[Keyword: pilsner style beer]
Strike Liquid Gold in Plzen, The Home of Pilsner Urquell
Under the streets of Plzen, CZ run miles of century-old tunnels, and although this is no mining town, the caverns are filled with gold. Delicious, liquid gold. It rests in massive wooden barrels, fermenting in its chilly home, until becoming Pilsner Urquell, the world's first pilsner style beer.
What Is a Pilsner Style Beer?
Even if you think you don’t know what pilsner is, you probably do. In fact, you’ve probably drunk one this week, or maybe even today. Pilsner is quite common. Actually, it's the most common beer style in the world! Here are some pilsners you might recognize:
- Budweiser
- Miller
- Stella Artois
- Carlsberg
- Fosters
- About a million more...
Pilsner style beer is produced using pale malts (grains from wheat or barley), and yeasts that ferment at the bottom of the beer barrel. This process creates that clear, crisp, bubbly goodness that we all know and love. Sounds easy enough, right? Actually, it is pretty easy. But it was a lot more difficult in 1842.
The Revolution Begins
Pilsner beer falls under the broader category of lager, which requires a constant cold temperature to ferment successfully. Nowadays, brewers can just toss a couple barrels in the fridge and wait until the magic happens, but back in the day people had to get creative, hence the tunnels.
Before 1842, the year when the first batch of Pilsner Urquell was brewed, the city of Plzen already had a 550-year old tradition of brewing. The problem was it was a half a millennium tradition of terrible beer. Finally, in 1838, the local drunkards decided enough was enough and hauled all their kegs to the city center, dumped them out, and made a big mess of everything. The message was received loud and clear by local brewers, so they called in Bavarian brewmaster Josef Groll to give them a hand with the next batch.
The result was a sensation. Although you might not think twice about cracking open a fizzy yellow beer, at that point the world had never seen anything like it. News spread fast and soon the Plzen beer was in demand all over Europe. The tiny Czech city had struck liquid gold.
One Brew to Rule them All
Today, Pilsner Urquell is brewed using the same ingredients and recipe from 1842, which is why it tastes so damn good and many of its imitators (like those listed above) are so god-awful. Czech pale malt and a specific strain of yeast contribute to the smooth flavor, but the ingredients that really set the beer apart are the water and hops. The water in Plzen is incredibly soft, and therefore great for brewing. The hops used are the Saaz variety and are grown only in Zatec, CZ. They are the most expensive hops in the world! Their superior quality gives the beer a light bitterness that is unique and unbelievably refreshing.
The One, but not The Only
If you're ready to run to your nearest shop to grab a pilsner style beer, don't be fooled by the lesser brands! Make sure you choose a Pilsner Urquell; always the original, and still the best. Pilsner Urquell is available on tap, bottled and canned all over the world. Na Zdravi!
