Recommended Serving Temperatures for Beer by Style

The following is a generalized table of recommended serving temperatures for beer, according to style. (Styles used are those classified by the American Homebrewers Association.) This can be used as a rough guide, but is not all-encompassing, because personal preference also plays an important role in the pleasurable enjoyment of beer. Spiced Cherry Beers, such as Unibroue Quelque Chose or Liefmans Glühkriek, for instance, are best enjoyed warm, approximately 158 degrees Fahrenheit (70 degrees Celcius), and are not noted in this guide.

Lite American Lager 40-45 F/ 4-7 C

Standard American Lager 40-45 F/ 4-7 C

Premium American Lager 40-45 F/ 4-7 C

Munich Helles 45-48 F/ 7-9 C

DortmunderExport 45-48 F/ 7-9 C

German Pilsner (Pils) 46-48 F / 8-9 C

Bohemian Pilsener 46-48 F / 8-9 C

Classic American Pilsner 46-48 F / 8-9 C

Vienna Lager 46-48 F / 8-9 C

Oktoberfest/Marzen 46-48 F / 8-9 C

Dark American Lager 48 F/ 9 C

Munich Dunkel 48 F/ 9 C

Schwarzbier (Black Beer) 48 F/ 9 C

Maibock/Helles Bock 48 F/ 9 C

Traditional Bock 48 F/ 9 C

Doppelbock 48 F/ 9 C

Eisbock 48 F/ 9 C

Cream Ale 48-50 F/ 9-10 C

Blonde Ale 48-50 F/ 9-10 C

Kolsch 46-48 F / 8-9 C

American Wheat or Rye Beer 48-50 F/ 9-10 C

Northern German Altbier 46-48 F / 8-9 C

California Common Beer 46-48 F / 8-9 C

Dusseldorf Altbier 46-48 F / 8-9 C

Standard/Ordinary Bitter 50-55 F/ 10-13 C

Special/Best/Premium Bitter 50-55 F/ 10-13 C

Extra Special/Strong Bitter 50-55 F/ 10-13 C

(English Pale Ale)

Scottish Light 60/- 50-55 F/ 10-13 C

Scottish Heavy 70/- 50-55 F/ 10-13 C

Scottish Export 80/ 50-55 F/ 10-13 C

Irish Red Ale 50-55 F/ 10-13 C

Strong Scotch Ale 50-55 F/ 10-13 C

American Pale Ale 46-48 F / 8-9 C

American Amber Ale 46-48 F / 8-9 C

American Brown Ale 46-48 F / 8-9 C

Mild 48-50 F/ 9-10 C

Southern English Brown 48-50 F/ 9-10 C

Northern English Brown Ale 48-50 F/ 9-10 C

Brown Porter 55 F / 13 C

Robust Porter 55 F / 13 C

Baltic Porter 55 F / 13 C

Dry Stout 50-55 F/ 10-13 C

Sweet Stout 50-55 F/ 10-13 C

Oatmeal Stout 50-55 F/ 10-13 C

Foreign Extra Stout 50-55 F/ 10-13 C

American Stout 50-55 F/ 10-13 C

Russian Imperial Stout 50-55 F/ 10-13 C

English IPA 46-50 F/ 8-10 C

American IPA 46-50 F/ 8-10 C

Imperial IPA 46-50 F/ 8-10 C

Weizen/ Weissbier 48-54 F/ 9-12 C

Dunkelweizen 48-54 F/ 9-12 C

Weizenbock 48-54 F/ 9-12 C

Roggenbier (German Rye Beer) 48-54 F/ 9-12 C

Witbier 48-50 F/ 9-10 C

Belgian Pale Ale 48-50 F/ 9-10 C

Saison 48-50 F/ 9-10 C

Biere de Garde 48-50 F/ 9-10 C

Belgian Specialty Ale 48-52 F/ 9-11 C

Berliner Weisse 48-54 F/ 9-12 C

Flanders Red Ale 48-55 F/ 9-13 C

Flanders Brown Ale/Oud Bruin 46-48 F / 8-9 C

Sraight (Unblended) Lambic 46-48 F / 8-9 C

Gueuze 46-48 F / 8-9 C

Fruit Lambic 46-48 F / 8-9 C

Belgian Blond Ale 48-50 F/ 9-10 C

Belgian Dubbel 48-50 F/ 9-10 C

Belgian Tripel 48-50 F/ 9-10 C

Belgian Golden Strong Ale 50 F/ 10 C

Belgian Dark Strong Ale 50 F/ 10 C

Old Ale 50-55 F/ 10-13 C

English Barleywine 55-64 F/ 13-17 C

American Barleywine 55-64 F/ 13-17 C

Fruit Beer 50 F/ 10 C

Spice, Herb or Vegetable Beer 46-55 F/ 8-13 C

Christmas / Winter Specialty 50-55 F/ 10-13 C

(Spiced Beer)

Classic Rauchbier 50-55 F/ 10-13 C

Other Smoked Beer 50-55 F/ 10-13 C

Wood-Aged Beer 50-55 F/ 10-13 C

Specialty Beer- 46-55 F/ 8-13 C

(Gluten Free/Other)

Dry Mead 55-64 F/ 13-17 C

Semi-Sweet Mead 55-64 F/ 13-17 C

Sweet Mead 55-64 F/ 13-17 C

Cyser (Apple Melomel) 55-64 F/ 13-17 C

Pyment (Grape Melomel) 55-64 F/ 13-17 C

Other Fruit Melomel 55-64 F/ 13-17 C

Metheglin 55-64 F/ 13-17 C

Braggot 55-64 F/ 13-17 C

Open Category Mead 55-64 F/ 13-17 C

Common Cider 50-55 F/ 10-13 C

English Cider 50-55 F/ 10-13 C

French Cider 50-55 F/ 10-13 C

Common Perry 50-55 F/ 10-13 C

Traditional Perry 50-55 F/ 10-13 C

New England Cider 50-55 F/ 10-13 C

Fruit Cider 50-55 F/ 10-13 C

Apple Wine 50-55 F/ 10-13 C

Other Specialty Cider/Perry 50-55 F/ 10-13 C

	Carolyn Smagalski BellaOnline's Beer and Brewing Editor