All About Beer Magazine

A Visit to the Source

The Pilsner Urquell complex (or Plzeňský Prazdroj in Czech) is brewing as Disneyland, a massive site that takes in the massive brew house (you can see both current and former brewing equipment), an old train shed complete with a decommissioned locomotive, a water tower that closely resembles a minaret and various other buildings. The latter includes an impressively modern journey through Pilsner Urquell’s brewing technique and its use of raw materials―triple decoction, open flame heating, Czech pale malt, Saaz hops and the famously soft local water (though there’s no mention of the fact it is also brewed in Poland… so much for Urquell meaning from the original source).

Another must-see on the visit is Na Spilce, a restaurant/bar set in an underground cellar, complete with arched columns and a space that echoes with voices, giving it the ambience of a beer hall (Bohemia and Bavaria are neighbors and there’s a surprising convergence between their brewing traditions). As well as the ubiquitous plates of leaden dumplings and super-sized knuckles of pork, here the unfiltered and unpasteurized Pilsner Urquell can be drunk. It’s a graceful, elegant, toasty, spicy beer with a fine bitter finish and one of the best beers I have ever had.

Pilsner as a beer style might have crossed the world and spawned a thousand poor imitations, but as the example of the classic German pils demonstrates, not all are mere thirst-quenchers to be solely enjoyed on vacation. The pils that took root in Germany developed a style of their own: higher bitter notes, a lemony hop character and a slighter body than its Bohemian forebear. Regional variations, such as northern Germany’s much more bitter examples, also add diversity. First brewed in 1928 (which suggests some Germans were late to the party), the western German Veltins is one of the bestselling examples, a clean, crisp take on the style, with delicate herbal and lemony notes.

“German pils is generally more clean and crisp than Bohemian pilsner,” confirms brewery spokeswoman Agnes Ochmann, “which is probably a result of differences in the production process, lagering techniques and materials. With Veltins we do not believe that the taste has changed significantly over the years, but advances in production technology will have improved consistency.”