Pilsener

Pilsener or pilsner is a type of lager beer. It was developed in the city of Plzeň (Pilsen in German), Bohemia (now Czech Republic). It is generally distinguished from other lagers by a more prominent hop character, particularly from Saaz (pronounced zot-za) noble hops.

Up to the 1840s, Czech beers were top-fermented, dark and cloudy, though Bavarian brewers had begun "lagering" beer in cold caves using bottom-fermenting yeasts, which improved its clarity, flavour, and shelf-life. The Mestansky Pivovar (Burgess Brewery) recruited the Bavarian brewer Josef Groll (1813-1887) who, using new techniques and the newly available paler malts, created the first batch of modern pilsner on 5th October 1842. The combination of pale colour from the new malts (helped by Pilsen's remarkably soft water), noble hops and Bavarian-style lagering produced a clear, golden beer which caused a sensation. Improving transport and communications meant this beer was available throughout central Europe, and its style was soon widely imitated. The invention of modern refrigeration by Carl von Linde obviated the need for caves in which to store the beer. However, until recently the Pilsner Urquell brewery still fermented their beer using open barrels in the cellars underneath their brewery.

Pilsner Urquell is billed as "the world's first golden beer."

Some Pilsners:

• Pilsner Urquell
• Budweiser Budvar, also marketed under the name "Czechvar"
• Grolsch
• Holsten
• Beck's
• Krombacher
• König Pilsener
• Radeberger Pilsner
• Utica Club
• Zywiec