Tasting

What does a Pils from Hannover taste like? Pale yellow in the glass, with a fine-pored white head, a hint of bread crust and herbs, and a clean bitterness that stays dry on the finish. Gilde Pilsener and Ratskeller Premium Pils from the Gilde Brauerei serve as flavor examples.

The Herrenhäuser brand, from Hannover's Herrenhausen district and founded in 1868, also belongs here. Wolters Pils stands as an example of a Braunschweig brand currently fighting for its future.

The Pils tulip glass works best. Its slender base concentrates the carbonation, and there's room for the head to form. It's served at around 6 to 8 degrees Celsius; colder numbs the flavor, warmer lets the bitterness come through more.

When pouring, hold the glass at an angle to the tap, then straighten it up as the foam rises, letting the head crown just over the rim. How long this takes depends on the setup, not on any fixed rule.

Anyone tasting Mumme is better off with a small glass. It tastes sweet, malty, and intense, more like a dessert than a thirst-quencher, so a single glass is usually more than enough.

Start by smelling the glass: bread, hay, and a touch of citrus belong in a freshly tapped Pils, whereas coffee or caramel don't. After pouring, the head should stand about two fingers tall and leave lacing on the glass as you drink; that lacing is a sign of a properly cleaned glass.