Demystified » Beer » The Beer Prayer

Beer served straight from the keg by means of a spigot or a valve. Unlike the bottled or canned varieties, draft beer hasn't been subjected to the Pasteurization process.

Draft and Draught beers are the same.In olden times the English used to pronounce it as Draft, which was later Americanized to draught. They can be either of the Ale or the Lager typeLager beers are those where the fermentation is from the bottom of the tank because of the type of the yeast, which is used.On the contrary Ale beers are those in which the fermentation happens from the top of the tank. As such there are distinct differences in their taste and appearances.Lager Drafts are lighter and smoother than their ale counterparts. In India, Lager is the most popular; ales are rare and costly to be guzzledI thought draught meant a breath of fresh air!The term draught beer is used because, originally, beer was pulled from casks with a hand pump. The word draught literally means "to pull". This is still widespread for real ale. In modern commercial beer dispense, the metal keg barrel is pressurized with carbon dioxide (CO2) gas. Pressure in the keg drives the beer to the dispense faucet.

In 1874, draught beer was brewed in Germany. In the annals of history, it was supposed to have been discovered around 6000 years ago. So we can actually boast of a rich legacy of beer guzzlers.The people that time offered it to the gods as sacrifice, and also to their kings, for his longevity.

Draught beer is usually unpasteurised and therefore suffers no loss of taste due to heating of pasteurization. It should be consumed quickly after being "tapped", and is generally truer to the flavors of the ingredients as pasteurization exposes the beer to heat and changes the flavor profile. Draught beer should be kept refrigerated between 2°C (35°F) and 4°C (40°F). Above 6°C (44°F), a beer may become wild, turn sour and cloudy in a day or two. Below 6°C (44°F), a keg of draft beer should last 20-30 days before it loses its fresh brewery taste and aroma.

Ideally the draught beers should be drunk straight from the pitchers, as the Germans do, as it tends to lose its crispiness inside the glass. Inside the glass it tends to taste more malty. So let yourself loose, and gulp down pitchers next time instead of the more feminine beer glasses.In a place where you are drinking, it is easier to check the cleanliness of the glasses by this simple exercise. When the draught beer is poured, if the froth remains for a long period of time, it means that the glass is clean. Draught beers should be gulped and not sipped, as the body tends to take in more calories quite faster by the slow and insane sipping.