It is not very difficult to choose a good beer, it is enough to understand a little about the technology of its production, carefully read the label and pay attention to some important signs.
If possible, buy live beer
The best beer is undoubtedly the one sold on tap. It is not pasteurized, does not contain any preservatives, so that bacteria continue their activity in it, which gives the drink a bright barley taste, characteristic shade and malt aroma. Live, unpasteurized beer can be more beneficial if it is unfiltered or slightly clarified. The problem is that such beer is stored for no longer than ten days. All products that can be found in cans and bottles on store shelves differ from such "live" beer in the presence of preservatives and chemical additives.
When buying "lifeless", canned beer, you need to pay attention to the labels. This will avoid unpleasant surprises and disappointments. First of all, figure out what kind of beer you want to buy - dark, semi-dark, or light. The taste of these three types of beer differs significantly. For a light refreshing drink, choose a light beer, it is made from regular malt, has a classic aroma and is the most common. Semi-dark or red beer is characterized by sweetish rich flavors due to the addition of caramel to it. This drink is not for everybody's taste; drinking it with shrimps or chips is not worth it. Dark beer acquires its characteristic color due to the addition of burnt malt, which changes the color of the drink and its taste. The dark beer has hints of toasted bread crust and a very long aftertaste.
It's all about preservatives
It is very important to pay attention to how the beverage was canned. For example, Germany still adheres to the beer purity law of 1516, which prohibits the use of foreign substances in brewing. Therefore, all German beer is pasteurized - it heats up to sixty degrees, and then cools very sharply. This kills bacteria, which prevents the drink from spoiling for a very long time.
Unfortunately, in our country and in many other countries there is no such law, therefore beer is often supplied with preservatives in addition to pasteurization. So it's important to read the composition of the drink. If you see something in it other than hops, malt, water and yeast (for example, sodium benzoate, ascorbic acid, various E-additives), you should not expect anything good from such a product. Better pay attention to other beer (preferably from Germany), so as not to expose your body to harmful substances in addition to alcohol. Extraneous, preserving impurities can be indicated by the excessively long shelf life of beer. You should be on your guard if they exceed six months.
Do not buy beer in plastic containers, plastic is a porous material that allows oxygen to pass through easily, which does not contribute to the preservation of the taste of the drink. A plastic bottle is fine for bringing draft live beer home, but it is not suitable for long-term storage.
To determine the quality of an already purchased drink, you can simply look at the foam of the beer. Once it is poured into the glass, the frothy head should sit for a few minutes before it begins to fall off. Liquid foam with large bubbles, which also quickly falls off, indicates that you made the wrong choice.
