Pilsner Beer Style Feature - A Pilsner Beer Glass

Defining the Pilsner Style: from the 1800s to Today

The history of Pilsner (or Pilsener) is not like any other beers. The style was invented in the Czech Republic town of Pilsen in the late 1800s. It was a beer so revolting, it was said to have been a dark sludge consumed through straws to avoid all the floating sediment at the top that the townspeople decided they had had enough and dumped out more than 30 kegs of this sludgy alcohol on the ground in front of the city hall. Then, they built a new brewery (Pilsner Urquell which still remains an active brewery today) and hired a Bavarian man, called Josef Groll, as the new head brewer.

Using the methods he learned from his father back in Germany, as well as new methods from the breweries in the area, Groll was able to craft an incredibly pale coloured malt which resulted in a golden-yellow beer, rather than the previous dark beer brewed in the Czech Republic. He then used soft water, bottom fermenting yeast, and Saaz noble hops to brew the beer, followed by lagering it in a cellar for the cool temperature. The result was a crisp, clear golden beer that won over everyone in the town. The original pilsner is a  type of lager  that is still being made in the same brewery today. The typical ABV of pilsners is around 4.5%-5%.

Sub-style: Bohemian Pilsner (Czech Pilsner)

When the Germans brewed the pilsner style, they changed and adapted the brewing methods and recipes slightly due to the limited availability of water and other traditional resources. The result is a beer that is lighter in colour and slightly less hoppy than its Czech counterpart. You'll often hear the German Pilsner referred to as a "Pils" to signify its German craftsmanship. The German Pils and the Czech Pilsner are the two most common in this beer styles. It's pretty common knowledge that German brewers know their way around a lager!

Sub-style: German Pilsner

When the Germans brewed the pilsner style, they had to adapt the brewing methods and recipes slightly due to the limited availability of water and other traditional resources. The result is a beer that is lighter in colour and slightly less hoppy than its Czech counterpart. You'll often hear the German Pilsner referred to as a "Pils" to signify its German craftsmanship. The German Pils and the Czech Pilsner are the two most common in this beer styles.

Sub-style: European Pilsner

Less common than the German Pils and the Czech original, is the European Pilsner, which may be described as slightly sweeter than the aforementioned beers and can be brewed with grains other than barley malt. Dutch and Belgian Pilsners are common in this sub-style.

Sub-style :American Pilsner

Pilsners were introduced to America by German immigrants. The American Pilsner is brewed with barley malt and about 25% rice or corn, as these resources were more readily available when the style was introduced to North America. The classic US Pilsner is thought to be one of the most popular styles in the country today and adds slight sweet notes to this iconic style.

What's the difference between a pilsner and a lager?

All pilsners are lagers, but all lagers are not pilsners. Almost every single beer is either a lager or an ale, and beer styles fall underneath those two main categories. In this case, a pilsner is a type of lager.

The Brewing Process

Here's a very simplified 5 step breakdown for all of you home brewer aficionados out there.

1. Malted barley is used to make the wort, which is the sweet liquid that is fermented to make beer.

2. The wort is boiled with hops, to add a bitter note and flavour to the beer.

3. The wort is then cooled and fermented with a bottom-fermenting yeast, which is what gives pilsners their crisp, clean flavour.

4. The beer is then lagered, which is a process of cold-fermenting the beer for several weeks.

5. The beer is then filtered and packaged.

Best Way To Drink a Pilsner

The style arguably tastes best when poured into a true pilsner glass. This is a tall, tapered glass slightly smaller than a pint glass. It has a wide mouth to help retain the foam head to accentuate all the beautiful, complex flavours and aromas.

According to Pilsner Urquell , the ideal serving temperature for a pilsner is 5°-8° Celsius. And if you're looking to enjoy a refreshing pilsner experience with dinner, it pairs well with a wide variety of foods. Brewers Association suggests foods like chicken, salmon, salads, and bratwursts as well as light desserts like lemon shortbread.

Whether you drink it straight from the can or in a glass over beer with close friends, you're sure to enjoy all the bready flavours, hop notes, and other cracking pilsner characteristics.

Featured: Budweiser

Budweiser is an iconic American pilsner brewed with both two-row and six-row wheat, in addition to rice. It has a 5% ABV and, like most American pilsners, is a very pale, light yellow colour. It's a fantastic fridge filler and a go-to case for getting together with friends.

Featured: Stella Artois

Stella Artois is the #1 best-selling Belgian beer in the world. The European-style pilsner is 4.6% ABV and features balanced malt sweetness, floral aroma, and crisp hop bitterness from the classic Saaz noble hops.