Does a bottle’s coloration have an effect on the flavour of the beer inside?
Nicely, identical to the controversy over beer bottles and cans, there are numerous differing opinions. But when all beers had been to style the identical it doesn’t matter what coloration the bottle is, why do we now have so many choices — brown beer bottles, inexperienced beer bottles, clear glass, and even metallic bottles now?
Let’s attempt to settle this debate for as soon as and reply why high-quality beers practically all the time are available a inexperienced bottle!
The Historical past of the Glass Beer Bottle
The historical past of beer goes again to the early civilizations of Egypt and Mesopotamia earlier than pasteurization and sterilization strategies had been commonplace. The beer needed to be drunk as quickly after it was completed, usually from the identical vessel by which it was brewed.
Storing and delivery beer in glass bottles turned extra fashionable across the Nineteenth century when brewers turned satisfied that it was the easiest way of conserving the beer more energizing for longer. One romanticized fable I notably like was of a monk who took some beer on a picnic with him in a glass wine bottle. When he bought residence, the monk was shocked the beer had been saved so properly, and phrase quickly unfold of this improved approach of storing beer.
For no matter motive, beer glass bottles turned well-known for storing beer; the unique glass bottles all the time had a inexperienced hue. Much less superior glass manufacturing strategies did not take away the impurities like ferrous irons, which gave the glass a inexperienced tint, much like that seen on classic Coca-Cola bottles.
The Downside with Clear Glass Bottles
Within the mid-Nineteenth century, clear glass turned extra out there however was usually seen as too costly to be wasted on beer customers. Beer producers additionally shortly realized beer didn’t keep as contemporary in clear bottles as UV rays from the solar, a pure enemy of beer would have an effect on the beer high quality.
In a phenomenon often called “lightstruck” beer, the acids in beer react, notably the alpha-acids in hops, with the daylight, which triggers a chemical response and causes a “skunk” like odor. Any beers which use extra vital quantities of hops, particularly these European pilsner lagers, will likely be topic to skunking. Nevertheless, fashionable brewers have now developed gentle secure hops to forestall chemical reactions from publicity to photo voltaic radiation.
Brown Bottles and the Return of Inexperienced Bottles
Within the Thirties, the beer producers discovered using brown glass bottles would assist protect the beer extra from these dangerous UV rays in the identical approach sun shades defend our eyes. Brown glass continues to be used at the moment by many well-known beer producers, together with many home beer manufacturers like Budweiser, Coors and far of the craft beer scene.
Nevertheless, there was a interval throughout WWII when beer corporations couldn’t receive sufficient brown glass to fabricate their beer bottles, and so they needed to revert to bottles product of inexperienced glass. Though inexperienced bottles gained’t defend as a lot from the daylight, they definitely do a greater job than clear bottles in conserving beer contemporary.
Slightly than sticking their higher-quality beers again into these poor-performing clear bottles, beer corporations swapped out these brown bottles for inexperienced glass bottles. Because of this, inexperienced glass bottles of beer had been seen by beer customers to symbolize a high quality premium beer.
Though there isn’t a want for the producers to make use of inexperienced bottles anymore, for a few of the extra well-known beer manufacturers, the colour has turn out to be so related to their identification that it’s arduous for them to modify again.
As for clear glass bottles, fashionable strategies now permit the beer producers to use UV protecting coats to glass which retains the beer more energizing. Nevertheless, realizing daylight is a pure enemy of beer, it’s all the time advisable to retailer your beer in a darker beer container to keep away from the skunking impact, whether or not in a inexperienced, brown, or clear glass bottle.
Well-known Beers in a Inexperienced Bottle
With regards to well-known beer manufacturers in a inexperienced bottle, there’s none extra distinguished than the worldwide big Heineken. Out there in nearly each nation and brewed underneath license in additional nations than some other beer, Heineken wouldn’t be Heineken in some other coloration bottles. Even the cans of Heineken are adorned within the now well-known Heineken inexperienced colours.
Be aware the phrases “Premium High quality” on the Heineken bottle. One other well-known European model is the Belgian beer Stella Artois which has caught with the inexperienced bottles and sometimes advertises itself as “reassuringly costly.”
Lots of the different premium pilsners from Europe nonetheless are available inexperienced glass bottles, together with Staropramen and Pilsner Urquell, two of the unique Pilsner beers from the Czech Republic, and naturally, the brewing monster that’s Carlsberg from Denmark.
Many German beers will nonetheless are available inexperienced bottles to honor custom, together with Becks from Bremen, which proudly boasts of its conformity to German brewing legal guidelines. Belgian beers, particularly Saison or Lambic beers, will usually are available a extra wine bottle-like consuming vessel, primarily inexperienced.
On this facet of the Atlantic, beer producers weren’t too affected by the brown glass scarcity of the Thirties, so most home manufacturers nonetheless use brown glass beer bottles. There are a number of exceptions to the rule, together with the home beers of Rolling Rock and Moosehead, to call a pair.
The Takeaway: Does Beer in a Inexperienced Glass Bottle Style Totally different?
All beers style completely different, in fact — that’s what makes the beer scene so attention-grabbing. However the coloration of the glass the beer is available in doesn’t instantly influence the style. Put a premium beer into a transparent or inexperienced bottle, and it’ll style the identical. The one factor that will have an effect on the beer’s taste over time is publicity to daylight which darker bottles might help forestall.
Though inexperienced bottles gained’t be as efficient at defending from UV rays as brown ones, they are going to undoubtedly present extra shielding than a transparent bottle. Nevertheless, fashionable brewing and packaging strategies imply the colour of the glass isn’t as essential because it as soon as was. UV coatings and non-light reactive hops imply beer stays more energizing for longer and avoids that skunk “lightstruck” beer style.
Inexperienced bottles nonetheless appear to indicate the next high quality beer, however that is extra right down to the branding — it’s extra concerning the notion than the flavour. To verify your beer stays contemporary longer, you’ll be able to all the time retailer your stash of beer in a darker place to cut back the impact of sunshine on beer.
I’m nonetheless going to get pleasure from my occasional bottle of Stella Artois, and that inexperienced bottle might be half of the allure!
