Before the invention of modern refrigeration, people rarely drank anything ice-cold. Beer was traditionally drunk it at “room temperature” or cellar temperature. Drinking any “ice-cold” beverage was a rare luxury reserved only for the extremely wealthy who would harvest and store natural winter ice in deep cellars.
In the German states[1] beer was fermented and stored in deep cellars and caverns. This allowed for the lager styles of cold crisp beers that we typically associate with Germany. In England and in America, there were no high mountains and deep caverns easily accessible to the population centers. Warm fermenting ale style beers, with there fruity complex flavors were the norm. If beer were ever “chilled” in the summer, it meant that beer barrels were kept underground in cellars or caves where the temperature was approximately the average of the whole year[2]. Drinking or storing beer at room temperature significantly alters its flavor and aroma. While ice-cold temperatures mute flavors, serving beer warm allows complex beers to release trapped aromas and enhances the taste profile.
In the late 18th Century, beer was even served HOT. Mulled ale was incredibly popular across Europe and Colonial America as people believed that warm liquids were much better for overall health than cold ones. Tavern keepers would mix ale with spices, sugar, rum, or even eggs, then plunge a red-hot iron poker (called a loggerhead) straight from the fireplace into the mug to heat and froth the drink.
[1] There was no “Germany” prior to 1871.
[2] In Philadelphia and its surrounding environs, the average cellar temperature was 60°F (16°C).ive mechanical gears to log rotations.
Want to have the
Regimental Brewmeister
at your site or event?
You can hire me.
https://colonialbrewer.com/yes-you-can-hire-me-for-your-event-or-site/
Michael Carver -- Historical Interpreter/Reenactor 