Cold days mean hot beers

Q: I saw a viral social media post of people putting red-hot pokers into their beers to caramelize them. Does that actually do anything?

A: It’s a tradition that allegedly goes back hundreds of years, and has a different origin depending on who you ask. Some say it’s part of an American colonial cocktail (more on that later), while others say it’s a German way to keep warm during winter. Either way, more and more craft breweries are making it a thing these days.

Yes, some people do put a red-hot fire poker into their beers, apparently to caramelize the sugars and warm the beer. But no, it’s not clear if it actually does anything.

The German word for it is Bierstacheln, or “beer-spike.” According to Hopculture, it made its way into modern American craft beer in 1987. The idea is to heat up an iron fire poker until it is red hot, then dip it into the beer. If all goes according to plan, it caramelizes some of the sugars, warms the beer, and adds a bit of freshly-smoked flavor. Especially in malty beers, it should create a Milliard reaction with those unfermented sugars.

Now, allegedly, those American colonists added extra molasses to their ales before adding the beer spike for extra caramelization. Throw in a pour of rum — because what kind of colonist doesn’t have rum handy during the winter? — and you’ve got a caramelized cocktail called a Flip.

The Hoppy Horseman would love an opportunity to test it out. A brand new “beer caramelizer” might make it to the top of his holiday gift this year.