Tasting

What does a Frisian Pils taste like? First comes the fresh hop aroma, grassy and lightly herbal, then a lean body with a hint of bread crust in the background, and finally a bitterness that lingers long on the finish. It's dry, since hardly any residual sugar remains, which makes the beer refreshing rather than sweet.

Jever Pilsener serves as the prime example, a brand recognized across the entire country. It's also worth comparing it with the dark lager from Ostfriesen Bräu in Bagband, which offers entirely different roasted notes, and with the unfiltered Pils from the coastal brewery near Werdum, which comes across softer and slightly yeasty. Tasting these three side by side lets you experience the difference between bright, unfiltered, and dark beer styles.

In the north, Pils is traditionally served in a Pilsner glass, a slender, tall goblet on a stem, or in a tulip glass. The stem keeps the hand away from the beer, while the tulip shape concentrates the aroma. The beer should be served cool, around seven to nine degrees Celsius, so the hops come through and the beer doesn't taste flat.

Pouring requires patience. A Pils is poured in several stages to build a firm head of fine-pored foam; whether that takes seven minutes is more folklore than rule. What matters is that the glass is clean, since any trace of grease will cause the foam to collapse.

First-time tasters should give the beer a minute, then take a sniff before a small sip. The bitterness only reveals itself at the very back of the tongue.