Answers.Body: <p>Is there a real reason for putting salt in beer?</p>
  
  <blockquote>
    <p>Putting salt in beer stems from a few philosophies - all of which seem to have had a purpose at one time or another.</p>
    
    <p>· An old wives' tale said that putting a sprinkle of salt in your beer would stave off cramping during hard work. Dehydration can cause cramping of the muscles, because of the depletion of minerals in the body. Adding salt to the beer would make the worker thirsty, and thus he would drink more beer to relieve the dehydration. </p>
    
    <p>· Others add salt to beer for flavor purposes; post-prohibition (1933) beer had turned into somewhat of an ugly being. Breweries had to cut costs and started to use cheaper ingredients like rice and corn, which made for a nearly flavorless beer. These beers are still around, though most people have become accustomed to flavorless beer and so have no need for the salt. Many South and Central American beer drinkers will add salt and sometimes hot sauce and/or lemon, for flavor, or to mask off flavor in beer. </p>
    
    <p>Here is what bartenders have heard their patrons say why they use/like beer salt:</p>
    
    <ol>
    <li><p>I like the way it tastes. (Salt is a natural flavor enhancer)</p></li>
    <li><p>It makes me thirstier so I can drink more. (Salt increases thirst)</p></li>
    <li><p>I don’t have to pee as often. (Salt retains fluid)</p></li>
    <li><p>I don’t belch as much. (Salt removes carbonation)</p></li>
    <li><p>I can drink more and don’t fill up as fast. (Less carbonation)</p></li>
    <li><p>My dad/grandpa always drank it this way. (Family tradition)</p></li>
    <li><p>The guy with the pretty blond is doing it. (My favorite)</p></li>
    </ol>
    
    <p><a href="http://twangs25thanniversary.blogspot.ca/2011/05/why-is-it-that-people-need-beer-salt.html" rel="nofollow noreferrer">Why is it that people need Beer Salt?</a> </p>
  </blockquote>
  
  <p>Here are some examples of <strong>Gose Beer</strong>: <a href="http://www.huffingtonpost.com/entry/gose-sour-beer_us_579f42f0e4b0693164c1aa6d" rel="nofollow noreferrer">Why Gose Is The Only Beer You Should Be Drinking This Summer</a>.</p>
  
  <p>A similar question was asked on our Seasoned Advice SE site: <a href="https://cooking.stackexchange.com/questions/25623/why-did-my-grandfather-in-law-salt-his-beer">Why did my grandfather-in-law salt his beer?</a> </p>
  
Answers.ContentLicense: CC BY-SA 3.0
Answers.CreationDate: 2017-04-09T15:53:41.063Z
Answers.LastActivityDate: 2017-04-09T16:41:37.113Z
Answers.LastEditDate: 2017-04-13T12:33:38.297Z
Answers.UserDisplayName: Ken Graham
Answers.Body: <p>Putting Salt in Beer before consumption leads to formation of bubbles and foam which we see while pouring fresh beer out of the can or bottle. </p>
  
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Answers.CreationDate: 2020-01-27T00:00:50.000Z
Answers.LastActivityDate: 2020-01-27T00:00:50.000Z
Answers.UserDisplayName: Tanay
Answers.Body: <p>I've read that beer is mostly water and that drinking too much floods your system with water and depletes your sodium,etc. My theory is that while it is flavorful it also can help stave off hangover effects?</p>
  
Answers.ContentLicense: CC BY-SA 4.0
Answers.CreationDate: 2018-09-03T06:11:41.123Z
Answers.LastActivityDate: 2018-09-03T06:11:41.123Z
Answers.UserDisplayName: user8066
Answers.Body: <p>The same reason people put salt on their food. It enhances the flavor of the beer. </p>
  
  <blockquote>
    <p>The extra salt has other effects as well though, outside of simply
    making things more salty. Particularly, adding salt to foods helps
    certain molecules in those foods more easily release into the air,
    thus helping the aroma of the food, which is important in our
    perception of taste.</p>
  </blockquote>
  
  <p><a href="http://www.todayifoundout.com/index.php/2011/09/why-salt-enhances-flavor/" rel="noreferrer">Putting Salt on Food</a></p>
  
Answers.ContentLicense: CC BY-SA 3.0
Answers.CreationDate: 2017-04-13T06:08:15.007Z
Answers.Text: What about putting salt into wine?  What would that do?
Answers.UserDisplayName: dougal 5.0.0
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Answers.CreationDate: 2017-04-09T14:12:02.293Z
Answers.LastActivityDate: 2017-04-09T14:12:02.293Z
Answers.UserDisplayName: farmersteve
Body: <p>Are there any traditional or historic reason(s) why people would put salt in their beer when drinking it or would simply prefer to drink a salted beer such as <strong>Gose</strong>?</p>
  
  <p><a href="https://i.sstatic.net/xuPDi.jpg" rel="noreferrer"><img src="https://i.sstatic.net/xuPDi.jpg" alt="Gose beer, brewed in Bonn, Germany (2014)"></a></p>
  
  <p><a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gose" rel="noreferrer">Gose beer</a>, brewed in Bonn, Germany (2014).</p>
  
Comments.ContentLicense: CC BY-SA 3.0
Comments.CreationDate: 2017-04-09T16:10:02.267Z
Comments.Text: I just saw the beer was brewed in Bonn, Germany! I lived in Bonn for three years when there was still the US Embassy there. My father was working at the embassy and I went to the American school in Bad Godesburg. How did you get that beer?
Comments.UserDisplayName: farmersteve
Comments.ContentLicense: CC BY-SA 3.0
Comments.CreationDate: 2017-04-09T16:44:15.447Z
Comments.Text: @SteveS. This may help you. [Why Gose Is The Only Beer You Should Be Drinking This Summer](http://www.huffingtonpost.com/entry/gose-sour-beer_us_579f42f0e4b0693164c1aa6d).
Comments.UserDisplayName: Ken Graham
Comments.ContentLicense: CC BY-SA 3.0
Comments.CreationDate: 2017-04-09T17:19:37.463Z
Comments.Text: I understand why, but how did you get that beer?
Comments.UserDisplayName: farmersteve
Comments.ContentLicense: CC BY-SA 3.0
Comments.CreationDate: 2017-04-09T17:27:51.387Z
Comments.Text: @SteveS. I lived in Europe for about 15 years, France for around 12-13 years  and Germany for some 3 years. I am an army brat and more.
Comments.UserDisplayName: Ken Graham
Comments.ContentLicense: CC BY-SA 4.0
Comments.CreationDate: 2020-01-30T15:28:17.567Z
Comments.Text: Have you ever tried peanuts in Coke? Same idea. Might I also suggest you try this if you like Gose? [Sleeping Limes](https://www.wildbeerco.com/item/264/Sleeping-Limes.html "Wild Beer Co")
Comments.UserDisplayName: Gamora
Tags: <taste><specialty-beers>
Title: Why would some prefer to put salt in their beer?
UserDisplayName: Ken Graham
ThreadText: # Why would some prefer to put salt in their beer?
  
  (Asked by: username_0 on 2017-04-09)
  
  Are there any traditional or historic reason(s) why people would put salt in their beer when drinking it or would simply prefer to drink a salted beer such as **Gose**?
  
  [![Gose beer, brewed in Bonn, Germany (2014)](https://i.sstatic.net/xuPDi.jpg)](https://i.sstatic.net/xuPDi.jpg)
  
  [Gose beer](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gose), brewed in Bonn, Germany (2014).
  
  **Tags:** taste, specialty-beers
  
  > **Comments:**
  > **username_1**: I just saw the beer was brewed in Bonn, Germany! I lived in Bonn for three years when there was still the US Embassy there. My father was working at the embassy and I went to the American school in Bad Godesburg. How did you get that beer?  
  > **username_0**: @SteveS. This may help you. [Why Gose Is The Only Beer You Should Be Drinking This Summer](http://www.huffingtonpost.com/entry/gose-sour-beer_us_579f42f0e4b0693164c1aa6d).  
  > **username_1**: I understand why, but how did you get that beer?  
  > **username_0**: @SteveS. I lived in Europe for about 15 years, France for around 12-13 years  and Germany for some 3 years. I am an army brat and more.  
  > **username_2**: Have you ever tried peanuts in Coke? Same idea. Might I also suggest you try this if you like Gose? [Sleeping Limes](https://www.wildbeerco.com/item/264/Sleeping-Limes.html "Wild Beer Co")  
  
  ---
  
  ## 4 answers
  
  ### Answer by username_1 on 2017-04-09. Score: 5 | Accepted answer
  
  The same reason people put salt on their food. It enhances the flavor of the beer.
  
  > The extra salt has other effects as well though, outside of simply
  > making things more salty. Particularly, adding salt to foods helps
  > certain molecules in those foods more easily release into the air,
  > thus helping the aroma of the food, which is important in our
  > perception of taste.
  
  [Putting Salt on Food](http://www.todayifoundout.com/index.php/2011/09/why-salt-enhances-flavor/)
  
  > **Comments:**
  > **username_5**: What about putting salt into wine?  What would that do?  
  
  ---
  
  ### Answer by username_0 on 2017-04-09. Score: 4
  
  Is there a real reason for putting salt in beer?
  
  > Putting salt in beer stems from a few philosophies - all of which seem to have had a purpose at one time or another.
  >
  > · An old wives' tale said that putting a sprinkle of salt in your beer would stave off cramping during hard work. Dehydration can cause cramping of the muscles, because of the depletion of minerals in the body. Adding salt to the beer would make the worker thirsty, and thus he would drink more beer to relieve the dehydration.
  >
  > · Others add salt to beer for flavor purposes; post-prohibition (1933) beer had turned into somewhat of an ugly being. Breweries had to cut costs and started to use cheaper ingredients like rice and corn, which made for a nearly flavorless beer. These beers are still around, though most people have become accustomed to flavorless beer and so have no need for the salt. Many South and Central American beer drinkers will add salt and sometimes hot sauce and/or lemon, for flavor, or to mask off flavor in beer.
  >
  > Here is what bartenders have heard their patrons say why they use/like beer salt:
  >
  > 1. I like the way it tastes. (Salt is a natural flavor enhancer)
  > 2. It makes me thirstier so I can drink more. (Salt increases thirst)
  > 3. I don’t have to pee as often. (Salt retains fluid)
  > 4. I don’t belch as much. (Salt removes carbonation)
  > 5. I can drink more and don’t fill up as fast. (Less carbonation)
  > 6. My dad/grandpa always drank it this way. (Family tradition)
  > 7. The guy with the pretty blond is doing it. (My favorite)
  >
  > [Why is it that people need Beer Salt?](http://twangs25thanniversary.blogspot.ca/2011/05/why-is-it-that-people-need-beer-salt.html)
  
  Here are some examples of **Gose Beer**: [Why Gose Is The Only Beer You Should Be Drinking This Summer](http://www.huffingtonpost.com/entry/gose-sour-beer_us_579f42f0e4b0693164c1aa6d).
  
  A similar question was asked on our Seasoned Advice SE site: [Why did my grandfather-in-law salt his beer?](https://cooking.stackexchange.com/questions/25623/why-did-my-grandfather-in-law-salt-his-beer)
  
  
  ---
  
  ### Answer by username_3 on 2020-01-27. Score: 1
  
  Putting Salt in Beer before consumption leads to formation of bubbles and foam which we see while pouring fresh beer out of the can or bottle.
  
  
  ---
  
  ### Answer by username_4 on 2018-09-03. Score: -2
  
  I've read that beer is mostly water and that drinking too much floods your system with water and depletes your sodium,etc. My theory is that while it is flavorful it also can help stave off hangover effects?
  
  
  ---
  
  