How Much Foam a Glass of Beer Should Really Have

How Much Foam a Glass of Beer Should Really Have

Walk into any bar and order a beer, and you're rolling the dice on what shows up.

Sometimes it's all beer, no head.

Sometimes it looks like somebody dumped a cappuccino in your pint glass.

Both are wrong.

There's an actual answer to this, and it's not up for debate by your buddy who thinks he knows beer because he toured a brewery once.

One to Two Fingers

A proper pour should have about one to two fingers of foam at the top. Not three. Not a whisper. One to two fingers, measured by holding your fingers horizontally across the glass like you're checking the oil in your truck.

Why? Because that foam, called the head, does more than look pretty.

It releases aroma, traps carbonation so your beer doesn't go flat in two sips and creates a smooth mouthfeel.

Without it, you're just drinking cold, fizzy liquid. With too much, you paid $7 for four ounces of actual beer.

The Science Nobody Asked For

Beer foam is made of proteins and compounds from hops and malt.

When poured correctly, CO2 bubbles get trapped in that matrix and form a stable head.

A good head should last most of the way through your drink, leaving lacing down the sides of the glass like little beer footprints.

If your foam disappears in ten seconds, either the glass is dirty, the beer is flat, or whoever poured it doesn't care about your happiness.

How to Pour It Right

1. Tilt the glass at a 45-degree angle.

2. Pour down the side until it's about two-thirds full.

3. Straighten the glass and pour the rest straight down the middle to build the head.

4. Adjust your pour speed to control foam.

It's not rocket science, but it does require giving a damn.

And for the love of bourbon country, do not pour beer like you're sneaking it past your parents. Let it breathe. Let it foam. Let it be what it's supposed to be.

When More Foam Is Acceptable

German wheat beers, Belgian ales, and some stouts are supposed to have bigger heads, sometimes three fingers or more.

That's style, not sloppiness.

But your everyday lager, IPA, or pilsner? Stick to the rule.