![what what](https://produits.bienmanger.com/5874-0w600h600_Pilsner_Urquell_Czech_Beer.jpg)
All beers had to be labeled as “pilsner” in some capacity. This is a tasting of pilsners, largely determined by how the breweries chose to label their products. There will never be a “perfect” tasting lineup, much as we continue to try. We apologize for a few significant omissions that we couldn’t acquire, either due to seasonality or market shortages. We always do our best to reach out to breweries we’re aware of that make exemplary versions of particular styles, but things always do slip through the cracks. And so, let’s get on with the blind tasting.Īs in most of our blind tastings at Paste, the vast majority of these pilsners were sent directly to the office by the breweries that choose to participate, with additional beers acquired by us via locally available purchases and the occasional trade. It is, all in all, a good time for pilsner, and a good season for pils. Regardless, you’ll find all of them in abundance these days. It could feature fruity, nouveau American hop varieties to such an extent that it comes off as an “India pale lager.” It might even be a faux-pilsner fermented with light, neutral ale yeast for the sake of efficiency and turnaround time … although if you ask us, that’s cheating. It could be a classical German or Czech-style pils, or a throwback “pre-prohibition” American lager. When you see the word in a craft brewer’s lineup, you never truly know what to expect. In reality, no nation is presenting such a tremendous variety of pilsners today as the U.S.A. and made American beer a punchline in Europe. American craft brewers have refused to let companies like Anheuser-Busch or Miller present a sole definition of “pilsner” with insipid beers in the mold of Bud Light-watery, flavorless yellow suds that for decades corrupted the good name of pilsner in the U.S.A. In modern American craft beer, pilsner has seen a resurgence … or perhaps the right word is reclamation. For more detailed information on the style’s history and current role, by the way, check out our companion piece: Let’s Talk Beer Styles: Pilsner, which was published when we last blind-tasted this style back in 2016. It’s the world’s most widely consumed, most widely copied and emulated beer style, but the vast majority of those beers either don’t actually qualify for the “pilsner” style guidelines or come anywhere close to the Brewers Association definition of “craft.” And yet, it’s also a style with a rich history, dating back to the famous ur-pils of 1842, Pilsner Urquell. Click here to view all entries in the series.Ĭraft beer has a complicated relationship with pilsner.
What's a pilsner beer series#
This middle ground can be a pretty friendly place if you know what you’re doing-kind of a best of both worlds situation.This list is part of a Paste series of bottom shelf liquor and craft beer style tastings. California common lager (or “steam beer,” if you’re down with the proprietary name that was copyrighted by Anchor Brewing Company) is an American-born style that involves lager yeast brewed at ale temperatures.
![what what](https://drivito3.imgix.net/78fac6116cc97257/d1dc66c465ee/May_blogposts_pilsner.jpg)
Kölsch and altbier, for example, are made using ale yeast that is fermented at lager temperatures. Some pretty famous styles can be considered hybrids of the two. With beer, there are always exceptions to the rule. This is in stark contrast from the clean, crisp, rounded flavors and aromas of beer fermented with lager yeast.
![what what](https://noibuonidentro.it/wp-content/uploads/2020/05/carlsberg-pilsner.jpg)
If you’re wondering what that means, think about the last time you had a spicy, fruity Belgian ale that smelled of cloves and pepper, or a German hefeweizen that tasted like ripe banana and bubblegum, or an English ale that had perfumed, floral stewed fruit flavors. In so many cases, yes! Ale yeasts produce more esters and phenols during fermentation, which are the byproducts that give beer those non-hop, non-malt driven flavors.