How to pour a beer properly

May 17, 2008

One of the cool things about working on The Brew Club site is that I’m getting to learn a lot of new stuff!

So I’ll admit it. I’ve been pouring beer the wrong way for years! There! I said it! I know I’m not the only one who pours beer wrong… pouring beer down the side of the glass while holding the glass at an extreme angle seems to make sense, right? For starters, this method prevents the beer foam from getting so crazy that it spills out of the glass, AND if you are using the proper sized glass and can manage the beer foam, a bottle of beer should fill up the glass in one smooth pour, AND, you can get to the business of actually drinking the beer quickly, which, is what it’s all about now isn’t it ?

But, from what I have been reading and seeing, 2 or 3 pours are better than 1 straight pour! It seems it is better to pour the beer into the center area of the glass and allow the foamy head to form, stopping before it overflows. You then WAIT for it to settle down, and then pour in some more beer, wait, and then do it again until your bottle is fully poured into the glass.

The main reason for this is to reduce the amount of carbon dioxide in the beer, which can give beers a sting when you drink them. By allowing the foamy head to form and subside, you are getting the CO2 out of the beer which reduces the sting, allowing the beer to taste better, and the subtle flavors in the beer can then be better experienced.

In addition, the not so subtle release of “other” gasses…from your body…from one end or another - should be reduced because the CO2 is released before the beer is consumed, and not after it is in your stomach!  Now, I suppose some folks really enjoy beer belching or blasting out some beer-induced farts.  If you’re into that scene, then you want to consume as much of the CO2 as possible and so you should probably just drink the beer as quickly as possible right out of the bottle, or can.  Or maybe that funnel thing?  Crazy kids.

Now, the only down side I can see by pouring beer correctly, is that you’ll have to wait a little longer to actually drink your beer - which can be hard, I know - but I think that the rewards of a better beer tasting experience is worth the sacrifice.

The other big mistake I am guilty of, (maybe you are too?) is drinking beer at very cold temperatures. Allowing your tastebuds to develop frostbite from the cold, cold beer really doesn’t allow you to experience the beer as it was intended. But, for some reason we all think ice-cold beer is the way to go!

It’s actually recommended (by those who know) that leaving the beer out of the fridge for about 10 minutes before drinking it, and then, using the proper pouring techniques, you should have a much richer beer-tasting experience!

From now on, when pouring myself a beer to review or enjoy, I’m going to do it the right way!!!

How do you pour a beer?

Posted in Other Stuff