During a heat wave, a nice, cold beer can hit the spot perfectly — as long as you can successfully finish it before it gets too warm.

There are all sorts of devices available to help you keep your beer cold, and even though you might feel like you’re being extra, there’s scientific proof for why you should protect your beer from warm temperatures.

So grab your coozies and listen up, but beware, because there is such a thing as too cold when it comes to beer. Icy temperatures can mask many flavors and aromas that make up a good pint.

“The cold temperature slows the volatilization of aromatic compounds, causing them to linger in the beer. When these compounds are not released, it dramatically changes the apparent flavor and aroma of the beer, sometimes to the point where it may come across as thin and tasteless,” explains the American Homebrewers Association.

To make it even more complicated, different beers are best served at different temperatures, but there are a few rules of thumb:

• All beers should be served between 38 and 55 degrees
• Stronger and darker beers are best served warmer than weaker and lighter beers
• Serve beers a few degrees colder than the target temperature to accommodate for warming from the glass and the drinker’s hands

Now let’s hop(s) into some specifics.

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The chemistry of beer

Starting with some beer basics: The type of alcohol in beer is known as ethanol, also known as ethyl alcohol or grain alcohol, and it has a bitter and sometimes sweet or sour taste, depending on the person.

Zooming in to the molecular level in beer, ethanol forms pyramid-shaped clusters around water molecules and end-to-end like a chain. The concentration of the pyramid-shaped clusters compared to chainlike structures is what determines the taste of the liquid, and more of the chains create a stronger ethanol taste.

At lower temperatures, there are more of the chainlike structures, which give beer a different taste than at higher temperatures. So as your beer warms up in the warm air, it’s rearranging on a molecular level and ends up with less of that bitter taste you’re hoping for.

Colder temperatures also allow more carbon dioxide to dissolve in the beer. Lighter beers can rely on the sharp fizzle of carbonation for their impact, so drinking it (relatively!) quickly means you get to enjoy the beverage as it’s meant to be served, rather than after it has warmed and lost some of its sparkle.

Sara Tonks is a content meteorologist with weather.com and has a bachelor’s and a master’s degree from Georgia Tech in Earth and Atmospheric Sciences, along with a master’s degree from Unity Environmental University in Marine Science.