BEERS TO TAKE ON A PICNIC

With the start of the good weather, there are many more opportunities to get out into the countryside and enjoy the marvels of nature. The days are longer, the temperatures warmer and the plant life is blooming everywhere, just inviting us to pack a picnic hamper and enjoy a day out.

Our lunchtime menus usually follow tradition and common sense: if we are going somewhere where we can light a fire for a barbecue, sardines, chops, sausages and belly pork are the usual ingredients to delight our palates. On the other hand, if we are not going to be able to cook our food outdoors, we will usually take a delicious potato omelette, breaded fillets, roast peppers and different salads to accompany those delicacies.

So now let’s turn to the drinks. Apart from soft drinks, sangria and lightly carbonated wine, we could say that beer is the star drink at these outdoor meals. Its moderate alcohol content, pairing versatility and refreshing nature make it the go-to drink for picnics.

The question remains then: Is there a best beer for these occasions? As always, the answer to that question depends on our own personal tastes. Nevertheless, there are some recommendations that could be useful when choosing beer for our picnics. Let’s take a quick look at them:

1. Cans rather than bottles > before moving on to discuss the type of beer, we should first look at the container, where tin cans, in our opinion, are the best choice. There are several practical reasons for this: they take up less space and are lighter than glass bottles, they are easier to carry and keep cold. We do recommend serving the beer in a cup though, even if it is a plastic one, rather than drinking straight from the can. That will avoid the metallic taste that we get from the can itself when it comes into contact with our lips, rather than from the beer itself, which thanks to the coating inside cans does not actually come into contact with the metal.
2. Lower alcohol content > because of our physical activity outdoors, the temperature and the moment itself, we are likely to drink more fluids on a picnic than on other occasions. Therefore, choosing lower alcohol content beer, and even alcohol-free beer could be a good idea. If you are going to drive afterwards, you should avoid drinking alcohol, both for your own safety and that of others.

Fresher rather than stronger > golden lager, wheat beer or the popular Radler with lemon juice beers are particularly refreshing and are the ideal drink for picnics, rather than more malty, full-bodied beers. IPA style beer with moderate alcohol content with its herbal, fruity nuances of hops also makes an excellent choice.