Thats exactly why you have to drink English lager cold. However thats becasue we have an inferior product.Martin wrote:the thing I've never worked out is how people can drink lager - if you've ever tasted it warm (pure cat pee!) - it's probably why you have to drink it cold - to numb the taste buds!
THe term lager comes from the German for storage. Because in decent brewing places it takes 4 to 8 weeks to make lager in cooler storage vessels,and with only 4 ingredients allowed (hops,malt,barley and water) due to the worlds oldest food law (the reinheitgebot or purity law) started some time in the 1500's.
While in Blighty even under license we get away with adding all sort of chemicals and adjuncts, brewing at elivated temps with specialist yeasts. The result is dreadful, but the process can take as little as 5 days!!!and as any homebrewer/microbiologist will tell you if you push yeast to produce an alcohol it will start to make methanol. THis being a major poison results in splitting headaches. The methanol % is reduced the longer and lower the fermintation time/ temp. Hence why German and Czech lagers tend to make you dehydrated, but not with a splitting headache.
Back to the origianal quote, I have drunk warm Czech lager (due to a lack of fridge but not thurst!) and it tastes like warm Czech lager, slightly more hoppy and fruity, but not like cats pish, which most UK lagers would.
I say most as Meantime brewery do an excellent Kolsch, which is possibly better than the Cologne origianal!. You can get this in Sainsbury's it's one of their own brands,and definitly one to try especially cold Hedgy!.