How much foam should a beer have

Foam or head helps contain some of those compounds, keeping them around longer for your enjoyment. How much of a head to expect on a beer varies based on beer style. A high-ABV barleywine or acidic Belgian gueuze might not have much of a head at all, while a hefeweizen or American pale ale should boast a noticeable, persistent head.

But some consumers, perhaps with memories of college keggers still in their head, think any beer foam is a bad thing. But the question remains, how much head is appropriate? We need to quantify here, we need a measurement. Again, we defer to Benn: If the beer style is properly made and appropriately chilled, "your beer should have anywhere from a half-inch to an inch-and-a-half of foam. Further, draft beer must be properly dispensed. Fortunately, even the rookie corner-bar pull-jockeys know to start with the glass tilted at a degree angle, begin pouring down the side, then straighten the glass and finish the pour down the middle.

Benn concludes that, "And yes, you're being a nudge if you push off the foam and ask a bartender to 'top me off. Already subscribed?

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