Service

One of the most beautiful things about beer is the product of sound brewing, proper service, and an unlikely convergence of chemical phenomena. But how much do you really know about what makes great foam? Let’s feed your head.

Bierstadt cofounder Ashleigh Carter explains the why and how of their Slow Pour Pils, making the case for attention to foam, service, and presentation that fulfills your intentions as the liquid’s creator.

Big-city breweries and bars aren’t the only ones who can draw crowds with events dedicated to traditional Kölsch service. In rural Fairbury, Illinois, the locals have quite taken to Kölsch Night in the converted dairy barn at Emancipation Brewing. Cofounder and head brewer Lincoln Slagel explains how and why it works.

From our Illustrated Guide to Homebrewing, here are some tips on serving your own beer—and on evaluating it, so you can decide how to make it even better next time.

Once you adopt some basic rules of thumb about flavor compatibility and intensity, you can start drilling down into which beer styles tend to work best with specific dishes—making a sensory experience greater than the sum of its parts.

Beer has all sorts of advantages when it comes to pairing with food at the table—whether it’s a delicate session beer, something with more malt heft, or another example from the diverse array of aromas, flavors, and textures that beer can provide.

From flavor fundamentals that anyone can follow to specific matchups of beer styles and dishes, the Neighborhood Restaurant Group’s Greg Engert leads a master course on pairing great food with great beer.

Neil Witte, a Master Cicerone and founder of the TapStar draft quality certification for bars and taprooms, explains the basics that homebrewers need to know to keep their tap lines clean for the best possible beer.

Aslin Beer cofounder Andrew Kelley walks us step-by-step through the brewery's kettle-souring process, from grist composition to adjusting the pH depending on fruit or other ingredients.

Greg Engert, beer director for the Neighborhood Restaurant Group, explains the components of flavor and how we perceive them, and thus how we enjoy our beers as well as our food.

Temperature and glassware can play important supporting roles when pouring and enjoying stronger beers. Greg Engert explains how in this video tip.

Foam is important not just for appearance, but also for aroma and how we experience a beer. In this video tip, Greg Engert explains why we go for foam when we pour (and when we brew).

From breaking down flavor profiles to proper pouring, glassware, and caring for draft lines, Greg Engert of the Neighborhood Restaurant Group lays out his approach to world-class beer service in this full-length video for All Access subscribers.

Newly adopted tricks borrowed from Old World beer culture are helping to elevate service and presentation, reimagining what draft beer looks like.

Go far enough down the road of homebrew obsession, and sooner or later you’ll find yourself needing to ship some beer.