Hladinka Is The Perfect Beer Pour For Foam Lovers

In America, it's common to think that if you receive a beer with a lot of foam on top, you received a bad pour but this isn't necessarily true across the rest of the world. If you're one of the beer contrarians who secretly love a good frothy pour then you need to learn about Hladinka. It features a technique that originated in the Czech Republic and involves a pour that has about a three-finger width of foam on top, which still leaves you with plenty of beer.

Most commonly the Hladinka is used with lagers, specifically pilsners, which offer the best ratio of foam to beer. This pour traps the aromatics of your beverage under the frothy topping, making it more enjoyable for a longer time. It also seals in the carbonation of your beer, making for a crisper sip long after you've poured your drink. This ultimately creates a nice balance to the hops-forward taste commonly found in pilsners and makes for a smoother drinking experience overall.

If you are pouring a Hladinka from a tap, you'll start by tilting your glass at a 45-degree angle from the spout. Then you'll make that heavier foam layer at the bottom of your glass and once it has reached the appropriate width you'll fill up the rest of your glass with your alcoholic beverage. To do this you'll need to fully open the tap so you have an even, quick, rush of beer that won't disturb the beautiful froth you've just created. It may take a little practice to get the result you want, but it will be well worth it in the end.

In addition to the Hladinka, two other Czech pours make the foam the star of the drink. The second level is the Snyt pour, which features about two-thirds of the glass having foam. It makes the beer incredibly light and is focused on being a refreshing sip, rather than a more filling beer. After the Snyt is the Mliko which is essentially just frothy goodness. It makes for a creamy, almost sweet beer as you drink and is sometimes thought of as a dessert beverage.

With these tips in mind, you can now make a foam-heavy drink at home or ask for one the next time you're at your favorite water hole.