Does Heineken Really Foam for Exactly 5 Minutes?

You've probably heard the claim: Heineken beer is supposedly designed to foam for exactly five minutes. It sounds impressively precise—like Dutch brewing engineers timed it with stopwatches. But here's the thing: it's completely false.

The confusion stems from a mix-up between "5 minutes" and "5 percent." Heineken does have an official standard involving the number five, but it has nothing to do with time.

The Real 5% Standard

Heineken's actual specification is that a perfectly poured beer should be 95% beer and 5% foam by volume. This ratio isn't arbitrary—the foam head serves several important purposes. It releases the beer's aromatic compounds (making it smell better), creates a seal that prevents oxidation, and keeps carbonation from escaping too quickly.

When bartenders are trained to pour Heineken on draught, they learn the 45-degree skimming technique to achieve this precise ratio. The foam should sit solidly on top, perfectly balanced on the arms of the iconic red star logo.

Why Beer Foam Doesn't Work Like a Timer

Designing beer to foam for an exact duration would be nearly impossible. Foam retention depends on dozens of variables that brewers can't control:

• Glass cleanliness – Even trace amounts of dish soap destroy foam instantly
• Temperature – Warmer beer loses carbonation faster
• Pouring technique – Aggressive pours create larger, less stable bubbles
• Humidity and altitude – Environmental factors affect bubble stability

According to research from foam scientists (yes, that's a real specialty—Dr. Charles Bamforth at UC Davis is known as "the Pope of Foam"), head retention is influenced by the beer's protein content, hop compounds called isohumulones, and residual yeast. Wheat malts and crystal malts improve foam, while higher-alcohol beers and oils from unwashed glasses kill it.

Where the Myth Came From

The "5 minutes" claim likely originated from someone misunderstanding Heineken's "5% foam" standard, possibly through translation errors or simple mishearing. Once it hit the internet, it spread like wildfire—because precise-sounding "facts" about brands always do.

Some beers do maintain their head longer than others. German wheat beers (hefeweizens) are famous for thick, long-lasting foam thanks to their high wheat content. But even the foamiest beer isn't engineered to hit a specific time mark.

The bottom line: Heineken's magic number is 5%, not 5 minutes. The foam lasts as long as physics, chemistry, and your glass cleanliness allow—which is definitely not something you can set your watch to.