Join us in the taproom every Wednesday at 5pm for $5 mugs of fresh lager
We decided to create Side-Pull Wednesdays at Old Thunder for a few reasons:
To create a unique experience for our guests;
To bring people together (safely and comfortably) in order to meet and socialize; and
To celebrate well-made lager, by serving it in the best way possible.
Our goal is to build conversations and memories in the taproom - lager is the catalyst.
Long before we opened here in Blawnox, our vision was to establish a welcoming environment, where guests could drink great beer and enjoy each other's company;
Side-Pull Wednesdays give us a great opportunity to continue that vision.
So, what the heck is a side-pull?
Below is a picture of our Lukr side-pull: this is a specialized faucet from the Czech Republic that creates a unique and historic lager-drinking experience. It is used all over Central Europe, including in the legendary taprooms of Pilsner Urquell.
Lukr faucets are ideal for lager beer, because they create dense “wet-foam,” which is as enjoyable to drink as the liquid itself.
They differ from standard faucets in a few ways:
The handle pulls from side-to-side instead of up and down (hence the name side-pull);
It has a long neck, which allows the faucet to be submerged (more on that soon); and
There is a small screen inside the tip of the neck that helps to break out carbonation as the beer flows through it, which creates that dense “wet-foam".
Now for a little bit on Czech-style pouring
There is a very distinct way to pour from this type of faucet (specifically, we are talking about the "Hladinka" or standard Czech pour):
Start by just cracking open the faucet to create a stream of foam, before placing the mug beneath it. Once the foam is flowing, position the mug so that the neck of the faucet is the whole way down to the bottom of the glass. Allow the mug to fill with foam until about a three-finger head is formed, and then fully open the faucet to fill the rest of the mug with beer. This is very different from a standard faucet pour, because you create the head first and then fill the beer underneath, which traps the flavors and aromas under the foam. While dipping the neck of a standard faucet is poor practice, Lukr faucets are designed to be fully-submerged. Finally, when the foam reaches the top of the mug, pull the neck out of the beer and quickly move the mug away from the faucet, so that no drops can fall and disrupt the beautiful foam that was just created.
Join us in the taproom every Wednesday from 5pm until 10pm, for $5 side-pulls of lager.
We hope to pour a mug for you soon!