How should ale be drunk?

[d000hg]

I'll add a poll just because I can, but I've basically got a few bottles of Ale... the two I can remember are GK IPA (fairly pale) and Hobgoblin (looks darkish, hard to be sure). I'm not sure if I should chill them or just keep in a cupboard at room temperature.

Is there a 'right' way or is it not that strict?

[CheeseSlice]

Crap poll.. it should be around 10-12 degrees

[Edit] Although most people can't achieve 10-12C in their fridge, you could just take the beer out of the fridge 30 mins before drinking.

[TykeMerc]

Whatever your preference really. My taste is colder than room temp.

Most pumped beers are chilled or stored in cool cellars so I've never considered room temperature especially nice.

[NickFitz]

The correct cellar temperature for secondary conditioning of real ale is 54° - 55°F, or 12° - 13°C. The ale should still be at that temperature when it's dispensed.

[RichardCranium]

You've left a gap around the correct temperature of about 12C.

[gingerjedi]

Crap poll.. it should be around 10-12 degrees

[Edit] Although most people can't achieve 10-12C in their fridge, you could just take the beer out of the fridge 30 mins before drinking.

WHS^ Though I'd drink the Hobgoblin cold as I'm not a fan of the dark ruby beers.

[d000hg]

You've left a gap around the correct temperature of about 12C.

So this would be roughly equivalent to keeping it in an unheated room, like a utility room or something?

[MarillionFan]

I personally prefer them cold.

I tell you what I do miss though is the cracking beers you could get at Firkin pubs when they still had their own breweries. I do miss a good pint of Dark Demon

[conned tractor]

Nick has it spot on....it's the secondary conditioning that's the important bit. About 11 degrees in my book, but a couple of degrees does not make a sausage bit of difference.

However, since your real ale is likely to be pastuerised, filtered, filtered again, nuked and filtered then just drink it how you want as you are not wanting to drop the yeast or supsended protein out of suspension as in cask or bottle conditioned real-real ale.

[darmstadt]

Shouldn't it be out of a glass?