and let them drain dry rather than drying them with a towel that might carry grease from
your hands to the glass. If you like a long-lasting head on your beer, serve the brew in tall,
tapering glasses to let the foam spread out and stabilize.
For full flavor, serve beer and ales cool but not ice-cold. Very low temperatures immo-
bilize the molecules that give beer and ale their flavor and aroma.
What Happens When You Cook This Food
When beer is heated (in a stew or as a basting liquid), the alcohol evaporates but the flavor-
ing agents remain intact. Alcohol, an acid, reacts with metal ions from an aluminum or iron
pot to form dark compounds that discolor the pot or the dish you are cooking in. To prevent
this, prepare dishes made with beer in glass or enameled pots.
How Other Kinds of Processing Affect This Food
Medical Uses and/or Benefits
Reduced risk of heart attack. Data from the American Cancer Society’s Cancer Prevention
Study 1, a 12-year survey of more than 1 million Americans in 25 states, shows that men
who take one drink a day have a 21 percent lower risk of heart attack and a 22 percent lower
risk of stroke than men who do not drink at all. Women who have up to one drink a day also
reduce their risk of heart attack. Numerous later studies have confirmed these findings.
Lower risk of stroke. In January 1999, the results of a 677-person study published by
researchers at New York Presbyterian Hospital-Columbia University showed that moder-
ate alcohol consumption reduces the risk of stroke due to a blood clot in the brain among
older people (average age: 70). How the alcohol prevents stroke is still unknown, but it is
clear that moderate use of alcohol is a key. Heavy drinkers (those who consume more than
seven drinks a day) have a higher risk of stroke. People who once drank heavily, but cut their
consumption to moderate levels, can also reduce their risk of stroke. Numerous later studies
have confirmed these findings.
Lower cholesterol levels. Beverage alcohol decreases the body’s production and storage of
low-density lipoproteins (LDLs), the protein and fat particles that carry cholesterol into
your arteries. As a result, people who drink moderately tend to have lower cholesterol
levels and higher levels of high density lipoproteins (HDLs), the fat and protein particles
that carry cholesterol out of the body. The USDA/Health and Human Services Dietary
Guidelines for Americans defines moderation as two drinks a day for a man, one drink a
day for a woman.
Stimulating the appetite. Alcoholic beverages stimulate the production of saliva and the
gastric acids that cause the stomach contractions we call hunger pangs. Moderate amounts
of alcoholic beverages, which may help stimulate appetite, are often prescribed for geriatric
Beer