STYLISTICALLY SPEAKING Picturing pilsner
by Eric Warner While itâs arguable that the recent craft beer boom in America represents the greatest renaissance in brewing history, the most significant revolution in brewing history has to be the development of the pilsner style. First brewed in the 1840s in the town of Plzen (or Pilsen) in what is now known as the Czech Republic, this style-a delicately flavored golden lager-represented a dramatic shift in appearance and flavor away from the dark, sweet beers that were more common at the time. Though the word "plzen" means mushroom or fungus, the most widely emulated, bastardized and prevalent of all the worldâs beer styles gets its flavor from the combination of pale malts, soft water, Czech or German hops, and lager yeast. Pale, or pilsner, malt is low in protein and is kilned (dried) for shorter periods of time and at lower temperatures than darker malts. This malt yields a beer that has a strawlike or golden color. The soft waters of Bohemia played a major role in the flavor profile of the first pilsners, and to this day brewers around the world undertake extensive water treatment to duplicate the waters found near Pilsen. Just as soft water would totally change the character of some of the classic ale styles, hard water that is high in carbonates detracts from the soft, delicate flavors and mouthfeel typical of pilsners. The trademark of any classic pilsner is the strong hop bitterness and floral, spicy hop notes associated with the Saaz group of hops (Saaz, Tettnanger, Spalt and Hallertau). Although lager yeasts were being used in Bavaria and Bohemia prior to the advent of pilsner beer, it was the use of lager yeast to brew this particular style that set off the brewing revolution that has now reached every continent on the globe. So, how exactly did the pilsner revolution begin? I was lucky enough to come across a little gem of a book a year ago, appropriately titled Pilsner Bier, written in 1930 by Prof. Eduard Jalowetz. The story goes something like this: As was often the case in ducal provinces like Bavaria and Bohemia, the right to brew was granted by the duke of the province. In 1839 the citizens in Pilsen, who held the brewing rights, banded together to found what was called the Peopleâs Brewery of Pilsen. In 1842 a chap by the name of Josef Groll was "headhunted" away from Bavaria to become the new organizationâs first brewmaster. After Groll built the brewery and produced the first batches, all of Pilsen eagerly awaited the tapping of the kegs. What they were presented literally made them jump for joy. No one had ever seen anything like it: a relatively clear, golden colored beer with a dense, mousse-like head of foam, decidedly drier in character than their customary brew. This beer was so out of the box that the experience was probably akin to seeing a television for the first time! Just as television has changed our lives forever, this creation of Josef Groll altered the course of brewing history more than any other beer. The style was copied first in Europe, then in the United States, and today some derivation of the style is the most popular beer in nearly every country in the world. Grollâs bag of tricks included the lager yeast he brought with him from Bavaria, a complex system of mashing that included three decoctions, an extremely thin mash and a unique brew kettle. The latter boiled the wort in such a way that haze-producing proteins were eliminated from the brew. Most of the classic pilsners brewed in the Czech Republic and Germany still follow many of the same techniques used by the Peopleâs Brewery 150 years ago. Brew masters today still look for the finest, straw-colored malt and Czech Saaz hops to brew their interpretation of the style. These same brew masters will totally alter the character of their brewing water in an attempt to match the water composition found in Bohemia. Pilsner continues to be the dominant style in Germany, Bohemia and the European continent. Most of the beer being produced in the emerging markets of Asia and South America is also some interpretation of the style. Unfortunately, the large industrial brewers of the world put the bottom line above the style by diluting its classic character with adjuncts and lower hopping rates. But, ironically, this dilution of the style toward insipid mono-swill has allowed American and Canadian craft brewers to steal market share that the industry giants so dearly covet. The German variations tend to be lighter in color and body, with hop bitterness increasing as one travels from Bavaria to the North Sea. The presentation of the beer is taken very seriously. Temperature, glassware and method of draft dispense all converge to take the drinker to beer Nirvana. A German pils is usually served at about 45 degrees F into a vase-like or fluted glass. Certain breweries use glass similar to a brandy snifter for their pils. The publican will generally dispense the draft in several violent shots straight down the middle of the glass. Never once allowing the beer to foam over, the trained barkeep will continue to "top off" the beer until it has a rich, 2- to 3-inch mousse of foam resting on top. This process is sometimes referred to as the seven-minute pils. A Czech pils is generally a little deeper in color than its German cousin. It will likely be a little maltier and have more body as well. The glassware and pouring methods arenât usually as elaborate, but that really doesnât matter because the beer is spectacular. Perhaps the pilsner style is ubiquitous because it goes well with so many foods. I personally prefer it as an aperitif or with seafood, but it also complements many meat dishes. As you can imagine, the freshest examples of the style are best enjoyed in Europe. Although many microbreweries produce fine examples, if you truly want to experience a piece of brewing history, a trip to Pilsen is a must.	Pilsner Urquell Urquell literally means the original source and this is the prototype for all pilsners. This deep golden beer is characterized by a slight malt aroma and sweetness and by intricate layers of hop flavor and aroma. The overall impression of the hop character is floral and spicy. I would use words like peppery and zesty to further describe this benchmark beer. Sam Adams Golden Pilsner Actually more amber in color, the Golden Pilsner is an interesting American interpretation of a Czech pilsner. Hopped with Spalt and Saaz varieties, the hop aroma is intensely floral, but this beer is not as bitter as its Czech or German counterparts. This may be more a function of this beerâs malty sweetness than anything else. Warsteiner The number one selling beer in Germany is representative of the most popular style of beer in the country. The appearance of the "Queen of Beers" is very pale, characteristic of most German pilsners today. The hop character is also very noble and spicy, if not a little less complex than the Urquell. Warsteiner is a wonderfully refreshing, dry pilsner with a strong hop bitterness. Perfect as an aperitif. Peteâs Wicked Bohemian Pilsner Very assertively hopped, the Peteâs Pilsner has a stronger hop bitterness than aroma or flavor. Noble hops and a deep amber color betray this true-to-style interpretation of a Bohemian Pilsner. The malt character is a bit carmelly for style and the alcoholic strength seems high, but all in all a great pilsner.
Eric Warner founded Tabernash Brewing Co. This column originally appeared in All About Beer Magazine in August 1997. © 1997 Chautauqua Inc.