The difference is in the way it's kept. In most European countries, they keep kegs (in pubs) in the cellar, which is around 50° F or so. That's well above what Americans consider cold, refrigerator temp is usually around 40°F, so Americans tend to think English and German gents drink "warm" beer. It's not as cold as your fridge, but it's far from actually warm.
OK, so I drink "warm" beer too. I can't stand the swill brewed and called beer in the US, some of the worst crap in the world, shouldn't even be in the same room with a real beer. The rare occasion I do drink a beer, once every couple of months, it'll be an imported dark beer or ale, usually from Germany or Holland. Occasionally English, but those are uncommon in these parts.
What's odd is while American beer is [barely] tolerable at colder temps, German beer is much better at cellar temperature. As mentioned earlier, most stores here keep the coolers as cold as possible (to make American beer drinkable) so I have to let imported beer sit for a while until it's a bit warmer, around 50°, maybe a few degrees higher. So "warm beer" is a relative term, that 10° difference is not much, but does make a big difference in the flavor of a really good beer. Try an Optimator Spaten sometime, or Newcastle Nut Brown Ale, and see if it doesn't taste better as it warms up. Paulaner Salvator is another nice one, and sorry Howlin and Celtic but Guiness is too bitter to me. Good, better than American beer, but too bitter.
Yeah I know I'll get slammed for some of my comments, but if you're really honest about it, American beer really is the worst crap ever called beer. Even most of the lesser quality imported beers are better than anything this country has produced that I know of. Even some of the microbreweries can't match good German beer.
Damn I should have stayed away from this thread, it's been over a month since I had a good beer, (Optimator I think it was), now I want one and won't be able to have it, I have to make a 30 mile drive to find a decent imported beer...nothing around this town at all, at least in singles...
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