Pilsner Urquell

The brew that would eventually launch the most popular beer style on earth originated in 1842 in the Bohemian town of Plzen.  Now part of the modern-day Czech Republic, Bohemia at that time lay within the sprawling Austro-Hungarian Empire and Plzen was known by its German name of Pilsen.  A town brewer named Josef Groll created a light, clear beer using hops and barley grown in the surrounding countryside.  He combined these local products with a new strand of brewer's yeast imported from Germany.  This new type of yeast allowed beer to ferment at cool temperatures (50-60 degrees) producing clean, crisp, refreshing beers that stood in stark contrast to the dark, cloudy ales that were the standard brew of the day.  The yeast was known as lager yeast, after the practice of storing (or "lagering") the beers they produced for extended periods of time at cold temperatures.  Groll's new product, which was called Pilsner after its hometown, was a hit in the Bohemian capital of Prague and was soon exported to beer-crazy Germany.  German brewers, who had been busy developing their own unique lagers, were quick to imitate the bold, hoppy style of the Bohemian import.  Pilsner-style breweries soon started popping up throughout Germany.  However, the German brewers were conscientious in giving credit where credit was due.  Beer from Groll's brewery was known reverently as Pilsner urquell - "pilsner from the original source."

With the hundreds of imported lagers on the American market nowadays it's easy to overlook the original Pilsner.  But don't make the mistake of thinking that is Pilsner Urquell is just another expensive lager. Pilsner Urquell is, in fact, unique in just about ever way that a beer can be.  Let's take a look at its four main components: barley, hops, yeast, and water.

Alcohol is created when sugars are fermented by yeast.  The sugars in beer are derived from barley (sometimes with the help of "adjuncts" like corn sugar or rice).  To prepare it for brewing, the barley is soaked in water then rapidly dried - a process known as "malting."  The flavor, color, and texture of beer are largely dependent on the type of malted barley used to brew it.  Josef Groll's vision was to create a beer that was light, smooth, and exceedingly easy to drink.  To achieve this he dried the malt at the lowest temperature possible so that it wouldn't acquire a dark color or heavy, roasted flavor during the malting process.  Pilsner malt, as it is now known, is the lightest base malt commonly used by brewers and creates a beer that is light in color and body but retains a good, sweet malty flavor.  Even today, Pilsner Urquell still uses barley grown exclusively in either Bohemia (western Czech Republic) or Moravia (central Czech Republic).

Hops lend bitterness to beer in order to balance out the sweetness of the malt.  They can also impart unique flavors according to the specific type of hops that are used.  The strong hop character of Pilsner Urquell comes from a particular variety of Czech hops named Saaz.  Saaz is one of the so-called "noble" hops of Europe: the four varieties of hops which are considered acceptable for use in continental lagers and which are characterized by a soft, mellow bitterness and a delicious aroma.  Different hybrids of Saaz hops are now grown throughout the world, but Pilsner Urquell uses only native Czech-grown hops of the old noble variety.  Saaz gives the brew a distinctive flavor that is usually described as both floral and spicy.  This characteristic Saaz flavor and aroma is certainly evident in Pilsner Urquell from the first sip to the last swig.

Pilsner's consistently clean, dry finish is due to the particular lager yeast used to ferment it.  This type of yeast, known as the "Pilsner H" strain, is a direct descendant of the original yeast used to brew the first batch of Pilsner Urquell in 1842.  The brewery itself maintains that the strain was smuggled into Plzen by a runaway monk who had stolen it from his monastery.  That story obviously sounds made-up, but whatever its origins, Pilsner H is one of the world's foremost lager strains.  It's also widely available to homebrewers looking to create their own Bohemian-style pilsners.

Even the water used to brew Pilsner Urquell is unique.  The area around Plzen is renowned for its extremely soft water, meaning it has low concentrations of minerals such as calcium and magnesium.  Calcium occurs in the Plzen water source to the tune of about 7 parts per million (ppm).  Magnesium occurs in 2-8 ppm.  For the sake of comparison, the local water at the brewing mecca of Munich, in Germany, contains 70-80 ppm calcium and 18-19 ppm magnesium.  At Burton-on-Trent, the English city where Bass Ale is brewed, the water is especially hard: 260-350 ppm calcium,  24-60 ppm magnesium.  The exceptionally soft water used to brew Pilsner Urquell contributes to an ultra-smooth brew that is low in acidity.

The majority of beer brewed and consumed in the world is ultimately derived from the pilsner heritage.  Stella Artois (from Belgium), Kirin (Japan), Heineken (Netherlands), Pacifico Clara (Mexico), San Miguel (Philippines) and Miller Lite ("Great Pilsner Taste," as the label proclaims) are all examples of pilsner beers brewed worldwide.  As for the original, you certainly don't need my help to locate Pilsner Urquell.  The popularity of this brew has boomed over the last decade.  You can find bottles of it at pretty much any supermarket that sells beer; they even sell it at some gas stations here in North Carolina.  Kegs of Pilsner Urquell are also commonly available from beer distributors.  A few years ago I noticed that the original pilsner had been co-opted by the hipsters (along with its Belgian cousin Stella Artois), which probably contributed at least a little to its recent explosion in popularity. The hipster crowd seems to have since moved on to more ironic pastures (see: Pabst Blue Ribbon) but Pilsner Urquell is still one of the more popular premium imports in the country.

A purist would tell you that pilsner is just one specific type of lager within the greater lager family.  In everyday American usage, though, the term "pilsner" has become more or less synonymous with "lager."   Pilsners really are the most popular beers worldwide, and we have Pilsner Urquell, the one and only original source, to thank for that.