A recent tasting event at Sojourn Fermentory, a craft brewery in Sussex, Virginia, helped open people’s eyes to the fact that beer is more than just a beverage, head brewer Mike Pawley says. Rather, the pouring and tasting experience, which demonstrated classic Czech draft beer service thanks to the brewery’s imported Lukr faucet, helped attendees in understanding how beer can foster a communal atmosphere while creating a unique environment.

The Virginia craft brewery isn’t alone. Breweries and beer bars in numerous markets are increasingly showcasing traditional European draft-pouring service as consumers seek to enhance their beer knowledge while having fun. Sojourn and other craft brewers, for example, now offer Mlíko pours, traditional Czech beer servings poured from side-handled faucets that are nearly entirely comprised of wet creamy foam (“mlíko” translates to milk). In some cases, the pours are served in small stange glasses and consumed like a shot of spirits.

For the last four years, Pennsylvania’s Wolf Brewing has offered 9.6-ounce Mlíko pours of some of its brews, and according to co-founder and head brewer Derek Wolf, the beer is meant to be consumed quickly before the wet foam settles. “We describe it as like drinking a cloud,” Wolf says. “It’s very velvety and creamy.” The Czech-style faucet that pours the beer also “brings out a lot of the hop flavor,” he adds. Among the brews recently offered as Mlíko pours at Wolf were Stochl Pils, Czech the Forest amber ale, and Dusk ‘Til Dawn dark Czech-style lager (each $4 a pour). In addition to Mlíko drafts, the Pennsylvania craft brewery serves “7-minute slow pours ($8),” half-liter mugs of wet foam that are continuously topped off with fresh foam over a 7-minute period, until the wet foam domes outside the glass.

Pilsner Urquell, the Czech lager imported by Molson Coors Beverage Co., also supports authentic draft-pouring rituals, including the Mlíko and other pours from a side tap. “There are quite a few techniques used to create that perfect eye-catching Pilsner Urquell pour, and the secret is in the foam,” says Liz Cramton, director of imports at the Chicago-based company. “The foam on a Pilsner Urquell is a sign of quality, gives the beer a balanced taste, and helps keep the beer fresher for longer.”

Draft kölsch beer service is another tactic steeped in tradition that’s emerging at breweries and bars. Holy Grale gastropub in Louisville, Kentucky has replicated the Cologne, Germany tradition since 2011 in its beer garden. Under the program, guests are served bottomless 7-ounce stange glasses of brews like Reissdorf kölsch ($3). Each round is marked on an accompanying coaster, and when guests have had enough, they simply place the coaster over the glass and are charged accordingly. According to co-worker Lori Beck, Holy Grale has served as many as 713 stanges a night under the program. Other craft breweries including Minnesota’s Lupulin and Pennsylvania’s Dancing Gnome also promote kölsch service, and Pawley says that Sojourn Fermentory plans to add the program this year.

While traditional draft service offers can be profitable for bars and breweries, providing a fun and unique environment for guests is the primary motivator. “There’s something special about collectively enjoying one of the most refreshing beers, cold, and right off the tap on a hot, humid Kentucky night,” notes Beck of kölsch service. “Customers love the fun and casual atmosphere. It feels like a party and attracts people from all walks of life.”

At Wolf Brewing, meanwhile, the theater of Mlíko and 7-minute pours easily drives sales. “A big plus is that along with a regular draft pour, we can sell three different pours at once,” explains the brewery’s co-founder. As a patron quickly downs a Mlíko and sips on a crisp (or regular) draft, “we’re working on the seven-minute slow pour. It’s a showstopper and we’ve had many customers ask for one after seeing it served to others.” Wolf Brewing typically sells between a dozen to a few dozen side pours a week, he says.

Beck and Wolf say that while Mlíko and kölsch beer service can be labor intensive, the investment is well worth it. “We don’t do it for the money,” says Beck of Holy Grale’s kölsch program. “It’s part of our DNA, a tradition that brings pride and joy to our patrons and team.”