Want to pour the perfect Czech beer? Welcome to the Tap School
Get the perfect pour!
Training makes masters, and during this 4.5-hour course you'll be in the hands of the most competent master bartender Lucie Janečková. Lucka will put you behind the tap, teach you the different styles of tapping, explain the difference between mixed and cut beers and guide you through the whole process, from the correct tilt of the glass to why not to tap beer too quickly. The tapping process itself may look simple, but to get a perfect pint, there's a lot to get your head around!
"Not many people order a "mlíko" in a pub just to try it out, so participants are surprised when we talk about it, wondering who's having it, how and why. And they're also surprised that we've only been serving Pilsner all this time, because each pint has tasted different," says Lucka. The amazement is also aroused by the "čochtan", which may not look so appealing to Czechs because it lacks foam, but it tastes great!
History, technology and beer glass
But the course is not limited to draught. You will also learn about the history of taps, the differences between tank and cask beer and the technologies used in tapping. "I'll show you how to use the different taps. You'll touch the Baroque rotary tap, the Celli lever tap and the Freedom tap that we have at Ambiente, at Dva kohouti and Pult," says Lucka.
An important part of beer care is also clean beer glassware, so you'll get a taste of how to wash it properly, and finally you will learn how to pour beer from a bottle at home, either from a glass or PET.
Why the Lukáš Svoboda Tap School?
And why does this course bear the name of Lukáš Svoboda? Because he was the one who founded it in Lokál thirteen years ago, and ran it for several years. In the meantime, the school has undergone a change and today it is only Lucka who is in charge. "We kept the name because it was the first tap school in the Czech Republic. We never made a secret of how beer is tapped in Lokál, on the contrary, we wanted to spread it further," he explains the initial idea of the school.
The school is open not only to the general public, but also to bartenders from Ambiente. It's even compulsory for all Lokál's bartenders to go through it, as part of their three-month training. "The course is always for ten people, of which no more than two are from Lokál," says Lucka. Most of the participants in this afternoon beer adventure regularly consists of men, but women are certainly present too.
"I'm not talking about tappers from other pubs now, but simply female beer drinkers who have a small tap in their cottage, for example, and want to be able to tap the perfect beer when their friends arrive. And the guys? They often get the course as a gift from their wives," laughs Lucka.
What you tap, you drink!
After all, four and a half hours is quite a long time, but don't worry, you won't starve during the course. We'll prepare the right snacks to go with your beer. "And you'll have plenty of beer too, because what you pour you have to drink too," Lucka points out.
At the end you will take away a diploma, a gift and most importantly, a good dose of beer wisdom. The atmosphere is always great, because only the best people gather around beer. So good luck on tap and see you there!
