The summer heat may be winding down, but that doesn’t mean you need to shelve your beer and resort to just dreaming of poolside relaxation with a chilled beer. Beer lovers know that beer is perfect for drinking year-round; you can drink it chilled or at room temperature, and you certainly don’t need to change your style with the change of season.

Now, what about frosted mugs for your beer? How can you achieve that icy cool look without dishing out tons of cash for a commercial glass froster? And just what types of beer should you drink this way anyway? It’s time to find out.

For years, you could enter just about any American bar and see bartenders pouring draft beer into frosted mugs. They’d freeze their glassware in special coolers, pulling them out just as you ordered a round of beers. Many people went through their adult years enjoying a beer down at the local bar, and that experience is firmly cemented in their minds – complete with frosted beer mugs. They might have also enjoyed frosted mugs for root beer or root beer floats. Whether it’s from nostalgia, personal preference, curiosity or something else, drinking from a frosted mug will surely give you a new beer-tasting experience.

If you aren’t willing to dish out hundreds of dollars for commercial-grade equipment – and for residential purposes, why would you – you’ll be glad to know there are a few ways to inexpensively frost your beer mugs at home.

When you’re learning how to frost mugs, you’ll likely run into a few unwanted situations. We want to help you avoid that. First, always use a glass that’s at room temperature or colder. Putting a warm glass into the freezer, especially one that’s just come from the dishwasher, will mostly likely crack upon contact with the cold freezer environment. It might even break in there, leaving you with pieces of broken glass all over your frozen foods. Not good!

You also don’t want to use hot water, whether for dipping paper towels or wetting the sides of the beer mug. Again, the temperature differences can essentially shock the glass and lead to breakage.

Finally, be careful with the amount of water left at the bottom of the mug; too much water can dilute the beer and wash out the flavor. Excess frosting can do the same thing, since there will likely be a significant amount inside the now cold mug; when it melts, it will end up diluting your cold beer.

Beer mugs are the best beer glasses for freezing because of their thicker edges and handle – which is perfect for avoiding frozen fingers. And while a thin glass will cool down quicker in the freezer, it will warm quicker when sitting at room temperature. Of course, there’s nothing stopping you from testing it out to see which glasses you prefer, whether mugs, upside down beer glasses, pilsner glasses, pint glasses or something else. However, you’ll probably want to steer clear of stemware, since the narrow stem might not handle cold temperatures well.

Frozen mugs work well for room temperature beer, but they might result in a slightly numb palate if you try to use already cold beer. Of course, it comes down to personal preference; you’ll find that some people love the thirst-quenching taste of chilled beer, while others prefer something a bit warmer.

As for which types of beer, the consensus is that frosted mugs are best suited to macro pilsners and lagers like Budweiser, Labatt Blue, Coors and Miller High Life. Craft beers tend to be richer in aromas and are most satisfying when warmer. Again, personal preference makes the final determination. If you love your craft beer in a frosted mug, then that’s how you should drink it. Do what works best for you.

If you want to keep your beer chilled to perfection, consider a freestanding or built-in beer fridge. When you use a fridge designated for beverages, you’ll be able to adjust the temperature to your liking and never need to worry about spoiled foods.

Once you learn how to frost mugs, you’ll be well on your way to a new beer-tasting experience.