The Surprising Reason You *Want* Bubbles in Your Beer Glass

When it comes to beer, I’ve been taught that a slow pour is a good pour. Many think it’s best to tilt and fill, slow and steady, to avoid a thick ring of foam from rising at the rim. Apparently, this strategy is misguided. That halo of bubbles we’ve been told so adamantly to avoid may actually be beneficial.

This counterintuitive intelligence comes from Business Insider—earlier this week they tweeted a video of Anheuser-Busch InBev Beer Educator Max Bakker explaining the ins and outs of the perfect pour. The crux of the matter is carbon dioxide, the gas that gives beer its fizz. Check out the video to see what he has to say:

Pouring a bubble-free glass keeps the beer from releasing its natural CO2 until it’s in your stomach, leaving you feeling bloated and full of air. Instead, Bakker recommends a more active pour that allows the bubbles to emerge in the glass and release CO2 before you ingest it. Foam, isn’t the enemy: a heavy topping of bubbles doesn’t damage the drinking experience—eventually those bubbles themselves fizzle into beer.

So, get to pouring (and drinking!). But remember if a swollen stomach feeling is not something you're chasing, try an active pour to pop those bubbles in the glass and not in your tummy.

How do you pour? Let us know your technique in the comments.