What exactly is beer salt?

Beer salt, flavoured salt that has been designed to complement beer, has become more of a prevalent trend of late. db finds out more.

We all know that salt, when used in cooking, is added as a seasoning to improve the flavour of a dish. In basic terms, the same logic applies when drinking beer; the drinker can add a little salt and immediately recognise how it elevates a simple brew to make it taste more complex.

The trend, which was recently identified by db after an influx of venues across the US and Mexico had started to feature salt on their bars to assist beer drinkers to season their glasses, has grown further.

According to The Takeout, while a sprinkling of table salt has the potential to improve the taste of beer, those who regularly salt their glass will instead opt for a special type of salt in particular known as “beer salt”.

Despite its similarities to many table salts, beer salts are said to often contain anti-caking agents alongside the sodium chloride itself. As such, these agents are meant to also help prevent the formation of lumps and ensure the salt remains finely ground and easy to pour.

While anti-caking agents are stated to be in just about every type of salt, beer salt products also include a range of flavourings that are designed to assist in customising beers further. For instance, beer drinkers can buy anything from lemon-flavoured beer salt to pickle-flavoured beer salt. While other options include beer salt that offers the flavour and heat of chilli and various citrus fruits to give piquant flavours much as a garnish would in a cocktail or soft drink.

One of the most prevalent questions for those looking stateside and querying the trend was: Which beers should you add beer salt to?

In the US, adding salt to beer is primarily associated with light beers, especially styles from Mexico. The reasoning behind this is because the practise of salting beer is quite common in Latin America, with the tradition having also migrated across the Mexican border to America.

Most notably, the trend is currently growing in Texas where it has now become a standard sight to witness drinkers adding beer salt to Mexican lagers such as Pacifico Clara, Tecate and Dos Equis.

Beer salt reportedly works well in lighter beers because it has the ability to boost the style’s more gentle and somewhat muted flavour. When used well, beer salt is purported to bring out a light beer’s sweetness and also assist in reducing its bitterness while adding subtle notes from its own flavouring.

As db identified in a previous report, as an added bonus, salt will also make carbonated beers release their carbon dioxide, causing them to foam a little, giving beer a little more theatre on the bar and lift aromas from the glass.

Due to the presence of citrusy, spicy flavours in most beer salt products, it is not advised that drinkers add them to darker, more complex beer styles, such as oyster stout. Despite this, brewers are already piggybacking the trend and many breweries are taking matters into their own hands by adding regular salt to their brews towards the end of the production process.

Examples of this can be seen from Heineken’s introduction of Birra Moretti Sale di Mare, which is essentially unfiltered Birra Moretti lager, but “with a hint of sea salt”.

Additionally, Firestone Walker Brewing Company has produced a caramel stout that has been infused with sea salt. This move, which debunks the idea that adding salt to dark beer isn’t the best idea, results in a complex salted stout.

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