How To Pour The Perfect Beer

Go to any bar — be it a dive bar, sports bar or craft beer bar — and your bartender or server has one thing down pat: pouring the perfect pint of beer. You know what that ideal beer looks like: perfectly bubbly and crisp with just an inch or so of a foamy head. It's as picture-perfect as a fancy cocktail from one of the best cocktail bars in America. But if you try to pour a beer at home from a can or bottle, you may or may not have the same success. So, really, what's the way to pour the perfect beer at home?

A Signature Drink for Every State

As it turns out, it's all about technique, angle and timing. According to beer website Beer Advocate, the perfect pour boils down to a few simple steps.

The first thing you should do is make sure that you are starting things off with a clean glass. Grasp the glass in your hand and tilt it at a 45-degree angle. Then, start pouring the beer, aiming for the middle of the slope of the glass. When your glass is half full, then tilt your glass to a 90-degree angle and continue to pour, aiming for the center. If you find your beer is not developing a head as you pour, create more distance between the bottle or can.

If your beer has a foamy head of about 1 to 1 1/2 inches, don't think you've done something wrong. In fact, the perfect beer pour has a little foam on it; it helps to enhance your visual and olfactory experience.

But what kind of beer should you pour? What's the difference between a lager and an ale? Well, if you never knew, it's time to brush up on the answers to common beer-related questions