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The birth of pilsner in 1842 in the Bohemian city of Plzen (now the Czech Republic) was the most consequential single event in modern brewing history, the creation of the world’s first golden, brilliantly clear lager beer triggered a transformation of global beer production that continues today, with pale lager accounting for over 90% of beer consumed worldwide. The story is also a cautionary tale about what happens when a brewing industry produces consistently bad beer for long enough that municipal government steps in.
Plzen and the birth of pilsner: the 1842 revolution in brewing
Pre-1842 Plzen beer: Plzen (Pilsen in German) was a brewing city in the Kingdom of Bohemia with a long tradition of citizen brewing, the burghers (citizens) of Plzen held the right to brew beer, a medieval civic privilege. By the 1830s, the quality of Plzen beer had deteriorated so badly that in 1838 a significant quantity was publicly dumped outside the town hall in protest, a historically documented “beer dump” that signaled the city’s brewing had reached a crisis point. The problem: Bohemian brewing at this time used top-fermentation (ale) methods with variable grain quality and inconsistent results. The beer was often turbid, sour, and unpredictable. The founding of the Citizens’ Brewery: In response to the quality crisis, Plzen’s burghers formed the Měšťanský pivovar (Citizens’ Brewery), a cooperative venture, and went looking for technical expertise to produce a better beer. They hired Bavarian brewer Josef Groll, who arrived in Plzen in 1842 bringing with him Bavarian lagering techniques and, crucially, a Bavarian lager yeast strain. Why Plzen’s first lager was golden: The creation of the world’s first pale golden lager was a result of several converging factors: (1) Plzen’s extremely soft water (one of the softest brewing waters in Europe, very low in dissolved minerals, particularly sulfates and carbonates) allowed the production of a pale, brilliantly clear beer where Burton’s hard water or Munich’s carbonate-rich water would produce darker, hazier results. (2) Bohemian malting tradition had advanced in producing pale, lightly kilned malt that Bavaria and England were also developing in the same period. (3) Bavarian lagering (cold fermentation and extended cold conditioning) produced a clear, stable, non-turbid beer of unprecedented visual clarity. (4) The pale local barley (Haná barley, a specific Bohemian variety) produced pale malt with a sweeter, softer character than other regional varieties. Josef Groll’s first brew, October 5, 1842: The first commercial batch of what would become Pilsner Urquell (Original Pils Source) was tapped for public consumption on November 11, 1842 (St. Martin’s Day). Contemporary accounts describe the reaction of Plzen’s citizens as amazed, the beer was dramatically different in color and clarity from anything they had seen. Golden, brilliant, with a persistent white head and clean, refreshing flavor. The style spreads: By the 1850s–1870s, copycat “pilsner-style” pale lagers were being brewed across Germany and Austria. By 1900, pilsner was the dominant style in Central Europe. By 1950, pilsner and its light lager derivatives were the dominant beers globally. The Plzen original, Pilsner Urquell, is still brewed at the original brewery and remains the closest commercially available product to the 1842 original.
Common Questions
Is modern Pilsner Urquell the same as the 1842 original?
Modern Pilsner Urquell is recognizably in the tradition of the 1842 original but has evolved significantly through 180 years of commercial brewing changes. Several specific departures from the 1842 recipe and process: Open fermentation with the original Urquell yeast strain: the original Pilsner Urquell was fermented in open wooden fermenters in the deep limestone cellars beneath Plzen. Pilsner Urquell still maintains a small batch production in these original underground cellars using the traditional open fermentation method, this beer is only available at the Pilsner Urquell Experience cellar tour in Plzen, not commercially packaged. The main commercial production uses closed stainless cylindroconical fermenters. Decoction mashing: the original 1842 recipe used triple decoction mashing (a labor-intensive process of removing portions of the mash, boiling them separately, and returning them to raise temperature). Modern commercial Pilsner Urquell uses a modified mashing process that is less labor-intensive. The decoction process produces specific melanoidin compounds and body that single-infusion mashing cannot fully replicate. The flavor difference between traditional decoction-brewed Czech pilsner and infusion-brewed versions is subtle but perceptible to experienced tasters, a slightly fuller, more complex malt character with a distinctive roundness. The traditional wooden fermentation in the underground cellars produces a distinctly different flavor from the commercial production, with more yeasty complexity and soft carbonation. Beer writer Evan Rail, who has written extensively on Czech beer, describes the traditional Pilsner Urquell as one of the most dramatically different beers from its mass-market version he has encountered. For homebrewers replicating Bohemian pilsner: a triple or double decoction mash with Pilsner malt, Saaz hops, ultra-soft water (or RO water with minimal additions), and a Czech Pils yeast strain (WLP800, Wyeast 2001) at 10–12°C fermentation temperature produces the most authentic results.
