Pour Beer with Head
August 17, 2006 by Greg
On a recent trip home my brother, home brew master and beer afficionado, told me everything I knew about pouring a beer was wrong. Somewhere along my misguided teenage years I learned to pour a beer down the side of glass, eliminating all head. At beeradvocate, they have detailed instructions for a proper pour.
- Use a clean glass. A dirty glass, containing oils, dirt or residuals from a previous beer, may inhibit head creation and flavours.
- Hold your glass at a 45° angle. Pour the beer, targeting the middle of the slope of the glass. Don’t be afraid to pour hard or add some air between the bottle and glass.
- At the half-way point bring the glass at a 90° angle and continue to pour in the middle of the glass. This will induce the perfect foam head. And remember, having a head on a beer is a good thing. It releases the beer’s aromatics and adds to the overall presentation. You may also want to gradually add distance between the bottle and glass as you pour, to also inspire a good head. An ideal head should be 1″ to 1-1/2″.
Check out beeradvocate for everything that is beer.
It makes a big difference in the taste of your beer. You may find that some of your favorites out of the bottle are no longer as such when poured properly. The alternative may also be true; realizing the beer’s true potential is a remarkable thing. I try to sample the flavor when correctly poured first, then sample it direct from the bottle to compare the effect. Would you drink a fine red wine straight from the bottle? Probably not, but maybe if you were drinking Boone’s Farm? I still bet not. Try to apply a similar principle with beer and the result will be a less gassy reward. And for the watered down piss flavored American swill? Well you shouldn’t be drinking that crap anyway… but at least it hides your cheap taste from us “afficionados”.
BTW: I still drink many beers straight from the bottle. You don’t always have a pint glass handy, but at least it’s still beer.
Cheers and beers!