OK, so maybe you aren’t quite up to cooking up a perfect Long Island Iced Tea or making a negroni. Those I suppose you can leave to a more expert hand at the local bar. But every man should be able to pour a perfect pint, just in case you decide to have a keg or start your own home micro-brewery or if the bartender at the local bar needs to pop up for a bit and asks you to help tend for a few minutes. At least you can serve up the beers.
The most important thing about a mug of beer is the foam-to-beer ratio. Too much and you end up with foam moustache while getting no satisfaction. Too little and it looks flat. Guinness’ master brewer Fergal Murray explains that it takes precisely 119.5 seconds, starting with a clean, chilled mug. Tip the mug under the tap at a 45-degree tilt. Never let the tap touch the mug; instead it should be about 2cm above it. Fill the mug to 3/4 full at this angle, then straighten the mug and fill it until the head sits just on the tip. Of course, this technique can be applied to any beer.
Let it settle and then turn the tap backwards to form the head of the beer until it’s just slightly over the top of the mug. Serve. Check out how Guinness does this and the next time you’re at the bar, give it a shot and see if you can make the perfect pour.
