The Side-Pull Tap: A Taproom Experience
From plan to pour, we kept our Czech-style brews true to form and adhered to traditional measures and methods wherever possible. We’re lucky enough to have two Czech-style side-pull taps in our taproom, intentionally designed to dispense tight, dense bubbles, allowing us to control the carbonation of the served beer. These taps are different from North American style faucets in that they allow the bartender to adjust just how much foam is poured into the beer glass.
When you visit our taproom to try beers, ask one of our taproom staff to show you our side-pull taps and the different styles of pours we’re offering:
HLADINKA- The “Smooth” Pour
The first style of pour that we offer is the Hladinka style pour, which, well, there's no clear translation in English. It’s known as the "Smooth" pour. Hladinka is the recommended pouring style for our Czech style beers! The intent here is to knock out some carbonation while pouring it so the beer has a softer mouthfeel because of the lower resulting carbonation. The increased amount of foam will also change the flavour a bit, getting more hops to pop on the flavour and aroma. Less carbonation means the beer can be drunk faster, since you won't feel so bloated from all those bubblies!
For this pour, we aim to create about 3 fingers worth of foam, which is about 40% foam, 60% beer, in our glassware. We start by opening the tap halfway to pour pure foam to about 40% of the glass, and then open the tap fully while keeping the faucet submerged under the beer level and fill with clear beer till the foam hits the top of the glass. This pour allows for a smoother mouthfeel of the beer.
NA Dvakrat - The “Crisp” Pour
We also offer the Na Dvakrat pour, roughly translating to "twice" or "in two steps". This is the "Crisp" pour, and it’s the closest to a classic North American way of pouring beer. The intent here is to maintain as much carbonation in the pour, so that the beer stays bubbly for longer. You’ll want to try the Na Dvakrat pour if you're thinking about having one beer and want it to last for a long conversation with a friend, or maybe during dinner. The beer is poured in two steps. We start the pour with the tap fully open, filling the glass with as little foam as possible, preventing any carbonation from escaping. We then top off the glass with dense foam to the brim.
Mliko - The “Milk” Pour
Our taproom staff can also treat you to a final style of pour. The Mliko pour, which literally just translates to milk. It's all foam, and starts just like the Hladinka pour but you maintain the foam all the way to the brim of the glass. It's a novelty pour that few Czech people order, but it's a fun one to try. The idea is to knock out as much carbonation out of the beer, creating a super smooth, and more hoppy flavour and aroma. It's fun to experience, and a good way to see just how much beer there is trapped in the dense foam.
Swing by the taproom to czech out our dueling side pull taps.