How to recognise a well-poured beer

We give beer a good name

At the PIVO Institute we develop beer technology, run courses for professionals and the public, sanitise and rent taps, and spread the word about Czech lager. For our generation, and the next.

Combine your love of beer with one of our courses, beer walks or business events. You'll learn how to spot a good pour, and how to do it yourself. Wherever you might be.

Institut PIVO

"We are a beer nation, but without a beer culture," says Lukáš Svoboda, who takes care of the quality of the beer in all Lokál pubs. "The basis is a wet, cold and perfectly rinsed glass...in short, beer-clean glassware," he says. Then, it's about the skill of the bartender and the guest's wishes.

Hladinka

The basic style, where the full effect the art of the bartender shines through, is "hladinka" – a large beer with foam up to the rim of the glass...poured in a single draught. The result is a pint at the perfect temperature, with the right ratio of beer and creamy head with a slight kick.

But the fact remains that the most common way of tapping beer in this country is the double draught. "Unfortunately, it's not the best way," says Lukáš. "Often you don't stick with double tapping, but you need more attempts and the beer loses its flavour, temperature and bite. The head turns into something unidentifiable and the beer doesn't benefit from it," he adds.

Šnyt

A šnyt is indulged in by the tapper after a new cask has been tapped to check its quality. It used to be popular with regulars before leaving the pub to go home, and today it's making a comeback among beer connoisseurs. Even Karel Čapek wrote about it: "The beer drinker, when he does not want to drink, but only to wet his whistle, does not have a third, which he would be ashamed of in front of the whole world, but a šnyt."

A šnyt looks like a small beer with a rich foam in a large pint. "I'll make the head a little higher, but I won't take it all the way to the rim," Svoboda adds. And why drink one? "Guys like beer from a big pint. But they don't have to drink the šnyt as quickly because it has a rich, creamy head that protects the beer. It keeps it cold and beautifully fresh," he explains.

Mlíko vs čochtan

Mlíko, which translates to "milk", is a peculiar way of tapping. At first glance, the beer resembles a glass of milk because the pint is full of creamy beer foam. The charm of milk becomes apparent when it is downed in one. Surprisingly, after drinking it, you can smell the beer, but it's softer and, above all, sweeter. "Milk is popular among women, or regulars who have it after their fourth or fifth beer instead of a shot, because it wakes them up nicely," Svoboda adds. in contrast, a čochtan has no foam. The challenge of a bartender is to fill the glass to the brim with beer only.

The advantage of this pour is that it contains 100% natural carbon dioxide, thanks to which it has an unusually high level of bite and richness. "Not to be confused with slow dripping, this beer is very fresh, it just doesn't have a head to protect it from weathering, so it must be drunk quickly," explains Lukáš Svoboda. Čochtan is the most refreshing of all the pours, and ideal for quenching thirst.