To most people, a cave is simply a hollow space beneath the ground although cave explorers (spelunkers) and scientists will go to great lengths to explain to you the combinations of circumstances that must happen for a cave to be formed naturally (as against dug out by humans or animals). Generally speaking, the temperature underground is cooler than that at the surface; so, one might store things like food and beverages (including alcoholic ones) underground in order to keep them cool – there are cases around the world where bars and restaurants have opened up in a cavern or grotto.
Low Temperature Is The Key
We use fridges and freezers mainly for the storage of food and beverages; but, they also have a big part to play in the serving and consumption side of the equation. Imagine ice cream that has been stored at normal room temperature!
A cold taste is also an important facet of many alcoholic drinks – Scotch on the rocks; the ice in a martini, etc. Serving temperature is very important to the beer drinker; darker varieties like stout can be enjoyed when warmer than the lighter colored lagers and Pilsners which really do have to be chilled (almost down to zero centigrade) for maximum drinking appreciation.
With ales of any type, the dedicated drinker is not going to thank you if you put ice in the glass to cool the contents down to their best temperature (and add water to the drink as the ice melts). In olden days, the temperature could be controlled by underground storage; but, this would have been a cellar beneath the bar with a depth of at least 6 feet. Today, thanks to refrigeration, we do not really need cellars – be it draught drinks, bottled or cans; a cooling device can control their temperatures so that they may be served at a temperature that is to everyone’s satisfaction. This does not only apply to drinks consumed on the premises; the same cooling cabinets can be used in retail outlets enabling customers to take their cold drinks away for enjoyment elsewhere.
In keeping with the common knowledge that temperatures are lower below ground, the manufacturers of these cold storage retail cabinets (such as Turn Key Systems) began to call them Beer Caves Refrigeration Systems For California. They can be placed where staff open them and serve the product; or they can be out in the open for self service usage – the point being that what comes out will always be at the desired temperature.
