Raising beer awareness in Philadelphia: Ľuboš and Rebeka on how they will educate Americans about Czech lager
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How did you become "master bartenders"? Was it love at first sight, or did you get into tapping by accident?
Rebecca: I've been at Dva kohouti for about two and a half years. I worked in the pub before, a couple of times as a temp and so on. I came there a bit like a blind man to a violin. I knew they were looking for someone, and I was looking for a job, so I thought why not give it a shot? I'm still there with Ivcha (editor's note: general manager Ivana Kubíčková) and still happy.
Ľuboš: I came to Prague for school and I started serving at Lokál. After some time I tried tapping to see if I would enjoy it. There were plenty of tappers back then, but I wanted to try it out. I then went to ask the general manager if I could go through tap training, and I think I did pretty well, because they already had me behind the bar. I've been at Lokál for eight years and I've been a bartender for four years.
About Beer the Czech Way
In recent years, the North American continent has discovered the charm of Czech lagers. How to brew, treat and tap such beers properly is skill taught to foreign brewers and tappers through the Beer the Czech Way project. This international platform is sponsored by PIVO Institute, which was established within the framework of Ambiente and disseminates the culture of Czech lager abroad. The team, headed by master bartender Lucie Janečková and brewer Lukáš Tomsa, will travel to Philadelphia, USA, at the end of April, where they will transform Brü Craft & Wurst into an unadulterated Czech Beer Lounge.
Do you remember your very first draft? What did it look like then, and what would you say about it from today's perspective?
Rebecca: I can remember the one at Dva kohouti, but I don't think I remember my very first draft beer in my life. I think I was about 13, because my mum had a pub and that's definitely where I tried it first. It was after closing time at Dva kohouti, on a trial shift. I asked if I could have a beer and the guys on the team said go ahead and get a beer. They said it was good. (laughs)
Ľuboš: I don't know when exactly it happened, but I remember it was a terrible subplot. (laughs)
You're flying to Philadelphia soon. How are you looking forward to the trip and how does a taproom prepare for a flight across the ocean? Are you packing your favourite taps?
Ľuboš: Definitely the beer is going with us! (laughs) The last time I was on a trip like this, we brought glasses, washing sponges, hoses. Just technical stuff, in case something fails. And we take taps for sure.
How did it happen that you are the ones flying with Beer the Czech Way? Did you have to go through any interviews?
Rebecca: It was more or less an informal meeting, we were asked a few questions - what we expected from it and so on. At the end there was a conversation in English. Fortunately, it worked out.
You turn the local Brü Craft & Wurst into a "Czech Beer Lounge" for three days. Do you have any idea what it will look like?
Ľuboš: There will be a tapping school, among other things. The experience from the last event when we were in Vegas is that people could come to the different stations, talk about beer, find out why it's done in a certain way, and we could demonstrate right there. It's basically beer education.
Will you be taking turns at the stations?
Ľuboš: Probably yes. At the interview, we were asked if we wanted to do more tapping or technical stuff. A lot of people said they would like to try both, so I guess we'll be rotating positions.
Czech lager is on the rise in the US. To what do you attribute that?
Ľuboš: Americans experiment too much in beers, and Czech lager just has a great drinkability.
Rebeka: I agree. Lagers have much more drinkability than various IPAs, BUT and other top-fermented beers.
Ľuboš: They are all interesting beers, but you can't drink them all night.
Do you personally like them?
Rebeka: Sure, but we all have our favourite pint.
Ľuboš: I like the Local Sour from Dva kohouti.
Rebeka: We'll have that on tap next week, so stop by right now!
Ľubos, you've been overseas on Beer the Czech Way, specifically in Las Vegas. What was the biggest shock for the locals when they saw the Czech style of tapping?
Ľuboš: Most of the people from the industry attended the event, they had their own businesses and knew our LUKR taps. But when there was someone who didn't understand beer in such detail, they were surprised by the head. And even with a classic lager. When we showed them "mlíko" (a classic Czech pour consisting almost entirely of foam), they were completely blown away. It was a real shock to people outside the industry. And sometimes they were surprised by the fact that our beer was really bitter.
Is there anything you learned on your last trip that you're going to use in Philly?
Ľuboš: I've definitely learned a lot since last time. I've gotten a lot better at speaking English in front of more people. That will come in handy.
Rebecca, this will be a first for you. What are you most excited about and what are you looking forward to?
Rebecca: I have a lot of respect for the flight because it's going to be really long and I've never flown this far before. And what am I looking forward to? The beers and the guests. Americans are always very curious and ask very good questions about the subject. I know that very well just from being behind the bar.
At Ambiente, you're used to carefully handled beer. How challenging is it to maintain that standard thousands of miles away in a place that isn't primarily set up for it?
Ľuboš: I remember that brushes, sponges, special chemicals... just what we normally use here in Las Vegas. Otherwise, we have to rely on local equipment and have to use what we find there. Of course the choice of the enterprise itself is adapted to this, it is assumed that it must have the appropriate technical facilities.
Warm lager without foam
What is the most common mistake you see abroad when tapping? What is the main difference between them and us?
Rebecca: They tap the beer completely the other way around. First they pour the beer itself and then they add a centimetre of foam, which logically falls off immediately.
Ľuboš: You can definitely tell the difference in the care of the glass and the whole beer system. They don't usually wash the glass in their hands. For us, washing glasses by hand is a very common thing, but it's still a rarity out in the world.
You'll also be explaining to Americans why beer foam is important. How do they react when you put a classic Czech pour in front of them? Do they like it?
Rebecca: At Dva kohouti, we often have šnyt (a small pour, roughly half beer, half foam) on tap.. But sometimes I chat with strangers and offer them mlíko. Most of the time they are very surprised, but in a good way, they are happy about it. And then when you explain to them that the foam is there for a specific reason, they think about it and it makes sense to them.
Ľuboš: If I have the space for it in Lokal, I will do the same - I'll give them a small beer, a small šnyt, a small mlíko and a small chochtan, and let them taste everything and compare the different styles.
Have you ever tasted a classic American lager?
Ľuboš: Yes. And it was terrible. (laughs) It was fluffy without foam and in a cup. The beer was warm and tasteless, so it was just all wrong.
Rebecca: Wait, we have beer on tap right now that's brewed based on a recipe from America. It's a black lager from Sacred Profane Brewery and it's delicious!
Well, okay, but that's because you guys can tap it perfectly. (laughs)
Rebecca: I guess so, but I know that Sacred Profane brew our Czech style beer right here in the States.
What do you think will be the biggest interest at the event? What will Americans like the most?
Ľuboš: I think they will be more interested in will be the microbreweries than a classic pilsner.
Rebecca: And they definitely will a lot interested in mlíko.
And what are you looking forward to in terms of gastronomy in the US?
Ľuboš: Definitely the traditional cheesesteak (ed. note: grilled beef steak in a bun, which comes from Philadelphia). And otherwise... the last time I was in Vegas, I had a the absolute best sour doughnut. But mostly, we'll ask the locals what they like to drink, and go to the local breweries if we have time.
A brewery with a bar
