If A Brewery Makes This Beer Pouring Mistake Don't Ignore It

We're all familiar with at least some restaurant red flags you shouldn't ignore, but many aren't aware that breweries can likewise commit offenses that should give people pause. When The Takeout recently spoke with Sanwar Mal Khokhar, a mixologist and the beverage program leader at Sanjh Restaurant & Bar, he noted that how employees at a brewery pour your beer is just as important as the temperature of the lager itself (the idea that beer should always be served ice-cold is a myth). As excited as you may be to sit down and sample some exceptional suds, keep an eye on how close the glass gets to the tap while the staff pours your drink.

"Ideally, the beer tap should never touch the beer or the inside of the glass," Khokhar said. That's not just sage advice from someone with intimate knowledge of proper pouring technique — it's an industry standard laid out by the U.S. Brewers Association. "When the faucet/tap touches the beer, it creates what technicians sometimes call back-flow contamination," Khokhar explained. "Yeast, proteins, and foam residue from the beer can travel back onto the faucet and dry there."

If you notice an employee has perpetrated this cold-one cardinal sin, Khokhar suggested that folks shouldn't hesitate to acknowledge the mistake (politely, of course). "If the faucet clearly touched the beer or the glass, the best thing is to ask for a fresh pour immediately," he said. "Once the faucet contacts the beer, the pour is technically compromised from a sanitation standpoint."

As if allowing the tap to touch your beer while it's being poured wasn't bad enough, it could also be a sign that more unsightly predicaments are thriving behind the scenes. Something you're likely to notice in every state's best brewery is impeccable cleaning standards. Sanwar Mal Khokhar suggested that, while it's not always the case, a lackadaisical pour could mean that people are taking shortcuts when it comes to ensuring every beer is at its pinnacle quality when served. "In well-maintained bars, beer lines are typically cleaned every two weeks, which is the standard recommended by the Brewers Association," he said. "If a bar is letting faucets dip into beer, it sometimes suggests the same relaxed attitude toward line cleaning, and dirty lines can completely alter the taste of a beer."

Still, it's worth taking a moment before assuming that someone pouring a beer incorrectly at a brewery reflects the overall quality of the establishment. Mistakes happen, especially when folks are working hard to serve dozens of thirsty customers simultaneously. However, if you notice beer glasses touching taps frequently, that could speak to an institutionalized problem. 

"Occasionally, it is just a bartender in a rush, but if it happens often, it can be a warning sign about draft quality standards," Khokhar said. "If a bar is not cleaning glassware properly, oils and detergent residue break the foam structure and cause bubbles to cling to the side of the glass. Combined with faucet contact, those two issues often point to deeper problems like poorly cleaned lines, warm draft temperatures, or incorrect carbon dioxide pressure."