It’s coming. Though the South Valley has already had a couple of
triple-digit temperature days this summer, we’ve forgotten them in
the face of the recent mild weather, topping out mostly in the
80s.
It’s coming. Though the South Valley has already had a couple of triple-digit temperature days this summer, we’ve forgotten them in the face of the recent mild weather, topping out mostly in the 80s.
But forecasters are saying next week could bring temperatures as high as 105, and when it’s that hot, plenty of locals seek refuge in their favorite watering hole with a tall frosty beer.
So, who’s got the coldest beer in the South Valley? Should any kind of beer not be served cold? And is there such a thing as too cold? These are the pressing questions five local beer experts answered for us to make sure adults can beat the heat this summer.
Johnny’s Bar & Grill in Hollister
Location: 526 San Benito St., (831) 637-3683
Beer: Bud Light, 36.1 degrees
“In the past, we’ve been voted coldest beer in Hollister, and I’ll tell you, people in this town love their beer cold,” said Charisse Tyson, owner of Johnny’s. “Some people don’t like their Guinness as cold as, say their Coors Light, but we don’t serve warm beer. Generally, we serve Coors Light the most, but during the rally, we serve Corona the most, hands down. But during the rally, when everyone is walking around outside and it’s hot, people really appreciate a cold beer.”
El Toro Brewing Company
in Morgan Hill
Location: Corner of Main Avenue and Monterey Street, (408) 782-2739
Beer: Hefeweizen, 38.1 degrees
“You have to be careful with the temperature you serve beer at, because cold takes the flavor out of everything,” said Gino Acevedo, owner of El Toro Brew Co. “We go through a lot of trouble to put those flavors in there, and they just get lost when a beer is ice cold. If you’re looking for an alcohol delivery device that’s refreshing, yeah, then a super cold light beer will do the trick. But if you want something that’s really flavorful and refreshing, you want beers served between 38 and 40 degrees or 36 and 38 degrees, depending on what you’re serving.”
The Beehive Lounge in Gilroy
Location: 8195 Monterey St., behind Longhouse Restaurant, (408) 842-7664
Beer: Fat Tire, 44.7
“Hefeweizens and Fat Tires are lighter beers, so we get a lot of orders for those in the summer,” said Raymond Barrientos, bartender at the Beehive. “Hefeweizens are also popular because people drink them with a slice of lemon or orange, and that’s nice on a hot day. But there’s a certain temperature range that most beers should be stored at, and it’s not always ice cold. We keep our beers between 42 and 48 degrees because it tastes better.”
Glory Days Sports Pub
in Morgan Hill
Location: 17230 Monterey St., (408) 779-3376
Beer: Fat Tire, 37.7 degrees
“A lot of our customers aren’t really into microbrews, and many of them are carb- or calorie-conscious, so they prefer light beers, like Fat Tire and Coors Light,” said Debra Creighton, owner of Glory Days. “We keep our bottles between 40 and 45 degrees and we keep the stuff on tap as cold as we can. The lines are all refrigerated and even the tower the taps are on are cooled. Of course, we serve them in chilled glasses, too.”
One Glory Days customer likes to order his beer in a bottle, then pour out a little bit at a time into his glass, Creighton said, because he claims the bottle keeps his beer colder.
“So, clearly, people do care about getting a really cold beer,” she said.
The Broken Wing in Hollister
Location: 500 San Benito St., (831) 637-3636
Beer: Sierra Nevada, 38.8 degrees
“Coors Light is our top seller, but the Sierra Nevada and Fat Tire are pretty popular, too,” said Larry Otis, owner of The Broken Wing. “We have a refrigerated tower on the taps, and we have thermometers in all the coolers so we can tell at a glance how cold the beer is. But not everyone likes a cold beer. I did have one guy come in here and ask if I could heat up a Guinness for him. He wanted it warm. But that’s definitely not a typical thing.
“I’ve worked construction outside in Bakersfield, so I know what it’s like to be sweating buckets all day. I can tell you, after that, nothing goes down like a really cold beer.”
