Best Bar Drinks to Order When Watching Your Calories

Just because you have responsible health and fitness goals doesn’t mean you have to sacrifice a good buzz! There are plenty of cocktails and beers you can order without feeling any guilt about ruining your diet! Continue below for some top recommended, low calorie and low carb bar drinks, plus where to get the best drink specials in Downtown Indy this weekend!

Best Drink Specials in Indianapolis 317-822-5070
Best Drink Specials in Indianapolis 317-822-5070

Low Calorie Cocktails For Any Occasion

Here are some common bar drinks that run in a very low calorie range. Keep in mind that these caloric values can differ slightly depending on brand, flavor, mixer, garnishes, and more.

Cocktails (1.5 Ounces)

Rum and Diet – 97 Calories

Vodka and Soda w/Lime – 96 Calories

Wine Spritzer – 100 to 125 Calories

Classic Martini – 128 Calories

Wine (5 Ounces)

Champagne or Prosecco – 96 Calories

Rosé – 130 Calories

White Wine – 127 Calories

Red Wine – 125 Calories

Riesling – 128 Calories

Beer

White Claw – 100 Calories

Light Beer – 90 to 105 Calories

Corona Light – 99 Calories

Miller Lite – 96 Calories

Michelob ULTRA – 95 Calories

Yuengling Light Lager – 99 Calories

Tonic Water Versus Soda Water

Tonic water is a type of soda water, but it contains sugar; although just a smidge, it makes a big difference in taste. Tonic water can contain up to 30 grams of sugar in a 12 ounce serving. Seltzer water is simply plain soda water. Club soda, on the other hand, is soda water that contains a bit of sodium, usually salt, and sometimes a few other additives. But it does not contain any sugar.

Ready to enjoy some low calorie beer and cocktails this weekend? Visit English Ivy’s Downtown Pub and Eatery and order from our full bar and cocktail menu! We offer beer, wine, and liquor drink specials in Downtown Indianapolis every day of the week!

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You Might Be Drinking Your Beer the Wrong Way

You might be doing the whole “beer thing” wrong. So, if you are someone who likes to drink beer, then it is your duty to learn how to enjoy it the most. Review these tips to forever enhance your beer-drinking experiences. With so many styles, flavors, and brands of beer on the market, it can be quite the challenge choosing one to fit your mood. But with the right beer drinking knowledge, you can ensure that any beer you order or take home from the store will be a great-tasting brew. Understanding the proper ways to order, purchase, pour, and drink beer will immediately improve the way you enjoy the overall experience.

Continue below to learn if you’ve been drinking beer the wrong way all this time!

Beer Buckets and Corona Bottle Specials Indianapolis Indiana 317-822-5070
Beer Buckets and Corona Bottle Specials Indianapolis Indiana 317-822-5070

How to Buy the Best Beer

If you are not brewing your own beer, chances are you are procuring it from a local store or brewery. If this is the case, you need to be on alert and choose a quality product. First, avoid buying bottled beer that is old and covered in dust. So, it is not likely to have the best taste and mouth feel. Always check freshness and expiration dates on all beers, canned or bottled. More importantly, do not buy it if it is too close or passed the printed date.

If you have the choice of selecting beer from a refrigerated area or beer from a shelf, go with the refrigerated products. This is likely to have to the freshest dates and flavors. Although it goes without saying, never buy beer that has been sitting in the sun. Likewise, avoid leaving your beer in the sun unless it is iced and cooled properly.

Also, do not buy bottled beer that has solid debris, flakes, or floaters inside. This is an indication of a poor-quality product. It can also make you sick. If you are drinking beer from a growler, it is important to consume it before it goes flat. Once flat, the taste and quality become compromised. Enjoy your growler within the first day or two of opening.

How to Drink Your Best Beer Yet

Beer should be served at proper temperatures, which vary depending on the style of beer you are drinking, as well as your personal preference. The way you pour and serve your beer also influence your total beer enjoyment.

First and foremost, beers that are lighter in body and color should be served quite cold, between 40 and 44 degrees Fahrenheit. Darker beers should be served slighter warmer than lighter beers, between 44 to 48 degrees Fahrenheit. If you are drinking a high-octane beer, room temperature will uncover its best flavors.

It is best to drink beer from a glass. When poured into the glass, a lot of the CO2 is released, thus enhancing the aromatics. It also reduces your carbonation intake, which is easier on your belly. When drinking beer from a glass, always use a clean one. Any settled dust or invisible pollen can alter the overall experience and reduce foam faster.

When serving beer in a glass, try to use proper style, such as Pilsner glasses, Weissbier glasses, wine flutes, and brandy snifters. Although this is not incredibly important compared to the other tips mentioned above, it can bring your beer-drinking experience o the ultimate level.

When pouring beer into a glass, go for at least 2 fingers of head depth. A fuller head delivers a fuller aromatic bouquet. To get experience the aroma the most, be sure to take a sip before the head dissipates entirely.

Are you craving a cold frosty brew now? Just visit English Ivy’s Pub and Eatery in Downtown Indianapolis for all the best beers and bar specials in town! Join us Tuesdays for $2 domestics, Wednesdays for $3 Corona bottles, or Thursdays for $10 beer buckets!

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Does Flat Beer Have Less Alcohol?

We have all come across that random bottle of beer that was somehow forgotten about in your cooler from last summer. Well, there are some things you need to know about that beer before you decide to pop it open and drink it. Not only is beer prone to expiration, but it may also lose its alcohol content if it goes flat. So, would it even be worth the sip?

Continue reading to learn more facts about flat beer and alcohol content, as well as where to get the best beer specials and frosty beverages in downtown Indianapolis!

Beer Specials  Indianapolis IN 317-822-5070
Beer Specials Indianapolis IN 317-822-5070

Beer Goes Flat Overtime

Like wine, beer ages with time, but this is not a good thing. Although aged wine is a delicacy and something to be revered, aged beer is not. Now, aged beer is not unsafe to drink, but it will taste less appealing than a freshly bottled beer. As time goes on, beer becomes flat because the proteins within it begin to break down; and once beer goes flat, the flavor profile is significantly affected. The multiple flavor notes that once existed begin to dwindle down until a singular flavor is all that can be detected. Many people refer to this single flavor taste as skunky because it is a bit musty and off-putting.

Once a beer is bottled and capped, it generally takes around 3 to 6 months to peak in flavor. From there, the beer will begin to break down and go flat. Beers with a greater number of hops are intentionally aged, and therefore have a longer shelf life compared to lagers, pilsners, ales, and other relatively-lighter beers.

Alcohol Content in Old Beer

For some, it is the alcohol that appeals to them rather than the actual taste of a beer. Well, if that’s the case, old beer should be just fine. As beer ages, it is prone to losing flavor and depth, but it will not lose any alcohol content, nor will the alcohol content increase. The alcohol content in a beer is determined and designed during the fermentation process. As beer ages, the fermentation process continues, therefore sustaining the alcohol potency, but not changing it.

Bottom Line: If you come across an ambiguous or antique beer, steer clear just to be safe. It’s not going to taste good anyway!

Do you want to know how you never have to worry about flat beer or inadequate alcohol content in your frosty beverages? Just visit English Ivy’s Pub and Eatery in Downtown Indianapolis for all the best beers and bar specials in town! Join us Tuesdays for $2 domestics, Wednesdays for $3 Corona bottles, or Thursdays for $10 beer buckets!

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Downtown Indianapolis Bar Restaurant
317-822-5070

The 4 Ingredients All Beers Have in Common

At its simplest, beer is a fermented beverage made with a cereal grain. As one of the oldest and most common alcoholic beverages in the world, the styles and qualities of beer have evolved greatly throughout the years. Today, you can find countless varieties of beer, including ales, lagers, stouts, pilsners, porters, and more. Regardless of your favorite style or brand, all batches of beer are brewed using 4 essential ingredients.

Do you want to know what all beers have in common? Continue reading to find out!

Beer Specials Downtown Indianapolis
Beer Specials Downtown Indianapolis 317-822-5070

Fundamental Ingredients of Beer

There are thousands of ingredients used to create beer recipes. Infinite combinations are possible, giving the brewer the capacity to make batches unique and distinctive. But within the mix of infinite recipe possibilities, virtually all batches of beer contain 4 primary ingredients. These 4 ingredients include starch, hops, yeast, and water.

Starch

A starch source is a main ingredient in beer. The most common starch source used to brew beer is malted grain. Grains include barley, wheat, rye, and rice, but barley is used the most. The starch source provides the fermentable material to brew beer, and largely influences its flavor and strength.  In fact, malted grains provide color, flavor, maltose, dextrin’s, and proteins. Maltose is the fermentable sugars that are converted by yeast into alcohol and carbon dioxide. Dextrin’s are grain components that give beer its mouthfeel and viscosity. And the proteins help form and maintain beer foam.

Hops

Scientifically referred to as Humulus Lupulus, hops give beer flavor, aroma, bitterness, and stability. Hops are a flowering plant vine that grows worldwide, but as for beer brewed in the United States, most hops come from Yakima Valley, Washington. Mostly, hops are added to balance out the sweetness that comes from the malt.  When hops are added early in the brewing process, the batch will be bitterer; and if hops are added later in the brewing process, the beer will be less bitter and have more flavor and fragrance.

Yeast

Yeast is a prime ingredient because it is the microorganism that ferments beer into an alcoholic beverage. Fundamentally, it converts the sugar, or maltose, into carbon dioxide and alcohol. There are two main categories of beer yeast: 1) Ale yeast (Saccharomyces cerevisiae) and 2) Lager yeast (Saccharomyces uvarum). Ale yeast is top-fermenting, while lager yeast is bottom-fermenting.

Water

Water is the main ingredient in all beer and is the basis to which all other ingredients are added. In fact, 95 percent of beer is water. Since water quality varies among regions, certain regions are better suited for brewing certain styles of beer. Many beer brands have this regional character, such as Guinness stout made from the hard waters of Dublin, or a pilsner made from the soft waters of Pilsen, Bohemia. It is not uncommon for brewers to provide additional filtration for their water supplies to ensure great-tasting batches.

Are you craving some ice cold beer at a great, neighborhood price? Contact English Ivy’s at 317-822-5070 to hear about our delicious beer specials we offer at our Downtown Indianapolis bar and restaurant! Visit us Tuesdays for $2 Domestics, Wednesdays for $3 Corona Bottles, and Thursdays for $5.35 Pitchers and $10 Beer Buckets!

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Downtown Indianapolis Bar Restaurant
317-822-5070

FAQS About Beer That Will Surprise You

Sure, there are millions of things to learn about beer. From growing your own hops for a custom home brew, to low-carb selections on the market today, the information surrounding this popular and indulgent beverage is vast. Aside, you might think you have a good grasp on your beer facts, but there are a few beer questions you haven’t thought to ask before! Continue reading to review some uncommon frequently asked questions about beer that might actually surprise you.

Beer Specials Downtown Indianapolis
Beer Specials Downtown Indianapolis 317-822-5070

Interesting Beer FAQS You Want to Know

Will Beer Curdle Milk?

Have you ever heard that you can curdle milk by pouring beer into it? Well, here’s what you need to know about that: it’s true. And it’s all due to the acidity in beer causing the milk proteins (known as caseins) to clump together. Just like adding lemon juice to milk, the acidic content in beer will make milk curdle.  

Why Does Beer Have Head But Soda Doesn’t?

Whether you order a draft beer, pour a bottle into a glass, or draw from a keg, you want your beer to have a little head. But why does beer form head and other carbonated drinks, like soda, do not? Well, the answer has to do with the proteins in barley malt and hops, which are ingredients used to make beer. One protein of this source in particular is known as Lipid Transfer Protein 1 (LTP1), which repels water. It will form a bubble of C02 to act as its life preserver, taking it to the top of the glass. Beer foam formation is a process known as nucleation, which is basically a fancy word to describe a bunch of proteins reacting to each other.

Why Does Beer Go Bad?

No one likes skunky beer. We know that if we leave beer in the hot sun for a long time that it will get skunky. But what actually makes beer go bad? And does it have an expiration date? Well, hops are used to brew beer, and they contain bitter, light-sensitive compounds known as isohumulones. These compounds both breakdown and combine with the sulfur compounds in beer, causing the tell-tale skunky taste and smell of bad beer. As for an expiration date, beer does in fact expire. At room temperature, it has a 6 to 9 month shelf-life. In the fridge, you can keep beer for up to 2 years. However, once past its prime, it is not necessarily unsafe to drink, but rather, unpleasant.

Does Flat Beer Have Less Alcohol Content?

If you let your beer sit out too long, the carbonation will eventually dissipate, and you will be left with a flat, non-carbonized brew. But a flat beer does not mean a weak beer. The alcohol content remains the exact same no matter how long you let it sit flat. Additionally, beer continues to age after bottling, just like wine, but not in the good way. Once beer goes bad, it might taste and smell funny, and lack carbonation, but the alcohol content is the same.

Looking for a great place to grab a cold beer and a delicious bite to eat? Contact English Ivy’s at 317-822-5070 to hear about our delicious dinner and drink specials we offer at our Downtown Indianapolis bar and restaurant!

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