Beer People #5
Join Us For a "Foam Frenzy" led by Legendary Beer Person, Robert Waegner
On Thursday, October 23rd, Beer People will welcome Advanced Cicerone, Robert Waegner*, for a delicious deep dive into the densely foam-capped world of Czech-style lager beer.
Beer People #5: Foam Frenzy will be a Celebration of Czech-style lager and its proper presentation.
The modern Czech lager brewing tradition was born in 1842 in Pilsen, a Bohemian city that today lies in the Czech Republic. The town hired Josef Groll, a brewing phenom from nearby Bavaria, to produce a signature beer. The beer Groll created in Pilsen constituted a BC/AD moment in beer history, after which nothing would be the same.
Many modern styles, such as German Pils, Munich Helles, Kolsch, modern commodity lagers, and even Belgian Tripel, have evolved to look and taste the way they do in reaction to the shockwaves that Groll’s new “Pilsener” beer (meaning “of Pilsen”) sent through the world.
Ironically, Czech brewers do not refer to their own creations as “Pilsners.” Instead, you will see these beers categorized by a number, which refers to their strength, and either the word svêtlé, meaning pale, or tmavé, meaning dark. You’ll even see the phrase polotmavé, meaning half-dark, to describe amber Czech-style lagers. The numbers typically range from 10 to 14 and correspond to an ABV range of roughly 4 to 6 percent. A 10-degree Czech lager should be around 4% ABV, and a 14-degree beer is approximately 6%. So if one refers to their beer as a “12-degree, polotmavé pivo,” they are drinking an amber lager around 5%.
Paulista regularly maintains a great selection of these styles and, critically, pours them through the traditional Lukr faucets*, which are manufactured in the Czech Republic and used by the top lager breweries around the world.
Any example of intentional draft beer presentation owes deference to the foundation laid by the uniquely nuanced taproom culture in the Czech Republic, where Lukr faucets are manufactured and talented tapsters deftly manipulate them to produce a variety of experiences for the drinker. Similar to how we’ve learned to order our espresso drinks with the appropriate volume and texture of milk, Czech beer drinkers are accustomed to ordering their draft beer poured and presented to their liking.
A “Hladinka” gets you a mug that is roughly half beer and half foam, believed to deliver the standard balance of sweet, wet foam and bitter, crisp lager. As is the case with most Italian espresso drinks, the sweet foam goes in first. Then, the elongated gooseneck shape of the Lukr faucet allows the lager to be poured beneath the foam cap, driving it up past the rim of the glass.
A “Šnyt” pour is about one-third beer, two-thirds foam, with space left at the top of the mug. It is said that these pours are ideal for drinking quickly, offered to patrons stopping in on a smoke break from a nearby café, or to those expected at home who can’t resist a beer after work.
A “Mliko,” or “milk pour,” is a mug full of sweet and creamy wet foam, traditionally enjoyed in a single gulp as a dessert beer. The “Čochtan” is just the opposite, no foam at all for a slow-sipped, bitter expression. A “Nadvakrát” delivers the same portions as the “Hladinka,” but reverses the order in which each portion is poured into the glass for a crisper experience. Join us on the 23rd and you might even see a “Řezané,” a sophisticated split pour reminiscent of the UK’s “Black & Tan,” which features a layered presentation of dark and pale lager in one mug.
WHAT WILL BE ON TAP?
Poured from Lukr Faucets
10°, Czech-style Pale Lager, Urban Roots Brewing, Sacramento, CA
Zenit 11°, Czech-style Premium Pale Lager, Dutchess Ales, Wassaic, NY
“Reality Czech,” Bohemian-style Pilsner (12°), Moonlight Brewing, Santa Rosa, CA
“Fellspring” 11°Tmavé (Czech-style Dark Lager), Geisthaus Brewing, Sacramento, CA
PLUS, as an added bonus, Paulista will be utilizing a special faucet to offer Japanese-style “sharp” pours of…
“PILS,” Craft Lager, Sierra Nevada, Chico, CA
…Sierra Nevada’s new “PILS” is a major foray into lager by the largest craft brewery in the country.
A “sharp” pour is a method for pouring draft beer to create a rich, dense foam cap with a high dissolved carbonation level. This technique involves a two-step process wherein a second, sharper pour layers a meringue-like cap of foam on top of a crisp, densely carbonated beer. The thick, creamy foam cap softens the beer’s flavor, making it less harsh.
In summary, Beer People #5: Foam Frenzy is all about craft beer’s emerging fascination and facility with producing and presenting lagers at a world-class level. If you have yet to enjoy an expertly brewed and poured Czech-style lager, I could not more strongly suggest that you join us on Thursday at Paulista.
**Bob will lead an invite-only course prior to this event, which will provide in-depth instruction on the proper use and maintenance of Lukr faucets. If you are an industry professional interested in joining us for this class, please send a request to sayre@beerandsoul.net.
What is Beer People?
A monthly event at Paulista Taproom, held on the last Thursday of every month from 5–10 PM. Part industry night, part meet-up, all love.
We’re creating a space for folks who still give a damn… those who treat beer as more than a product. This is for brewers and bartenders, wholesalers and beer buyers, Certified Cicerones and BJCP judges, lifers and newcomers. If you care about beer quality, beer culture, and the folks who produce both, consider yourself cordially invited.
Beer People is about re-centering connection, sharing stories, exchanging perspectives, inspiring one another, and reengaging the curiosity and community that brought us to beer in the first place.
Why now?
Because the industry is at an inflection point, taprooms are closing. Great people are leaving. Breweries are scrambling for new revenue streams. Many of us are tired, some of our most talented colleagues are underemployed, or questioning what’s next. But here’s the thing: now that the “smart money” has moved on, those of us who still care have a rare opportunity to reclaim this space. Beer People is for those of us who wish to build an industry rooted in integrity and community. Let’s make this industry feel like ours again.