Enjoying your beer

What gives beer its unique flavour?

The specific malt, the water and the particular brand recipe all contribute directly to a beer’s flavour. The distinctive flavours that set beer apart from other beverages are derived from the blend and variety of hops used in the brewing process.

Hops, from the fruit cone of the female hop plants, impart a characteristic tangy-bitter flavour used to balance, or in some cases, to dominate the underlying sweetness of a beer. Nile Breweries Ltd sources its hops from South Africa and Europe. The Saaz hop is specifically imported from Czechoslovakia to create the unique aroma of our brand Club Pilsener.

Temperature’s role in beer enjoyment

Heat reacts with the ingredients of beer and affects its flavour. Cool conditions are more conductive to beer quality. Beer kept under refrigeration will outlast beer which is exposed to heat.

A few important tips to enhance the enjoyment

• Never freeze beer.

• Beer exposed to sunlight will deteriorate rapidly.

• If possible, keep beer in a fridge, or at least in a cool dark place away from heat and sunlight. Do not store near heat generating appliances such as generators, washing machines, or behind fridges.

• African beers are brewed to be served cold (ideally at around 4 degrees Celsius) for greater enjoyment.

• Three of the five senses – sight, smell and taste – play key roles in enjoying beer. For this reason, enjoy beer in a glass, so you can SEE its clear, bright sparkle and effervescent bubbles.

• Be sure the glass is clean. Any trace of soap or grease will kill the head (common bar snacks such as potato chips and pork bitings are often the cause of a flat beer, as is lipstick!). Glasses should be washed and rinsed thoroughly in water and allowed to drain dry. Never dry the inside with a cloth.

• A glass, and its shape, accentuates the aroma of hops and malt. A glass also helps to build up a head of foam, which traps the aroma and enables the beer to retain its flavour.

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