TIP #3: The best time to try a new brew is mid-morning, after your breakfast wears off.

 

The Art of Serving a Leinie's

Have you ever been served your favorite brew of Leinenkugel’s® without head (foam collar)? Or have you been served a nicely headed Leinie’s, but in a glass with bubbles lifting from the bottom and clinging to the sides? Do you know what it means to put a head on a beer?

We’re discovering there’s a whole new generation of beer lovers, bartenders and servers out there that haven’t been educated in the art of pouring, serving and enjoying a full-flavored beer. Maybe it’s the wide popularity of less-flavored light beers that’s caused this change. We’re not sure how it happened or exactly when it happened, but we know we have to start to spread the word to help remedy the problem.

Why? Your Leinie’s will taste even better when it’s properly poured and served. And it’s easy to execute. There are only two requirements to gain this full appreciation.

First, you need to have a beer-clean glass. Beer is approximately 92 percent water. Therefore, it can pick up any residue left on the glass after washing -  like soap film, rinsing solution, grease or dust. Here’s a great four-step method for ensuring beer-clean glassware.

• Rinse a clean glass with hot water and sprinkle the inside with salt. Now, use your CLEAN fingers or a clean paper towel to rub the salt around the inside of the glass.
• Rinse away the salt with hot water.
• Rinse again with cold water.
• Set the glass on a clean paper towel to air-dry. (Do not dry the glass with a dishcloth -- OR THE DISHWASHER!!! -- if you don’t have time to allow the glass to air-dry. The dishcloth surface might be holding on to all the little gremlins you’re trying to avoid. Instead, pour the beer into the wet glass.)

To test for cleanliness, pour your Leinie’s into the glass. If the bubbles cling to the bottom and/or sides of the glass, or if you see a steady stream of bubbles rising from the bottom, your glass does not pass the beer-clean test. (Remember, we’re talking bubbles, not foam which will cling to the side of a beer-clean glass with each sip.)

Second, you need to pour your beer properly. For your full enjoyment, serve beer with an ample foam head. You’ll want at least two fingers of foam (That’s the width of your index and middle finger side-by-side.) Professionals pour beer gently into a tilted glass and then straighten the glass as the foam appears. If you want an even larger head, pour your beer directly into the bottom of the glass. The more foam the better for tasting because it releases the carbon dioxide in the beer, which helps to bring out the flavor and aroma.

Every time we choose to drink our beer “headless” we lose out on taste. We also end up drinking a lot of carbon dioxide. And we all know how that affects our stomachs and heads.

A great glass of Leinie’s should be a treat to the senses. Enjoy its appearance, taste, and smell through a beer-clean glass and a great pour.

Oops. I almost forgot to share one important point. The foam head on your beer will dissipate on first contact with any lipstick. Hold your kisses until after your beer.