Why Beer Bottles are Brown or Colored

Have you ever wondered why beer bottles are always colored with dark colors or are most often colored a dark brown? Me too! And there are good reasons for this coloring of the bottles. Think of beer bottles that are colored as tinted for reason: to block the flavor damaging rays of the sun from destroying the sediment in the beer and altering the taste, not to mention causing the yeast to ferment further and changing the entire structure of the beer. In fact, if beer bottles were not colored, the beer that you did buy from the store would taste terrible, would have more alcohol content in it, and in some cases would be so nasty that most people would not want to drink it. In the Old Days Beers Were Always Stored in Barrels Originally beers and ales were always stored in barrels, like oak and birch barrels for a few good reasons. One they were stored in barrels so they could age properly. Two they were stored in barrels so that the flavors of the wood would seep into the beer. And three, they were stored in barrels so that the beer’s sediment could form, and not be disturbed. Sediment in beer are small flavor particles that can float on the bottom of the barrel, which is why, like wine, beer barrels are stored on their sides as to not disturb the sediment. Finally, beer barrels would protect the beer from the sun, preserving its fine taste and texture until it could be drank by happy pub goers. That’s why you pour fine beers slowly. Take for example Guinness, one of the most popular sediment dark ales on the planet Earth. Have you ever noticed how their bottles are dark black and are coated with a black coating, to offer added protection to the much sought after contents contained within those bottles. Of course, nobody minds those nifty CO2 cartridges that burst flavor and bubbles into the bottles when they are popped. But the main reason that this beer is stored in black bottles is to preserve the taste and the thick texture of the beer, and of course, to protect the flavor creating sediment from being disturbed. Some of the more Pricey Beers are Only Served in Cans Another good point on these issues is some of the finest beers available today. For example, take Dale’s Pale Ale—an amazingly pale and fine, bittersweet ale that is only bottled in cans. I was talking to the brew master during a Dale’s event at a local Whole Food’s flagship store, and he confirmed my suspicions. Dale’s will only ever be served in cans to preserve the taste and the texture of the beer. The brew master also informed me that the very best beers always come in cans, because beer actually tastes better in cans, as opposed to in bottles. So contrary to popular belief—that belief being that bottled beer is better—bottled beer is not better. The best beers come in cans. And no, Budweiser and Miller, or Coors do not count!