This is the most common way to serve beer, and it’s also the worst: according to experts, this practice is as bad for the taste as it is for digestion.
This morning, you’re feeling foggy. Yet you were sensible last night: unlike your colleague who downed several beers, you only had one. It must be said that it quickly made you bloated… literally. After a few sips, you were bloated like a barrel. Usually, this doesn’t bother you so much, but this time, you had an explosive evening and a very restless night. ‘I slept very well,’ says your colleague, looking fresh as a daisy, ‘was your beer different?’ No, you drank exactly the same beverage.
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You know this because you were the one serving it. And that’s precisely where the problem lies: it’s the way you fill your own glass that’s causing the issue. According to Christophe Lavelle, biophysicist, professor and researcher at the CNRS, serving beer in this way risks turning you into a gas factory.
Don’t drink from the bottle
We know what you’re thinking: there aren’t 50 ways to serve a beer, you just have to tilt the pint at the right moment to avoid spillage. Yes, beer foams, you’ve noticed that. But what you may not know is that this is actually only the tip of the iceberg. The white foam that forms on the surface is composed of gas, but also of surfactants that hold the bubbles together, according to researcher Christophe Lavelle, a specialist in food science. But depending on how the drink is poured, the bubbles will be released in greater or lesser abundance, the scientist continues.
We often tend to tilt our glass. This prevents it from foaming too much and avoids a tidal wave on the kitchen counter. Unfortunately, by doing so, we run the risk of triggering an internal tsunami. ‘When the drink is not degassed in the glass, it then releases its gas… in the stomach,’ explains Christophe Lavelle. ‘This is also why it is not recommended to drink directly from the bottle’. But rest assured: ‘No one has ever exploded while drinking a beer,’ the expert points out. On the other hand, you’ll have a hard time getting rid of the air as best you can…”. The foam, which forms a protective film on the surface, also prevents oxidation, notes Gilberto Acciaio, a sommelier specialising in beer. And like spoiled wine, oxidised beer will not only taste worse, but will also be harder to digest.
This is why barmen always serve beer by holding the glass upright, even if it means waiting a little while for it to degas or removing the excess with a spatula. This is the only time you can break the rule of ‘no higher than the rim!’
