Frozen Glassware? What circumstances do you freeze?

[Maxwell]

A long time ago I used to always freeze my glassware and now I see the err in my ways. The taste of most brews becomes subdued when it approaches freezing. There are very few beers that are best when super cold.

In my experience frozen glassware works best with lagers. Especially adjuncts and malt liquor when you want to avoid the bleh flavors. Otherwise, I usually like a room temp glass or in a few circumstances I even rinse the glass under hot water before I pour so that the a refrigerated brew can warm up a bit before I drink it.

A lot of y'all beer geeks on here have a ton more knowledge and wisdom than I, so please impart the sacred knowledge on us mortals regarding temps and glassware and whatnot.

Blessings and hoppy daze!

[John LeMasney]

Hey! I think you hit it on the head when you said that chilling 's about killing the flavor. If you have a brew that isn't really about taste, but rather more about corn, rice, or filler, you might want to blast chill your tumbler to at least make it a cold drink for a hot day. OTOH, if you just cracked an imperial stout at cellar temps, get out your clean snifter, freshly washed with clean water, and that flavors and depth will reward you, even more as it warms up. Cheers, brother.

[Henry Halff]

Some South American beers, notably Brazilian chopp, are kept and drawn at temperatures below freezing. In the steamy jungle climates of the equator these ultra-cold beers are remarkably refreshing. They need a cold glass to keep them that way.

[Virgil G]

The evolution of glassware.

1. starts with a pint or a mug
2. puts pint and/or mug in freezer
3. has a freezer full of pints and mugs
4. starts getting a cupboard full of glasses including the ones in the freezer
5. takes remaining glasses out of freezer
6. complains to self about not having a tulip at home.
7. gets a tulip.
8. wonders why he/she has so many pint glasses and mugs when there's so few beers that are recommended to be served in said glasses.

Did I miss anything?

[Shawn, the Beer Philosopher]

You're right on track, Maxwell. The "frosted" glass is best reserved (if it is reserved at all) for the 'American Light Lager' beers. Considering the rice and/or corn adjuncts, and the nearly non-existent hop presence, there's just not a lot of flavor to kill with the cold temperatures in these beers. They're brewed to be iminently "drinkable" for these very reasons ... little or no challenge to the palate.

Doesn't make them "good" or "bad," per se, but it does make them immune to the flavor killing power of cold, 'cause there's little there to kill in the first place.

For the record, I like the occasional "lawnmower beer" in a cold mug on a hot day. Sue me. ;)

[olllllo]

I have some frozen mugs for any guests that prefer it that way.

I'll use one if I am out in the yard on a particularly hot day (which is about 150 days of the year in PHX).
For the most part, I prefer my beer a bit warmer.

I have some copper mugs for Moscow Mules, but that is a different topic.