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Saturday, 1 March 2014

Pilsner Lager - A brief History

Pilsener Lager (Pils)

The City of Pilsen began brewing in 1295, but until the mid-1840s, most Bohemian beers were top-fermented. The taste and standards of quality often varied widely.

The officials of Pilsen founded a city-owned brewery in 1839, called Měšťanský pivovar Plzeň (Citizens' Brewery - now Pilsner Urquell), which should brew beer according to the pioneering Bavarian style. Brewers had begun aging beer made with bottom-fermenting yeasts in caves which improved the beer's clarity and shelf-life.

The Pilsen brewery recruited the Bavarian brewer Josef Groll (1813–1887) who, using new techniques and paler malts, presented his first batch of modern pilsner on 5 October 1842. The combination brighter malt prepared by English technology, Pilsen's remarkably soft water, local Saaz noble hops from nearby Žatec and Bavarian-style lagering produced a clear, golden beer that was regarded as a sensation.

Improving transport meant that this new beer was soon available throughout Europe, and the Pilsner style of brewing was soon widely imitated. In 1859, “Pilsner Bier” was registered as a brand name at the Chamber of Commerce and Trade in Pilsen. In 1898, the Pilsner Urquell trade mark was created to put emphasis on being the original brewery.

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