And now, for some science:

Discovery of beer gene could improve ‘foam character’

Scientists have found the first gene for beer foam, a discovery which they say will help researchers perfect the frothy “head” atop a freshly poured pint.

Researchers from Spain and Australia say they have identified the yeast gene which helps produce the proteins needed to create bubbly foam, in a study published in the journal of Agricultural and Food Chemistry.

“This novel protein is responsible for beer foam stabilization,” the researchers wrote. “This report represents the first time that a brewing yeast foaming gene has been cloned and its action fully characterized… Foam quality is an important organoleptic property of beer that directly correlates to consumer appeal.”

[…]

Really:

Cloning and Characterization of the Beer Foaming Gene CFG1from Saccharomyces pastorianus

Foam production is an essential characteristic of beer, generated mainly from the proteins present in the malt and, to a minor extent, from the mannoproteins in brewer’s yeast cell walls. Here, we describe the isolation and characterization of the novel fermentation gene CFG1 (Carlsbergensis foaming gene) from Saccharomyces pastorianus. CFG1 encodes the cell wall protein Cfg1p, a 105 kDa protein highly homologous to Saccharomyces cerevisiae cell wall mannoproteins, particularly those involved in foam formation, such as Awa1p and Fpg1p. Further characterization of Cfg1p revealed that this novel protein is responsible for beer foam stabilization. This report represents the first time that a brewing yeast foaming gene has been cloned and its action fully characterized.

And here you thought all boffins were boring.