First came mlíko, which gave us “milk tubes,” “mlíko bombs,” and other variations on the all-foam beer serve. With bars and taprooms looking for new ways to attract customers, will the two-beer mix known as řezané pivo be the next Czech pour to win over the craft beer world?
It certainly feels like the time for it. Roughly translated as “cut beer,” řezané pivo includes both dark lager and pale lager, often (though not always) poured in two separate layers, giving each glass plenty of visual appeal, just like mlíko. (Starting with the famously difficult Ř sound, the full name sounds a lot like “rzhez-on-eh pee-voh,” depending on how many of them you’ve ordered.) As with the all-foam pour, řezané fits perfectly into the burgeoning craft lager movement. But unlike mlíko, řezané is more clearly rooted in Czech tradition, feeling less like a parlor trick, at least for some locals.
Lukáš Provazník, owner of the beer bars Ochutnávková Pivnice and Malt Worm in the Czech Republic’s second city of Brno, says that he’s rarely seen people drink the all-foam mlíko or its zero-foam counterpart, čochtan, in his homeland. But that doesn’t hold true for the traditional blend of dark and pale lagers in the same glass. “I’ve seen mlíko twice, maybe, and čochtan never,” he says. “But řezané, yeah — it’s a thing.”
With more rich malt character than a standard pale lager, řezané pivo seems like a perfect fit for cooler weather. And with Czech-style beers and the country’s Lukr taps spreading across North America, many outlets should already have what they need to offer it, though awareness about the style is only just starting. Interestingly, it also appears to be moving on from longstanding tradition in its homeland.
A Legal Matter
Unlike mlíko, 20th-century books and periodicals contain plenty of references to řezané pivo, including Karel Ptáčník’s 1958 novel “Ročník Jedenadvacet” and the “Průvodce Pražskými Hospodami” (or “Guidebook to Prague Pubs”) from 1991. In another big difference from the all-foam pour, řezané pivo is even defined by Czech law, where the country’s legal decree on beverages lists it as “a mix of pale and dark beer.”
That codifies the kegged, canned, or bottled version of řezané, which results in a half-dark, amber-colored mix that technically cannot be called “half-dark lager,” since the same Czech law also defines the half-dark lager style as brewed and not blended. A few, mostly smaller regional breweries, do sell pre-mixed versions, including Nová Paka, Bakalář, and Konrad.
But řezané really takes its highest form in pubs that pour it from two different taps. Sometimes, that means the two beers are served completely mixed, as I was informed when I recently ordered a řezané at U Slovanské lípy, the oldest still-functioning pub in Prague’s Žižkov neighborhood. But at its best, řezané is carefully poured in two distinct strips, much like the blend of Guinness and pale ale that is most diplomatically called a half and half.
“The most interesting thing about řezané is that if you pour it properly, there are two layers,” Provazník says. “You can make a pour that looks like a bee or a wasp.”
Striking visual appeal counts as one upside. The other is the customization angle. The most common take on řezané features golden Pilsner Urquell on the bottom and dark Kozel lager on top, two of the most widely distributed draft beers in the Czech Republic. That’s how the drink is served at the country’s Lokál pub chain, which has been a big promoter of mlíko, šnyt, and other special pouring styles ever since it opened in 2009.
“It’s a word of mouth that seems to be happening here. People are showing up and they’re bringing a friend or two and being like, ‘Are you guys offering the cut beer today?’”
Given that řezané is not strictly brand-specific, drinkers can ask for their own variation, depending on what’s on tap. Want a řezané that’s less bitter? Order one with a lower-IBU lager. Want more caramel notes? Ask for a bigger portion of dark lager. If a pub has four pale lagers and two darks on tap, you’ve got eight different options for a cut beer, at least one of which will probably suit your mood.
With generally more hoppy bitterness than the average dark lager, yet also more roasty dark malt character than any pale lager, a well-poured řezané pivo seems like an ideal food pairing for the fall, when Czech pubs traditionally start to offer venison, boar, and other hearty game dishes, many of which have smoky and bittersweet characteristics. It also feels right for the in-between nature of the season, serving as a bridge between the country’s bitter pale summer lagers and the sweeter dark beers that many locals consider winter beverages.
That all might be true. But Provazník thinks řezané’s ability to pair with food and its seasonal suitability are entirely secondary.
“I think the most interesting thing about řezané is how the beer looks, not the taste,” he says.
A Truly Slow Pour
People who pour řezané seem to agree. At Godspeed Brewery in Toronto, the style has recently become a fan favorite, according to operations manager Pat Thomson, after it was introduced a couple of years ago. If one person goes for řezané, he says, everyone else nearby is likely to order the same thing.
“It’s a word of mouth that seems to be happening here,” he says. “People are showing up and they’re bringing a friend or two and being like, ‘Are you guys offering the cut beer today?’”
As a brewer at Pivovar Zichovec near Prague, Ema Reisenauerová understands that it might seem like heresy to mix two beers together, especially if they’re both well made and balanced. But as someone who also taps and serves beer, she enjoys the challenge of creating a single work of art from two draft lines.
“It’s always a fun show for people, for guests in the pub,” she says. “It’s my guilty pleasure.”
To pour a řezané with clearly defined layers, bartenders should pay attention to each beer’s final gravity, with the higher number going into the glass first. In practice, that generally means that the strongest beer sits on the bottom, like the Pilsner Urquell (with 4.4 percent ABV) topped with a layer of dark Kozel (with 3.8 percent ABV) at Lokál. While dark on top of light is the most traditional serve, the colors can also be inverted, if the final gravity of the dark lager is higher than that of the golden beer.
Magda Hoppová, a brewer and beer server best known for her work at the Prague beer bar Pult, says that a Lukr tap really helps bartenders keep the layers of a řezané pivo separated, thanks to its ability to control the flow of the beer and produce foam.
No matter what side of the bar you’re on, there’s no point in trying to rush things. “When you order a řezané, you have to be prepared that you’re waiting for the beer to be served,” she says. That can easily take seven or eight minutes, which can definitely complicate things if the bar is busy.
“It’s been just as popular this summer as it has been in our winter. I think it has a lot to do with the eye catch — it passes the eye test right away.”
While it’s fine to put down the first layer of beer quickly, generally without any foam at all, both Hoppová and Reisenauerová recommend pouring in the next layer as just foam, which then needs time to settle out before it is topped up to fill the glass. That slow-moving approach will help keep the layers well defined. Although they’re separated in the glass, a big gulp will let drinkers get a bit of both.
“Drinking řezané means you have to be thirsty,” Hoppová says. “You have to drink more to taste these two beers at once.”
Tradition Moves On
Although řezané traditionally contains just two beers, conventional wisdom teaches us that more is more. Godspeed has moved on to a three-layer pour it calls třezané, layering a stronger pale lager under a dark lager with an additional cut of an even lighter pale lager on top.
“It’s like a sampler in a glass,” Thomson says. “It’s a fun way to try three different styles of Czech lager at once.”
Another variation at the taproom includes an Oktoberfest special, which gives three German-style lagers — Festbier, Dunkles, and Helles — the same Czech treatment. On busy weekends, the taproom regularly cranks out up to 40 orders of řezané, despite the time it takes to make them, with some ending up on social media.
“They want to take a photo of it — they want to post it,” he says.
While working at the Dva Kohouti taproom in Prague, Hoppová has made versions of řezané pivo with as many as six distinct beer layers, much like a beery version of a Pousse Café cocktail.
While pros can use high-end Lukr taps, Provazník says that a steady hand and a slow pour over the back of a spoon can bring similar results for řezané drinkers at home. As for the seasonality of the style, that’s up for debate.
“It’s been just as popular this summer as it has been in our winter,” Thomson says. “I think it has a lot to do with the eye catch — it passes the eye test right away.”
Or maybe that’s just how it works up north. Hoppová says she thinks of dark lager as a winter drink, while she drinks more pale lager in the summer. A well-poured řezané brings the best of both to one glass.
“If you drink it properly, it’s still pretty refreshing, so it could be an all-year thing, but I see it as more fitting for when the weather starts to feel cozy,” she says. “I would certainly choose this instead of pumpkin spice.”
