Quote Originally Posted by Andrew Breecher View Post
Cold beer is an American invention to mask the fact that American macros have no flavour!
Actually I think it's more a result of German beer-makers using bottom-fermenting yeasts which meant that the temperatures of the beers had to be quite low. Beers were brewed in the winter months because that's when it was cold enough for the style. Lager (from "lagern" "to store") refers to it having been stored in these cooled locations. Lager caught on in the Germanic/Czech town of Plzn (Pilsen) in today's Budvar (Budweiss) Region where an especially clear and crisp beer was created: the Pilsner. When German's emigrated to the U.S. they brewed equally light and cold beers (not equal in taste-at least not now) and A. Busch even named it after that region--hence, Budweiser. So that urban legend about Americans inventing col beer has been taken down.

Ales are top-fermenting and don't need the same cold temperatures, hence the UK predilication for warmer beer. I believe stout's and porter's have a top-fermenting yeast as well, so feel free to drink it at a cellared temperature. It's not a pilsener after all.