Pouring beer
step by step
Rinse the glass with cold water, inside and out, and do not shake it dry. Grease is the foam head's greatest enemy: a single fingerprint or a trace of dish soap will make the foam collapse within seconds. A glass that is still wet with cold water also lets the beer run more smoothly down the side.
Hold the glass at an angle of about forty-five degrees under the tap or against the bottle and pour in one continuous motion. This angle makes the beer run down the side instead of falling straight in, releasing less carbonation so the head does not immediately rise out of the glass.
Stand the glass upright once it is about two-thirds full and continue pouring gently into the center. The foam head will now build up. Aim for two fingers' width, about two to three centimeters: enough to retain the carbonation, but not so much that there is too little beer.
Let the head settle for ten to twenty seconds and top up if necessary. If you skim it, do so with a clean, wet spatula in one motion across the rim. If you leave the head standing, wipe only the outside of the glass dry before setting it down.
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The story
Pouring beer is a craft in the Netherlands with its own vocabulary. A flute, a vase, a two-finger head: they are measures no one explains and everyone knows. What lies beneath is physics. Beer is full of dissolved carbon dioxide that wants to escape as soon as it moves or warms up. The angle at which you pour determines how much is released at once, and the moment you set the glass upright determines how thick the head becomes. That head is not decoration but a lid: it keeps the carbon dioxide and aromas in the glass. The glass itself is the only tool that really matters.
The right glass
Each beer style has its own glass, and for pilsner there are two: the slender, straight pilsner glass and the slightly waisted vase. A slender glass keeps the head firm and lets the bubbles continue for longer, while a vase is shorter and wider, so the serving runs out sooner. A measuring line is not a luxury but a tool: you can see exactly where the beer should reach and how much room is left for the head. For tripel, Trappist and quadrupel, a tulip or round glass is the right shape, and you can find those among the specialty beer glasses.
Schott Zwiesel Beer Basic Pilsner Glass 30 cl with Measuring Line (4 pieces)
Mammoet Budgetline Amsterdam Beer Glass / Vase 34 cl (12 pieces)
Both sets together € 66,90.
The right tools
For a properly poured beer, you do not actually need any tools besides the glass. We do not sell a tap system or a leveling spatula, and apart from that, a cold, grease-free glass is all you need. What does fit here are the small things that go on the table alongside the glass: a zester for a citrus slice with a witbier and cocktail picks for the snack on the side. These are the bar tools we use ourselves; you can find everything in our bar tools & cocktail sets.
Glass set (our choice 01) + 2 bar tools together € 80,85.
What do you serve alongside it?
Beer is not listed on our drinks pages, which focus on spirits. Beer takes center stage on this page; below are the Dutch classics you come across in the same café, such as jenever, Beerenburg, and Vieux. On each drinks page, you can read the alcohol percentage, what it tastes like, which cocktails pair with it, and which glass you need.
Variations & twists
Not every beer style wants the same treatment. Weizen goes in a tall Weizen glass that you first rinse thoroughly with cold water, and you swirl the last bit of yeast around in the bottle before pouring it in. Tripel and Trappist belong in a tulip glass and get a smaller head because they contain more alcohol and less carbonation. Pour stout slowly into a nonic glass and let it sit for half a minute before topping it up. Pour from a can just as you would from a bottle, only the stream is wider, so keep the can close to the rim. Want to read more? View all drinks and brands.
Serving tip
Temperature is part of pouring: pilsner at four to six degrees, witbier and weizen at five to seven, tripel and abbey beer at eight to twelve, stout and quadrupel at ten to fourteen. Beer that is too cold gives off little aroma and has a weak head; beer that is too warm foams over. Rinse the glass with cold water, but do not use a glass from the freezer: a layer of frost forms on it, causing the beer to foam up heavily.
Good to know
Why grease kills the head
Foam consists of proteins from the malt that form a film around the bubbles of carbonation. Grease breaks down this film. A trace of washing-up liquid, a fingerprint on the inside or a glass dried with a greasy cloth is enough to make the head collapse within a few seconds. Therefore, wash beer glasses separately, rinse them with cold water and let them drain upside down instead of rubbing them dry.
The angle of approximately forty-five degrees
Hold the glass at an angle so the beer runs down the side. If it falls straight in, it hits the bottom and releases a lot of carbonation at once; the glass then fills with foam while containing hardly any beer. At about two-thirds full, hold the glass upright and continue pouring into the centre, because this builds the head in a controlled way.
A two-finger head, and why
A head of two to three centimetres is not tradition but technique. The foam seals the beer from the air, keeps the carbonation in longer and carries the aroma, because most aromas are released through the head. Too little foam and the beer quickly loses its fizz; too much and there is too little room for beer in the glass.
Scraping with a wet spatula, or not
Scraping off the foam removes the excess and creates a neat, flat head; it is the traditional method behind a Dutch beer tap. The scraper must be clean and wet, because a dry or greasy scraper actually introduces grease into the glass and causes the head to collapse anyway. If you leave the head as it is, it retains more aroma and naturally settles to the right height. Both methods are good.
Draft system, bottle or can
Beer from a draft system comes out under pressure and at the right temperature, so it should be poured in one short, continuous motion. With a bottle, you control the speed yourself: start at an angle and pour slowly, speeding up only once the glass is upright. Beer from a can pours in a wider stream, so hold the can close to the rim. We do not sell draft systems or foam scrapers; the glass is the part we deal with.
The most common mistakes
Four things usually go wrong. A glass that is too warm, causing the beer to foam immediately. Old washing-up residue or grease on the inside, causing the head to collapse right away. Pouring too hard and too straight, releasing too much carbonation all at once. And too little head, causing the beer to quickly lose its fizz and aroma.
Frequently asked questions
How do you pour beer with a good head?
First, rinse the glass with cold water so it is grease-free and wet. Hold it at an angle of about forty-five degrees and pour until the glass is two-thirds full. Then hold it upright and pour slowly into the center until there is a two-finger head. Let it settle for ten to twenty seconds and top it up if necessary.
Why can't I get a head on my beer?
Usually, there is grease in the glass. A trace of washing-up liquid, a fingerprint, or a greasy tea towel breaks down the protein film that the foam consists of, and the head collapses within seconds. Wash beer glasses separately, rinse them with cold water, and let them drain instead of rubbing them dry. A glass that is too warm is the second cause.
Should you skim off the head?
You don't have to. Skimming it with a clean, wet spatula gives a neat, flat head and is the classic method behind a Dutch beer tap. If you leave the head in place, it retains more aroma and naturally sinks to the right height. A dry or dirty spatula introduces grease into the glass and makes the head collapse instead.
Which glass do you use for beer?
For pilsner, use a slim, straight pilsner glass or a slightly tapered vase-shaped glass of about thirty centiliters, preferably with a measurement line so you can see where the beer should reach. Weizen belongs in a tall Weizen glass, tripel and Trappist in a tulip glass, and stout in a nonic glass. The shape determines how the head holds and how much aroma you smell.
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