Tasting

What does beer from the hop town taste like? A Bohemian lager from the Saaz region smells first of meadow and herbs, then of fresh bread. On the palate it's soft, with bitterness arriving only at the finish and lingering a while without biting. The foam is fine-beaded and long-lasting.

In Žatec itself, you can get beer at the Temple of Hops and Beer. The U Orloje brewery is part of the complex, and there you can taste its house beer, said to be brewed with Saaz hops. Pivovar Žatec, on Žižkovo náměstí (Žižka Square), is another good address — it's also home to the brewery museum.

Serving is typically done in a půllitr, a half-litre glass, or a smooth, cylindrical mug or tankard. A pils tastes particularly good from a slender glass, since the hop aromas stay concentrated near the top. Dark beer suits a more rounded glass, which lets the malt notes unfold.

Serving temperature is around 6 to 8°C (43–46°F). Too cold, and the aroma hides; too warm, and the beer turns heavy and sweet. A well-poured beer should carry a crown of foam that neither overflows nor collapses before the glass is half empty.

When tasting, a simple sequence helps: look first, then smell, then take a small sip and let it sit briefly in the mouth. Taste it this way, and you'll notice the hop character isn't simply "bitter" — it comes in layers.