We Asked A Draught Master For Tips on How M’sians Can Tell a Good Beer From a Bad One

For those of you who love grabbing a cold one with your gang, this topic should interest you! After all, how much do we really know about our favourite alcoholic beverages? Well, lucky for you, we’ve gotten in touch with a draught master to list out some tips you can take note of so you can be a beer expert yourself! Also, a quick shoutout to HEINEKEN Malaysia for sponsoring this post!

So, here’s what you need to know when it comes to the different brew styles such as:

 

DRAUGHT

1. Check to see if there are bubbles stuck to the side of your glass

One thing you have to love when it comes to beers or lagers is how bubbly they can get, BUT, no matter how bubbly, there should never be bubbles lingering at the side of your glass -they should only be on the surface. If you do see bubbles stuck to the side of your glass, it simply means that part of your glass is dirty. So be sure to ask for a new one! Don’t let a dirty glass ruin a good beer.

 

2. Once your draught beer is poured, check for a smooth and creamy head

This basically refers to the top of the glass where there should be a smooth and creamy foam head, which indicates that it has a richness to it. This is also a good indicator of a fresh and well-poured draught beer.

Additionally, the foam also needs to be of a certain thickness. The foam for a Heineken Draught, for instance, when poured correctly into a Heineken glass, should reach the shoulders of the red star, like in the image above! That’s how you know the bartender followed the 5-step pouring ritual and that it’s fresh.

 

LAGER

3. A good and fresh lager should be clear 

Besides being clear in appearance, there shouldn’t be bubbles either. As for taste, it should be crisp, refreshing and full-bodied.

If you’re looking for a good lager, give Tiger Beer a try! Despite many saying Asia is too hot a place to brew beer, Tiger Beer has been beating the odds with its Tropical Lagering techniques since 1932. Wow!

 

STOUT

4. As you drink your stout, do you notice any lacing?

Similar to how wearing lipstick can leave stains on your cups, a good stout will leave behind a type of residue on the glass, and this is called lacing. Every time you take a gulp, it should leave some foamy residue behind, like this:

 

5. It should have a rich and creamy head

Unlike lagers or draughts, stouts generally come with a thicker, creamier and richer foam head. This is one of the main telltale signs of a good stout. The taste, on the other hand, should be bittersweet, but rich and creamy at the same time.

If you’re looking for the perfect stout, give Guinness Stout a try! Its traditional Irish recipe promises a rich aroma of roasted malted barley and more! Also, the next time you order a pint of Guinness, take a look at it under the light, you’ll notice it’s actually a dark red colour and not brown or black. #Mindblown

 

ALE

6. It must NOT have bubbles and should smell of fruits and hops 

Swirl your mug a bit, then smell it. Good ales should allow you to smell and taste a sort of fruity aroma as well as the pungent smell of hops. Besides this, make sure there aren’t any bubbles at all!

A good Irish Ale that offers that perfect fruity and flowery aroma would be Kilkenny! And ICYMI, Kilkenny is one of the oldest beers in Ireland; it’s been around since 1710! It tastes smooth and creamy with a hint of roasted coffee. Yum!

 

CIDERS

7. The best ciders are the ones made with a specific type of apples

And the type of apples needed for a good cider is basically apples harvested in their ripest form. You may not be able to tell just by smelling or looking at your cider if the apples used were truly ripe or not, so just do a bit of research. Brands like Strongbow Apple Cider and Apple Fox Cider make theirs with the ripest apples, sourced from the best orchards. Sounds refreshing!

 

WHEAT BEER

8. There should be a thick, long-lasting head

Due to its high protein content, not only do wheat beers appear more cloudy, but their foamy heads are usually much thicker and it also lasts longer if it’s fresh and poured correctly. In fact, a pint of wheat beer in the evening is probably enough to keep you full for the rest of the night because of all that protein. Well, if you’re looking for some good Wheat Beer brands, check out Paulaner and Tiger White! 

Paulaner also happens to be one of the official beers at the world-famous Oktoberfest, just FYI.

 

Sooo, which brew style should I go for???

Simple! Just look out for brands that offer premium quality brews.

HEINEKEN Malaysia, for instance, has a line-up of brands for every brew including Heineken, world’s no. 1 premium lager available in 192 countries; Tiger beer, world’s no. 1 Asian beer that pioneered Tropical Lagering; Guinness, the world’s No. 1 stout; Kilkenny, the premium Irish ale; Paulaner brewed according to the oldest and strictest regulation, ‘The German Purity Law’; and the refreshing Apple Fox and Strongbow ciders. Psst… did you know that there are 10,000 types of apple varieties around the world?

If you really love your brews, make sure you get a taste of real quality brews from HEINEKEN Malaysia. Even better, take this time to appreciate the craftsmanship going back hundreds of years for some of the brews!

And one way you can do just that is at The Great Brew Fest happening now ’til November!

This nationwide event celebrates quality brews and craftsmanship where beer enthusiasts get to enjoy awesome promos on HEINEKEN Malaysia’s premium international beers, stouts and ciders.

What’s even more exciting is the fact that HEINEKEN Malaysia has come up with a brand new, limited edition, locally brewed festival beer in a fitting tribute to craftsmanship! Known as the Tiger Amber Lager, this is the first locally brewed amber lager which comes with a hint of malty sweetness and hoppy aroma. It’s also a full flavour lager.

Additionally, when you visit any of your favourite pubs or bars (that are HEINEKEN Malaysia’s participating outlets) during The Great Brew Fest, you can take part in awesome Brew Games and win amazing prizes worth up to RM250,000!

There are also gorgeous, limited edition designer mugs up for grabs whenever you purchase your favourite brews! Designed by some of Malaysia’s most renowned artists including CLOAKWORK, Kenji Chai, Beautiful Machines featuring Sling, Jarold Sng, and Lynda (Pink Tattoos), you don’t want to miss out on grabbing yourself a mug, or better yet get the entire set!

With the mug, you can take part in The Great Brew Fest MugShot contest too! All you have to do is:

1. Take a photo with the limited edition mug
2. Check out this Facebook post and upload your photo in the comments section and tag 3 friends
   • If you join with Instagram, upload your photo with the hashtags #TheGreatBrewFest and #HeinekenMalaysia (Make sure your account is public)

It’s that simple!

The Great Brew Fest happens now ’til 10 November 2018 all across the country, so don’t say we bojio aite! Make sure you come, grab a drink and have fun (responsibly) with us! Don’t miss out on this experience of a lifetime. See you there!

Find out more about The Great Brew Fest by liking their Facebook page and following them on Instagram!