Dispense
Nitrogen dispense
Dispense with a nitrogen-CO₂ blend through a restrictor plate, giving a dense creamy head and a notably softer palate.
Also known as nitro, nitrogen blend, creamflow.
Nitrogen dispense uses a blend of nitrogen and carbon dioxide pushed through a restrictor plate, which is what produces the surge and the dense, tight head.
The mechanism is solubility. Nitrogen is barely soluble in beer, so it comes out of solution immediately as very fine bubbles rather than staying dissolved. Because the blend carries much less carbon dioxide than a conventional keg, there is much less carbonic acid — so the beer reads softer, creamier and less bitter than the same liquid on CO₂.
It is a dispense choice rather than a different beer, and it suits styles whose bitterness would otherwise feel sharp. It also flattens some aromatic beers, which is why nitro IPA remains contested.
What it does to the beer
- Nitrogen is far less soluble in beer than CO₂, so it forms very small, stable bubbles instead of dissolving.
- Produces a dense, creamy, long-lasting head and the characteristic cascading effect as the beer settles.
- Low dissolved CO₂ means less carbonic bite, which softens roast bitterness and makes the beer feel fuller than its gravity suggests.
- The same beer served on CO₂ tastes sharper, thinner and more bitter — the dispense changes the perceived beer substantially.
How it is served
| Container | keg |
|---|---|
| Gas | Nitrogen/CO₂ blend |
| Temperature | 4–8°C |
| Carbonation | 1–2 vol CO₂ — volumes of CO₂ |
Temperatures are ranges with reasons, not targets. Cellar temperature in a British pub is a band that varies with the beer and the weather, and a degree either way is not a fault.
Styles served this way
- Alcohol-free stout
An alcohol-free dark beer where roasted grain does most of the work — one of the more successful conversions in the category.
- American stout
A bold, hop-forward stout combining strong espresso roast with American citrus and pine hop character.
- Dry stout
Sharp roasted-barley bitterness over a light body and a very dry finish — much lighter to drink than its colour suggests.
- Sweet stout
A stout sweetened with lactose, giving chocolate and cream character over a full body and gentle roast.
Other ways to serve beer
- Bottle conditioned — Beer refermented in the bottle with added yeast and sugar, producing natural carbonation and excellent ageing potential.
- Bottle, filtered — Filtered, force-carbonated bottled beer — bright and consistent, but less resilient with age.
- Cask, gravity-dispensed — Cask beer poured straight from the tap under gravity, with nothing between the cask and the glass.
- Cask, hand-pulled — Beer that completes fermentation in the cask and is drawn by hand pump without added gas, served at cellar temperature.
- Keg, CO₂ dispense — Filtered or unfiltered beer force-carbonated and dispensed under CO₂ pressure — the standard modern draught format.
- Tank beer — Unpasteurised beer delivered fresh to venue tanks — the Czech format that shows a pale lager at its best.
Compare dispense methods directly on the comparison index, or read how packaging affects freshness.
Last reviewed 2026-08-15.