Beer Sommelier Martín Boan: “Always Serve It in a Glass to Release Some Carbonation and Reduce the Feeling of Heaviness”

With warmer days bringing beer back to outdoor meals and gatherings, many drinkers wonder why the beverage can leave them feeling bloated or heavy. Beer sommelier Martín Boan says the way it is served can make a difference.

“Always serve it in a glass to release some carbonation and reduce the feeling of heaviness,” Boan told LA NACION. The chemical engineer and international beer sommelier said gas in the drink can accumulate in the stomach, especially when beer is consumed quickly or straight from its container.

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It is always necessary to start with the use of good raw materials in brewing: malt, water, hops and yeast, together with the appropriate practices used throughout the process.

Boan said a quality beer starts with good malt, water, hops and yeast, as well as appropriate practices throughout production. Fermentation remains crucial: even the best ingredients can produce poor beer if fermentation goes wrong, while simple ingredients can yield a better result when fermented correctly.

Consumers do not need to be specialists to assess a craft beer. Sommeliers examine its appearance, aroma, taste and mouthfeel. Aroma is a particularly important indicator, while tasting reveals features such as carbonation, bitterness and body.

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It is also important to highlight fermentation. If beer is made with the best ingredients but fermented improperly, it produces a poor-quality final product; while beer made with simple ingredients but fermented correctly produces a superior result.

Pouring beer into a glass also makes its aroma and appearance easier to assess and helps control the foam. Boan recommends tilting the glass at the start, then gradually straightening it to create a head without overflow.

Carbonation is not the only factor that affects tolerance. Alcohol strength, residual sugars left after fermentation, and filtering or clarification can also change the sensation. Beers with more alcohol or residual sugar may feel more intense and full-bodied. The article ends while discussing some craft beers that are sold without filtration.

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The ideal approach is not to drink directly from the container. Serving beer in a glass allows some of the carbonation to escape and can help reduce the feeling of heaviness that the gas produces in the stomach.