Tasting

What does beer from North Moravia taste like? A pale lager from Radegast or Litovel smells of bread crust and herbs, tastes malty with a clear hop bitterness, and finishes dry to lightly bitter. The foam is dense and clings to the glass. A dark beer, by contrast, smells of toasted bread and tastes of caramel and cocoa, without feeling heavy.

Four names serve well as examples. Radegast (Nošovice) represents the boldly hopped side. Litovel showcases the Haná style with its soft malt character. Holba from Hanušovice in the north and Ostravar from Ostrava round out the picture, the latter also known for its dry stout, Kelt.

At the pub, beer is served in a půllitr, a half-liter glass, usually with a handle. A handled glass keeps your hand off the glass itself, so the beer stays cool. Smaller 0.3-liter glasses are available too. Drink your lager slowly, and you'll notice how the malt and bitterness shift as the beer warms in the glass.

The ideal serving temperature is around six to eight degrees Celsius. Too cold, and the aromas fall silent. Too warm, and the malt's sweetness buries the bitterness. An ice-cold lager tastes of very little, which is why it's best left to warm in the glass for a few minutes.

When it comes to pouring, the foam head is everything. The bartender lets the beer flow into a wet glass, tilting it at first, then straightening it until a proper crown of foam forms. That foam shields the beer from oxygen, keeps the carbonation locked in, and makes the first sip wonderfully creamy.