The phrase “warm beer” probably conjures up memories of tailgates gone wrong because someone forgot the cooler or not-entirely-accurate rumors of how the Brits drink their brews. Although warm beer almost always has a negative connotation, an Austin-based brewery tried to create a new Texas tradition by hosting an annual fall event in which beers are deliberately and quickly warmed up with hot fireplace poker. Cheers?
Strange Land Brewery, the company behind the “beer fire poking,” explains that the process is not as bizarre as it sounds. After last year’s inaugural, the brewery stated that beer poking is a tradition in colder climates. It usually occurs in the early Spring when Bock beers hit the market. Although we don’t know the origin of beer poking, people gather around a bonfire in winter to drink warm, poked beer.
Strange Land’s event is unique because it will likely be a first for Texas’ mild winters. They added, “Here at Strange Land, part of our heritage originated in colder climates so that we can bring what we love about where and when we are now,” We didn’t duplicate the original. Still, we adapted the tradition to our context. We host poking events in Fall instead of the Spring to celebrate the arrival of cooler temperatures. Instead of a bock beer, we offer malty seasonals such as our Headless Gentleman, an imperial bourbon pumpkin port.
The big question remains: How does a hot poker affect the beer’s taste? The flavor change is part of the charm. Strange Land states that red-hot poker adds heat and caramelizes the malt, giving it a rich flavor and creamy mouthfeel. Austin360 explains. Instead of roasting marshmallows over an open flame, imagine that you are putting an open flame in your beer. This is the beer version of making s’mores.
