Beer Guy: September October 2018 – Pilsner Pilgrimage

A first kiss. A child’s birth. A sip of Pilsner Urquell fresh from the barrel, deep underground the brewery in Pilsen, Czech Republic. Moments in life that will never be forgotten.

Pilsen, or Plzeň in Czech, is Mecca for beer drinkers. The mother ship. It is home to the beer that changed everything: Pilsner Urquell. What most people think of as beer—a pale yellow lager with a white head—can be traced back to the golden lager first brewed in Pilsen on October 5, 1842.

Before that most beer was dark, even most lagers. In Pilsen the beer was bad—so bad that 36 barrels of it were dumped into city drains one day in 1838. In response, Pilsen citizens pooled their resources and built the big modern Citizens’ Brewery. Bavarian Josef Groll was hired as brew master. Groll created the legendary pilsner recipe, using Bavarian lager yeast, soft Pilsen water, fragrant, spicy Saaz hops and new pale malts created from Moravian barley. Groll’s brewing process used wood-fired copper kettles and a lengthy boil, plus triple decoction, giving the brew caramelization and depth. Cellars were carved out below the brewery, for cold fermentation and lagering (cold storage).

The new golden lager became known as Pilsner (from Pilsen). In 1895, they added Urquell (original source). Pilsner was a quick success, with imitations following in Europe and beyond. European emigrants brought pilsner to North America, making it the predominant New World beer style. Historic Alberta beers like Old Style Pilsner and Bohemian Maid, plus current giants like Bud or Blue all look back to Josef Groll’s recipe. But none have equalled him.

I had dreamed of travelling to Prague nearly all my life. In 1974, my grade 4 desk was next to that of a tall, pretty girl from Prague. Her family had fled Czechoslovakia in 1968 when Soviet tanks rolled into Prague. She explained to my wary classmates that her family weren’t Communists, they were escaping the Communists. We remained friends into high school. Eastern Europe had me hooked. By grade 10, I was reading Russian novels. In grade 11, I took a Russian history course from an inspiring teacher. In grade 12, I moved to Edmonton and was excited by the Ukrainian and East European tilt to town. There was a Czech restaurant, Bistro Praha and the ALCB carried Pilsner Urquell.

In 1982, I began a History degree at the U of A, with a focus on Eastern Europe. I met my future wife in a Soviet History class. We both worked summers at the Ukrainian Village near Edmonton. In 1986, after university, I backpacked around Europe, determined to get to Prague, but was foiled. The closest I got was Checkpoint Charlie and East Berlin. Three years later in 1989 the Wall fell, the Velvet Revolution came and the Czechs were finally free.

This summer my pilsner pilgrimage finally came to a head. It took me almost 30 years after the Wall fell before I finally made it to Czechia this past June. It was worth the wait. At the close of the Pilsner Urquell tour, my wife and I were deep underground in the cold, dark, wet cellars. An ancient tap master pulled a perfect pint of fresh, unfiltered pilsner from a giant wooden barrel. Raising the glass to my lips, I was suffused with an overwhelming sense of happiness. It was a perfect moment—like all the strands of my life had come together. It had been 44 years since my Czech school friend had told me about Prague. I’m sure she has no idea what she set in motion. To her I say Na zdraví! Cheers! And thank you.

Find Pilsner Urquell and Czechvar on tap at Edmonton’s two Mitteleuropa restaurants—Bistro Praha downtown and Continental Treat on Whyte. Cans and bottles of the Czech or Czech-style pilsner below can be found at better beer stores in Edmonton like Sherbrooke Liquor or Keg n Cork.

Czech Pack

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Pilsner Urquell, Pilsen, Czechia The beer that launched a thousand beers, born in 1842 and still brewed in Pilsen, about an hour west of Prague. Through two world wars, decades of Communist rule and shifting corporate overlords, Pilsner Urquell has remained a beacon of stability, of commitment to quality and great beer. It has a floral nose, a soft body with a crisp backbone and a dry, malty taste ending with a bit of grassy hop.

Czechvar, České Budějovice, Czechia South of Plzeň is České Budějovice, in German, Böhmisch Budweis, home of Budweiser Budvar. Yes, that Budweiser, the original. Adolphus Busch modeled his American Budweiser after the pilsner of Budweis. Since 1907 the Budweisers have battled in court. A truce has Czech Budweiser marketed as Czechvar in North America. It is a classic Czech pilsner, crisp, malty and refreshing.

Staropramen, Prague, Czechia A big city Czech pilsner, Staropramen (old spring) has been brewed in Prague’s gentrifying industrial district of Smíchov since 1869. Staropramen is the second largest beer producer in Czechia. It’s an excellent pilsner with a creamy head, floral nose and malty, crisp balanced flavour.

Kozel, Velké Popovice, Czechia Living in Urquell’s shadow, Kozel has had to innovate to survive. They introduced tankovna, or tank bars. Unpasteurized, noncarbonated beer is put in large polypropylene bags inside big steel tanks in specially-equipped pubs. Compressed air squeezes the bag and sends beer to the taps. This results in a fresh taste, creamy head and low carbonation. We hope this idea crosses the Atlantic sometime!

Eastern Promises, Surrey, BC From Russell Brewing, a west coast homage to classic Czech pilsner, using Pilsner malts and Saaz hops. A solid grab for the Urquell ring, with a biscuity, spicy taste and dry finish.

Steamworks Pilsner, Vancouver, BC A misnomer in the beer world is that pilsner is easy to make. It’s not. Within its light taste profile there is nowhere for brewers to hide their mistakes. That’s why Conrad Gmoser considered it an honourable challenge to develop a pilsner for Steamworks Brewing. His Czech-style pilsner is the real deal, evoking Prague on the shores of the Pacific.