Expert: Ed Westemeier - 1/23/2005

Question
My friends and I were sitting around drinking different brands of beer and someone purposed the theory that the shape of the bottle would affect the "pour" of the beer and therefore the taste of the beer. (ie. a properly served Guiness) Is there truth to that?  

Answer
Isn't it amazing how you get into these really deep philosophical issues while drinking beer?

There's a kernel of truth in your comment, but maybe not in the way the person who suggested it intended. Actually, the way you pour the beer into a glass makes all the difference.

Gently, down the side of the glass, leaves most of the carbonation in solution, so you get less head and a gassier beer, so probably more burping.

Straight down the middle, with the bottle held high, gives you a big head and releases a good bit of the carbonation. That has two effects -- the bursting bubbles in the head convey more aroma to your nose, and since the beer is less gassy, it can be more "drinkable" (goes down easier).

The best pouring method is any compromise that lets you get at least an inch of good head on the beer in the glass.

Shape of the bottle? No effect.

Ed