The next time you are tempted to chug your beer directly out of a keg (yes we've all had those moments!) consider this: Your choice of vessel can influence your enjoyment of beer. In Europe, breweries offer tailored glassware for the beers they produce. The depth and size of your glass affects the rate of flow and release of beer carbonation. Whichever glass you choose to pick up for a toast, remember it should not be empty and to look in the eyes of the person you are toasting or you might receive 7 years of bad luck!

• Glass, beer stein, mug, pewter tankard, beer bottle and can are the different types of beer vessels
• The pouring process can influence a beer's presentation: the size and longevity of the head and presence of lacing (the pattern left by the head as the beer moves down the glass)
• The presence of lacing is an indication that a beer’s head is holding longer and that the beer is full bodied and fresh!
• Low quality beer and a beer glass that is not rinsed properly do not allow lacing to form properly.

Contrary to popular belief, beer is not best stored in your belly at body temperature. In general, beer is best stored in a cool place to prolong its shelf life. Too warm and it ages with an increased level of yeast. So, always store your beer in a dark or shaded area as exposure to direct sunlight causes a beer to go “skunky”. Yes, we guess your belly might be an ideal place after all!

• Optimum temperatures to store beer range between 2 and 15 degrees celsius
• Most beer bottles are brown to protect the beer from direct sunlight and heat

Few appreciate the intricacies to brewing the perfect beer. It involves a complex fermentation process of converting a starch source to liquid wort (wort contains the sugars that will be fermented to produce alcohol) and wort to beer through the use of yeast.

Think of brewers as the Leonardo da Vincis of our time - accomplished in their field through perfected techniques, dedication and hard work.

• Regions with different water sources are better suited to making certain types of beer
• Dublin has hard water and is well suited to making stout such as Guinness
• Pilzen has soft water and is well suited to making pale lager

Stripping beer to its bare components results in water, fermentable starch source (such as malted grain), brewer's yeast and a flavouring called hops.

• It is the starch source used in beer that determines the strength and flavour of the beer.
• Yeast is responsible for fermentation in beer by metabolising sugars extracted from grains producing alcohol and carbon dioxide.
• Hops are flowers from the hop vine and are used as a flavouring and preservative to aid in "head retention", the length of time that a foamy head lasts.

• Before hops were available, brewers used whatever bitter herbs and flowers they could get their hands on
• Hops contribute a bitterness that balances the sweetness of the malt

Some beer names are automatically associated with a certain country. Guinness - Ireland, Tiger - Singapore, Budweiser - USA and although there is a wide variety of beers brewed around the world, they can be categorised into two main types - lagers which can be categorised further into Pilsner, Marzen, Bock and Dunkles (dark lager) and ales which can be categorised further into pale ale, stout and barleywine. Ale or lager they can all be classified as beer and that fact alone is good enough for most!

• What differentiates an ale from a lager is the temperature of fermentation.
• An ale ferments typically between 18 - 21 degree celsius whereas a lager ferments typically between 11 - 14 degree celsius
• An ale typically has "fruity", "rounded" and "complex" characteristics
• A lager typically can be described as "crisp", "clean" and "angular"

Here's a reason to rejoice - Beer in moderation can be good for you! The New England Journal of Medicine stated that light to moderate beer drinkers would decrease their chances of suffering a stroke by up to 20%. Beer provides a 30% increase in Vitamin B6 into the blood plasma - something that neither wine or liquor can do. A researcher at the Texas Southwestern Medical Centre reported that those who consume moderate amounts of beer (one to two a day at most) have a 30 - 40% lower rate of coronary heart disease compared to those who don't drink. Don't go dashing out the door on a binge after reading this, remember moderation is key!

• Beer contains a similar amount of 'polyphenols' (antioxidants) as red wine and 5 times the amount in white wine
• Beer is both fat-free and cholesterol-free so it can be friendly for your heart and your waist!
• Beer has a relatively high amount of sugar which means whilst fat-free, it isn't calorie-free so watch out for beer belly syndrome!

Beer is usually relegated to accompanying pizza, washing down nachos and hot dogs whilst watching the big game, or maybe as the drink of choice outside a hot summer's day with a fired up barbeque. But beer is much more versatile than that, and like wine, the right beer can be the perfect accompaniment to a meal.

• Ale compliments burgers, Asian Food, spicy food, pizza, steaks and sharp cheeses e.g. Cheddar and Parmesan
• Bock Beer compliments mild Cheeses e.g. Gruyere and Swiss, sausages and seared food
• Lager compliments shellfish, light seafood, sushi, grilled pork, chicken and light pasta dishes
• Pilsner compliments salads, salmon, tuna and asparagus
• Stout compliments oysters, rich stews, braised dishes, chocolate and desserts

Who knew that beer originated from the humble barley grain well over 6000 years ago? An ancient Sumerian tribe cultivated crops and barley was their staple diet. As almost any cereal containing certain sugars can undergo spontaneous fermentation due to wild yeasts in the air, it is possible that beer-like beverages were developed after the Sumerians had domesticated barley and produced malt from it.

• After discovering ways and means of turning barley into beer , the Sumerians began exchanging their brew for precious metals and textiles
• Sumerians shared the art of beer brewing to the ancient Egyptians, Greeks and Romans
• By the end of the 17th century, the consumption of beer in Western Europe exceeded well over 60 gallons! Beer drinking protected the people against typhoid and cholera plagues that were sweeping through the continent at the time.