Tasting

What does beer from Central Bohemia taste like? A pale Krušovice smells of fresh bread and carries a mild, rounded bitterness. A Kozel has more hop pull and a drier finish. Dark beers like Černé or Kozel Černý evoke toasted bread and chocolate. An evening comparing two or three brands side by side is well worth it.

Drinking happens in the Hospoda, the Czech pub, out of a Půllitr. This is a half-liter glass, usually a mug with a handle or a slim tumbler. Unlike in southern Germany, people rarely order by size here, since the half-liter is the standard. Those wanting less ask for a Malé, the small glass.

As for temperature: pale lagers are drunk cool, but not ice-cold, roughly around eight degrees Celsius. Beer that's too cold locks in the aromas, leaving the bitterness and malt hidden beneath the chill. Dark lager may go into the glass a touch warmer.

Pouring takes practice. A skilled tapster tilts the glass, lets the beer flow in slowly, and straightens it at the end so a firm, fine-pored head of foam forms. This protects the beer from the air and keeps it fresh longer. At Kozel and Krušovice, it's considered an essential part of a properly poured glass.

Part of the ritual involves the beer coaster with tally marks. In many Hospodas, the server marks each glass as a stroke on the coaster, with the bill settled at the end. A new glass arrives without asking, until you place the coaster on top of your glass.