So what is the proper way to pour a beer? Growing up, my dad taught me that you're supposed to pour down the side of the glass to minimize the head you get, but I know that head retention is kind of a big deal. In an article on the BJCP site, it says to pour straight down the center of glass. I have a feeling the "pour down the side" method came from BMCers who don't give two ****s about head retention.