International Beer Day: Mixologists share how to chill and pair beer like a pro

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International Beer Day is celebrated by beer lovers on August 6 every year. The ideal accompaniment to brunch, sporting events, binge-watching, and everything under the sun, beer is enjoyed by everyone. If you appreciate the fine nuances of this beverage and want to go pro, we asked mixologists across Mumbai to share expert tips that will enhance your beer drinking experience.

Chilling beer quickly
We all have found ourselves staring at a lukewarm pint of beer and feeling the utter disappointment that comes with it. "Beers are usually served between 6 to 9 degree celsius, if you quickly want to chill a beer and serve there are a few handy methods which can be used," says Merwyn Alphonso, bar manager at Pink Wasabi, Juhu. Below, he shares five effective methods that will ensure you have a chilled pint ready in no time:

Ice Bucket:The most common method of using an ice bucket is an easy way to keep your beer cold.

Add Salt: Salt makes the water go below freezing point, so make sure to add some salt to the ice to chill your beer faster.

Wrap your beer: Wrapping a paper towel around the beer bottle and placing it in a freezer speeds up the process.

Blast Freezer: Place your beer can or bottle in a blast freezer below 0 degree Celsius for around 10 minutes.

Proximity to ice: Placing ice in a glass tube and inserting it inside the beer can keep your beer chilled for a longer period. You can also use silicone or steel ice cubes to chill the beer without diluting it.

Pairing beer with food like a pro
There are over hundred different beers across the globe, and each pairs distinctly well with different kinds of food. The objective of a pairing is for the beverage and food to complement each other and enhance the flavour. Mohan Barkola, bar manager at Tori shares with us popular food and beer pairings:

Lager
Widely enjoyed around the world, this type of beer is rested after fermentation which gives the beer its crisp, subtle, and light citrus notes on the palate. Lager pairs well with pasta, burgers, and finger food. Kingfisher, Tuborg, White Rhino, and Corona are popular brands.

Ale
The use of top fermented yeast process with warm fermentation method gives this beer its sweet, fruity and spicy notes. Ale pairs well with tempura fried prawns, citrus flavoured food, or German potato salad.Tori brews their own rice ale while Carlsberg and Heineken are widely consumed brands.

Stout
This type of dark beer is dark in colour and full-bodied. Usually flavoured with roasted coffee and cacao beans, the beer has a creamy and bittersweet profile. Pair your Simba Stout and Guinness with indulgent dishes like caramelised pork belly and lamb chops.

IPA
This style of beer uses English and German yeast more often for fermenting process which gives the beer its transparent, nutty, bitter, and malty flavour profile. Kati Patang, Eight Finger Eddie, and Punk IPA complement fresh and light dishes like coleslaw salad and bruschetta.

Cider
Even though cider is not beer, it is an incredibly popular carbonated alcoholic beverage. Made using fermented apple juice which gives cider its sparkling tangy bubbles and notoriousfunky apple aroma, the beverage is especially famous across Europe. It pairs well with spicy food like tacos, spicy ramen, Asian barbequed meat and even butter chicken. Popular brands available in India include Sheppy's and Thirsty fox.

Making cocktails with beer

Award-winning mixologist, Dushyant Talwar, head mixologist at Copter7 shares two of his favourite beer cocktails.

Michelada

Ingredients

Jose Cuervo Silver 30 ml, Hot Sauce - 2-3 dashes, 2 dashes Worcestershire sauce , 120 ml tomato juice, lime juice 20 ml, Copter7 smooth lager - 60 ml, salt

Method

1. Rim a tall glass or a beer mug with salt.
2. Add ice to the glass and pour all ingredients, building the cocktail over ice.
3. Stir and top up with Copter7.

La Guavarita

Ingredients

Jose Cuervo Silver 30 ml, guava juice 60 ml, lime juice 20 ml, Sugar Syrup (1:1) - 20 ml, Copter7 Premium Strong Beer - 60 ml, salt, cucumber, peppercorns

Method

1. Rim the beer tankard with a mix of salt and pink peppercorns.
2. Add ice to the glass and pour all ingredients, building the cocktail over ice.
3. Top up with beer and gently stir.
4. Garnish with a cucumber slice.