1. Do you know where the terms fino and imperial come from?
If you’re in Porto — or in Coimbra — and you ask for an imperial, you might raise a few eyebrows. And saying fino at a bar in southern Portugal might have the same effect. These regional quirks, however, have a story behind them.
The word fino, more common in the north, is said to have originated in Coimbra in the 1940s thanks to a local bohemian named Toninho Saraiva, a familiar figure in the city’s student scene.
According to Boémia Coimbrã, a memoir by A. Nicolau da Costa, Toninho always asked for “a glass of beer in fine glass” — um copo de cerveja de vidro fino! The term fino stuck, referring to the slender Pilsner glass, and soon became the go-to word for draft beer across northern Portugal.
As for imperial, the name has its roots in one of those classic stories where a brand becomes synonymous with the product itself. Until 1916, there was a brewery in Lisbon called Germânia (its old building still stands, along with an iconic beer hall). It produced one of Portugal’s first draft beers — Imperial. The beer was served straight from wooden barrels and quickly became a hit across the city’s taverns. Ordering an Imperial became so common that the name stuck — and it’s still used today to mean a draft beer in Lisbon and the south.
2. Why is it called “beer on tap”?
“Beer on tap” (or cerveja de pressão, literally “beer under pressure”) refers to beer stored in a keg or tank and pushed through a tap system using carbon dioxide (CO₂) — a natural component of the beer — which propels it upward, defying gravity and straight into your glass.
Once served, though, time is of the essence. As the beer warms up, it quickly loses CO₂, flattening its texture and dulling the flavor. That’s why, when someone says a beer is “dead,” it means it’s lost its sparkle — now you know the science behind it.
3. Did you know we owe draft beer to an engineer?
In 1785, Joseph Bramah, a British engineer, changed beer forever by patenting the world’s first beer pump. His invention allowed beer to be served directly from kegs, and soon “beer engines” spread across pubs in Britain — and beyond.
With this innovation came new words: “drag,” “draw,” and “draught” (later simplified to “draft”), all referring to pulling beer from a cask. Thanks to Bramah’s ingenuity, pub culture — and the joy of a freshly poured pint — would never be the same.
4. What makes draft beer so special?
It all starts with the foam. When poured correctly, draft beer develops a smooth, creamy, and lasting head, giving it a pleasant, velvety texture and helping preserve its aroma and flavor.
And because draft beer is typically high-turnover — especially in popular bars — you’re almost always drinking beer that’s freshly brewed, vibrant, and full of character. In short, it’s beer at its best.
5. What makes a perfectly poured beer?
Choosing the right glass and mastering the 45-degree pour — that famous tilt that creates the ideal foam — are two golden rules for serving great draft beer.
But there’s more to it than that. Before the beer even touches the glass, it’s crucial to rinse the glass with high-pressure water to remove any lingering residue or flavors that could interfere with the beer’s purity.
Equally important is controlling the tap pressure, which should never exceed 3 bars. Too much pressure can speed up the pour, but it also leads to over-carbonation, flattening the flavor and texture. The perfect pressure varies depending on the style of beer, but balance is always key — it’s what separates a decent pour from a truly exceptional one.
6. Did you know there’s a bar in the U.S. that serves more than 300 different draft beers?
In countries like Belgium and Germany, legendary beer halls with dozens of taps are proof of how deeply this way of serving (and enjoying) beer is woven into European culture. But it’s across the Atlantic — in the United States, another beer-loving nation — that you’ll find the bar claiming to offer the largest draft beer selection in the world.
Located in North Carolina, the Raleigh Beer Garden boasts an astonishing 366 taps, proudly hosting what could be described as a true “festival of foam.” Spanning more than 8,500 square meters, it’s a paradise for beer lovers, where you could literally taste a different beer every day of the year — and still have some left to try.
