There is indeed a scientific explanation behind the flavor of a beer served cold which is more appreciated, unlike a foam presented at a higher temperature. Chinese researchers have understood the relationship between the taste perception of an alcoholic drink and its serving temperature.
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With the return of the sun comes the opportunity to meet around a table at aperitif time, resurrecting the debate between those who prefer rosé and others who lean more towards a beer to toast. In both cases, sommeliers usually advise putting the bottles in the refrigerator a few hours beforehand to be sure to serve them fresh. Who has never found their glass of Syrah or their pint of blonde to be bland because they did not anticipate refrigeration? A serving habit that allows you to highlight ethanol which is nothing other than a flavor enhancer, in the same way as salt in cooking. In reality, it is not a custom or a cultural fact to slip a bottle of beer into the fridge before consumption, but a recommendation linked to a very concrete scientific explanation!
It’s actually all about molecules, shapes and chains. Researchers from the Chinese Academy of Sciences have just concluded in a study published in the journal Matter that the way they are organized with water molecules determines the taste of alcoholic drinks. And when the temperature changes, the entire water-ethanol structure is modified again, thereby altering the flavor.
More precisely, in drinks with a strength between 5% and 11% such as beer, the water molecules are trapped within a pyramid formed by those of ethanol. And the molecular organization changes when the amount of alcohol increases. In this case, the water-ethanol structure appears more in the form of a more regular chain and we feel the taste of the alcohol better. So the key is to lower the temperature. This manipulation makes it possible to modify the organization of the molecules so that the chain becomes precisely regular, as in the case of more alcoholic drinks.
“Professional testers observe a stronger ethanol taste in beer after it has been cooled. The results of these experiments show that there is a clear improvement in chain-shaped structures at 5°C in 5% and 11% ethanol solutions” indicates the study which thus gives a precise indication as to the correct temperature. Ultimately, the warmer your pint becomes over the course of the aperitif, the less it tastes of alcohol. QED.
