The Czech Republic tops the list of the highest beer consumers in the world with 143.3 litres consumed per capita annually. So it’s fair to say they know a thing or two about how to brew, serve and enjoy beer. We all know about the importance of the brewer in producing a fantastic brew, but in the Czech Republic the Tapster is as equally revered. The Tapster will be professionally qualified and turns the pour from just a dispense into an art form. Their mastery can change not just the appearance of the brew but, more crucially, the taste. The wet micro foam they produce protects the liquid beer from oxidation thereby reducing the bitterness in the lager.

Here are the four standard pours, each with an increasing amount of foam and a decreasing amount of C02, running from left to right in the image opposite. These have been expertly poured by Marek Průša, Chief Tapster at Bohem Brewery in London. 

“Čochtan” - this has minimal foam to maximise the crisp carbonation of the lager. It’s what you’d expect of a pint in Britain but the pros at Bohem Brewery in London don’t recommend drinking lager this way: “it is too bitter!” 

“Hladinka” is made up of 20-25% foam. This classic way of pouring produces a well-balanced flavour.

“Šnyt” is 50% foam; although this way of enjoying lager fell out of favour it’s now making a comeback. It’s the way to enjoy a smaller serving without the ‘indignity’ of a smaller glass!

“Mlíko” (the milk pour) is almost entirely foam and is perfect for slurping down quickly on a sunny day or for rounding off the night. Far from being a bland and watery bad pour, Bohem Brewery describe Mlíko as “sweet and creamy, and brings forward the Saaz hop flavours”. Smooth rather than gassy, the milk pour has the added bonus of being less bloating than the British way of serving lager, making it far more sessionable.