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Professional ‘beer pourers’ set to take over bars in Britain

August 25, 2016

Pilsner Urquell commits to teaching Brits the art of pouring beer properly with Tapster programme

Beer has become something of a hot topic in the UK with breweries and beer fans alike waxing lyrical about ingredients, brewing processes and ageing. However, there is one crucial element that is completely overlooked – how the beer is poured.

Pilsner Urquell, the original Pilsner from Plzeň, Czech Republic, has championed the art of the pour and is on a mission to educate Brits on its importance to the taste and quality of beer. To achieve this, it has launched a new programme to create an army of precision pourers, called Tapsters, to ensure the finest quality of Pilsner Urquell beer is served in UK bars every time.

Tapsters

• The Tapsters programme is an intensive five-day course at the brewery in Plzeň.
• Select bartenders from Pilsner Urquell tank bar outlets across the UK will learn the science and art of pouring beer, while carrying out work experience at the local tank bars.
• The typical pour in the UK is to fill the beer almost to the brim, with minimal head, which can often become bitter or unpleasant. However, if Pilsner Urquell is poured properly the foam should be a smooth and sweet version of the beer, acting as a protective barrier preventing the lager below from oxidising.
• The way it is poured can also have a significant effect on the taste of beer, and there are three signature styles in which Pilsner Urquell can be poured.
• Each has a different size head and all three styles have contrasting taste notes, despite being poured from the same tank.

Quote:

Robert Lobovsky, Pilsner Urquell Beer Master comments:

“A properly poured Pilsner beer should have a large head of creamy, wet foam to protect the lager beneath from becoming carbonated, making it a much more sessionable and tasty beer – this is one of the secrets behind the Czech Republic consuming the most beer per capita in the world!”

“Brewing the beer is only half of the picture, if not poured properly the work that goes into brewing it becomes redundant. The aim of the Tapster programme is to eventually have a Tapster in every Pilsner Urquell tank bar across the UK, ensuring the quality of the beer is of the highest standard.”

“The Brewmaster brews the beer, but the Tapster makes your beer!”

The art of the 3 pours

Hladinka pour (smooth) is the classic Czech way to pour Pilsner Urquell with half of the pint comprising of foam. This results in a perfectly balanced beer that is neither flat nor over-carbonated.

The Na dvakrát (crisp) has the least amount of foam of all the classic Pilsner pours. With a considerably smaller head, this style of pouring helps enhance the refreshing carbonation of the beer, which makes the flavour bright and refreshing.

Mliko (milk) is the closest thing you will get to a Pilsner ice cream and is made up of mostly foam, which may seem unusual. The result is a smooth and creamy pour with just a bit of beer at the bottom – and should be drunk quickly.