While most people think of pilsner as a German style, it actually has its origins in Bohemia, which is now part of the Czech Republic. In 1842, a Bavarian monk smuggled a bottom-fermenting lager yeast from Munich to the Bohemian town of Pilsen. He gave it to the Bavarian-born brewer, Josef Grolle, at the Plzensky Prazdroj brewery.
Josef Grolle used the smuggled Bavarian yeast with a pale colored malt that he had developed from the maltsters of Great Britain. This created a truly golden beer that was revolutionary to the brewing world. Before then the majority German beers made had been dark in color due to the different malting process. Soon after Josef Grolle’s Pilsner sent shock waves across the brewing world the German brewers scrambled to imitate the style. Out of this imitation, the German Pilsner was born.
Historically, genuine pilsner is a thing of beauty-delicate, sharp, flavorful, aromatic, and appetizing. The bottom-fermenting yeast, true to its promise, will drop to the bottom of the vessel after the cold fermentation is finished, leaving the beer clear and bright after its long cold aging. The sharp, clean bitterness and flowery aromatics of the region’s native Saaz hops and the full breadiness of the Moravian barley malt are accentuated by the remarkably soft water of the brewery’s wells. The high carbonation, developed by months of aging, forms a white pillowy head on top of the golden liquid. People were enraptured, and word of the new golden pilsner beer raced past the borders of Bohemia and swept throughout Europe.
Josef Grolle and his brewery, today known as Pilsner Urquell, can take credit for the first pilsner beer, but the industrial revolution can take some credit for the rapid spread of its popularity.
pFriem Pilsner takes a classical approach to brewing pilsner, combined with new craft beer technics. German malted, and German-inspired pilsner malt make a bright and beautiful base for this beer. German-grown hops provide lovely, flowery, grassy, aromatics, and an assertive bitterness. The clean malt flavors, combined with smooth round lager flavors are created by cool fermentation and long cold storage. The result is a bright and beautiful beer that expresses floral aromatics, tantalizing malt flavors, and a snappy finish. This beer makes the palate yearn for another sip.