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it’s called the “beer head” and it’s formed by carbon dioxide! beer is a fermented alcoholic drink, so the gas is produced naturally during it’s making.
the ingredients makes a difference when it comes to the “quality” of the foam, as wheat makes better heads than barley does, for example.
Why does beer have a lasting foam head, while lemonade or Coca-Cola does not?
The foam is made up of small bubbles.
The faster you pour the more gas escapes the liquid, rises to the top and forms those bubbles
The amount and the stability of those bubbles depends on the the liquid used.
Clean drinking water, probably no bubbles.
River water sometimes foams a little when conditions are right.
Soapy water? That gets sold as a kids toy because they make such big bubbles.
Beer does have CO2 dissolved into it. The CO2 is a natural product of yeast fermentation. The CO2 can also be forced into flat beer. Head retention is determined mostly by the protein content of beer. This varies based on the recipe. When beer is poured quickly the sudden agitation and the extra space allow the CO2 to escape the liquid that they are dissolved in.
I’ve done a good bit of home brewing. Controlling the carbonation levels to get just the right amount of bubbles is tricky. I’ve had a few foamy disasters that tasted good.
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