Can adding salt to cheap beer make it taste better?

A life hack that involves adding salt to cheap beer to improve its flavour has gone viral after bartenders jumped on re-sharing the trend.

On the subreddit r/beer, one Redditor said: “In Texas we call that ‘dressed’” and revealed “most bars in San Antonio have containers to pour salt on the side of bottles or rims of glasses and most liquor stores and gas stations sell beer salt at the register”.

According to the reports via Parade, the trendsetters claimed that “adding a bit of salt to your inexpensive brew will enhance the flavour” and described how “some people add salt to certain beers, like sours or IPAs, to enhance the fruity notes and reduce the bitterness” and suggested that “for those ‘cheaper’ beers, it’s supposed to make the brew taste a bit more highbrow”.

The report emphasised how “Texans take beer salt so seriously” and said that drinkers were “likely to find lots of flavoured beer salt options when you want to crack open a cold one”.

Additionally, it highlighted how “in Wisconsin, where the fan favourites PBR, Miller High Life, Schlitz and Hamm’s are brewed, adding salt to ice-cold cans is commonplace too, with a typical move being adding salt and ice to a pint glass and then pouring in a bottle of Miller High Life”.

Following on from this trend, another Redditor added: “I once added like a tablespoon of chopped pickles and a small amount of brine to a low-quality lager and it tasted much better. I saw that somewhere on the internet and decided to try it. Who cares, it’s an inexpensive beer, right? I was amazed by the results. Not life-changing, but still pretty good.”

Beer giant Heineken recently introduced Birra Moretti Sale di Mare, which is essentially unfiltered Birra Moretti lager, but “with a hint of sea salt”.

The 4.8% ABV unfiltered lager is now available across grocery, wholesale and convenience stores.

Explaining more about the launch, Heineken’s marketing manager Richard Barnes revealed that “the hint of sea salt, paired with the unfiltered lager, creates a more full-bodied and intriguing flavour profile while providing incredible refreshment”.