beer in the package.”

So what does fresh mean in terms of beer? An easy way to tell if you’ve got fresh beer is to check the best-by date on the packaging –- and if that beer doesn’t have a date, opt for one that does. Also, be aware that different beers have different shelf lives -– while some high-proof beers can be aged for years, hoppy beers such as IPAs should be enjoyed as fresh as possible, ideally, within a few months of production, since the flavor of hops breaks down quickly.

Another old myth that needs to be put to rest is that beer is a drink made by guys, just for guys. But the truth is women have been making and drinking beer for centuries. In medieval England, low-proof ales (small ales) were a staple drink in most households, since potable water was hard to come by. Women were responsible for brewing ale for their families, and some made extra to sell to neighbors or the community. They mounted broomsticks outside their homes to indicate they had ale for sale, and wore tall, pointed hats to stand out when selling at markets. When larger, male-owned breweries became popular, the female brewers, known as alewives, fell into disfavor — and the traditional symbols of their trade came to be associated with witchcraft.

Today, women have made their way back into brewing. If you’ve been reading this piece closely, you’ve likely noticed that several of the experts interviewed here are women. (We didn’t go out of our way to make this happen, that’s just who’s passionate and knowledgeable about beer now.) And women have also jumped into brewing head first, opening breweries and professional associations for female brewers. So if you’re craving a beer but fear you won’t look ladylike if you order one, go ahead and take the plunge –- you’ll be in good company.