Throughout the world there are countless recipes, snacks, and products that are so intrinsically linked to their place of origin that it is almost impossible to think of one without making a connection in your mind to the other. Has anyone ever travelled to Leicestershire’s Melton Mowbray without craving one of their succulent pork and jelly-filled pies, stepped foot on the streets of Lisbon without hot-footing it to a local bakery for a pastel de nata or spent any amount of time in Hungary and not been tempted by a steaming, spiced bowl of hearty goulash.
However, with Pilsner – the pale and hoppy thirst-quenching lager that was born in the Czech city of Pilsen – it has become so ubiquitous worldwide that people do not always make the connection between product and place. Those that are in the know or have even the feintest interest in the history of beer styles will tell you, Pilsner –and by extension the local Pilsner Urquell Brewery – holds a hugely significant place in of brewing heritage.
Back in 1843, the brewery first defined the style of well-hopped pale golden lager that today sets the framework for the vast majority of the world’s beer production. It is a style of beer that has been reproduced, copied and replicated so often that it is now the planet’s most prevalent beer, spawning equally popular adaptations like German Pils and American light. Every country, it seems, now has its own take on this Czech creation.
The story behind the first batch of Pilsner, while disputed by some, is an interesting one.
Pilsen has been steeped in brewing heritage since its inception. When the city was founded in 1295, a decree was passed from King Wenceslas II in which he bestowed upon Pilsen’s enterprising burghers an extraordinary privilege – the right to brew and peddle beer from within the walls of their own homes. A symphony of clinking tankards and fragrant aromas wafted through the air, as nearly every dwelling in the city’s historic centre became a veritable hub for the craft.
Yet, in those bygone days, brewing adhered to the capricious whims of top fermentation. The brewers of Pilsen ceremoniously pitched yeast upon the surface of their wort to set the wheels of fermentation in motion. However, this method, akin to a delicate balancing act, demanded higher temperatures and unveiled a tapestry of unpredictable outcomes – It often resulted in wayward flavours and imperfections. The ales, vulnerable to the untamed forces of wild yeasts and unruly bacteria, often danced the fine line between success and spoilage. Astonishingly, even with the wisdom of eight centuries imbued in their vats, Pilsen’s venerable brewers found themselves still locked in a relentless battle against contamination.
This eventually came to a head in 1838 when a batch was so bad that local citizens rolled 36 barrels of ale into the street, opened them up, and poured the beer across the cobbles of the main square in protest.
Something had to be done. Local architect Martin Stelzer was sent on a scouting mission to study the breweries in Munich and returned with plans to build Pilsen its perfect brewery. In those days Bohemia was part of Austria-Hungary and Bavaria was then the principal centre of lager brewing, which is why he also brought with him Josef Groll, a master Bavarian brewer, who would go on to change beer history forever. On October 5, 1842, Groll and the other brewers of Pilsen gathered for their first taste of this new brew, a pale beer using a cold fermenting lager yeast. They were instantly impressed. Its straw-like golden colour and clarity were unlike anything they had ever seen and the brewers of Pilsen knew that they had made something special.
The beer brewed in Plzeň in 1842 was groundbreaking, placing the brewery at the cutting edge of innovation in the industry. With this, the Pilsner Urquell Brewery was born.
The brewery where it all started can still be found in Pilsen, although it has grown somewhat since its original form. Wander through the beautifully expansive town square, Namesti Republiky, past the towering Cathedral of St. Bartholemew towards the outskirts of the city centre, across the Radbuza River, and pass through the ornate double-arched entrance archway and you will find yourself within the sprawling complex that makes up Pilsner Urquell. Fitting well with the cobblestone paths and pastel-hued 19th century factory aesthetic, the company still plays heavily on its tradition and heritage. After all, “Ur-Quelle” means that this is the ‘original source’ of pilsner.
When I say that the brewery has grown since it was founded, I may be understating the facts. Pilsner Urquell is now the Czech Republic’s largest brewery, claiming around 50% of the domestic market across its various brands. After becoming nationalised, along with Budvar, by the pro-communist regime of the 60s and being re-privatised following the political changes of 1989, the company was eventually bought by South African Breweries (SAB), which in turn merged in 2002 to form SABMiller. While corporate takeovers come with the risk of having attaching a ‘sell out’ label to your product, especially in the UK craft scene, the new owners did bring investment and modernisation to the production process that was desperately needed – while hopefully maintaining the character and history that makes Pilsner Urquell so appealing.
Thankfully, even under new ownership, the brewery takes its heritage seriously and this is on full display in their state-of-the-art glass-fronted visitor centre & museum. Just beyond the reception area, you will find case upon case of awards and documents that date back to the brewery’s origins. Everything, it seems, has been saved. The company’s on-site archives contain a record of everything that has happened at the brewery since its inception in 1842. This includes details of every employee, minutes from each company meeting and most importantly the Pilsner recipe: Pilsen water, two-row barley and Saaz hops both grown in the Czech Republic, plus the all-important H-yeast strain. Proof, if any was required, that Pilsner is brewed to the same recipe today that it always has been.
After watching a short film on the history of the brewery on a 180-degree video screen, the museum experience continues in an area displaying the all-important raw ingredients for making the perfect pilsner and how they are produced. As mentioned above, both the Barley and hops are Czech grown, produced in an area not too far from Pilsen, and particular care is taken by the brewery in protecting its yeast strain – samples are contained in temperature-controlled vaults situated in different countries to ensure that it is never lost or damaged.
As someone that has spent a good amount of the past few years working in a brewery, I was particularly interested in visiting the brew house. While the main brewing operation of Pilsner Urquell moved to a modern brew house thanks to the investment by SABMiller, the old mash tuns have been left behind as a kind of museum piece. Large, cylindrical copper tanks filled the tiled room connected by pipes that jut off in all directions. It is in these that the pale malts were heated and stirred (mashed) in boiling water to release the sugars that go on to be fermented into alcohol, a very important step in the brewing process. Incidentally, Pilsner Urquell is one of the few breweries to triple mash their beer, meaning the mash passes through the process three times before the hops and yeast are added.
One of the key steps in the process of lager brewing is the lagering itself. This is where the beer is left to mature in tanks at near-freezing temperatures following the primary fermentation. While this process is derived from the old Bavarian practice of storing beer over the summer months in cold caves, it also allows the beer to stabilise and for any harsh and unpleasant tastes to be removed, giving a cleaner, fresher flavour. While this is now done in temperature-controlled steel tanks, the remnants of the old lagering method remain on the Pilsner Urquell site, deep underground.
There are 9km of lime-washed tunnels that run almost 20m beneath the brewery. It is here in this cavernous labyrinth of dark, dank passageways that brewers of the past would leave their huge oak barrels of beer to condition, aided by the cool temperatures and large blocks of ice carved from a nearby lake each winter.
This damp and gloomy subterranean world is like a labyrinth, so I was glad to have an official guide show us the way from the entrance to the corridor of enormous oak barrels that are still maintained and used by the brewery. These are not just show pieces for the tourists either, they are used for a process that the brewery likes to call parallel brewing.
When the brewery modernised, they were so worried that the new process may alter the taste of Pilsner Urquell that a team led by Václav Berka, their Brewmaster, decided that they should continue to brew a small portion of their beer in the cellars – that way it could be compared with the beer made in the new tanks. This beer is brewed in the old-fashioned way before a team of current and retired Brewmasters, as well as the brewery’s own tasting panel, conduct comparative taste tests in the laboratory to ensure that there is no difference between the two brews.
Speaking of old barrels and using traditional methods, Pilsner Urquell is one of the last places in Europe that still preserves and develops the traditional craft of coopering, or barrel making. There are currently only eight coopers in Pilsen and their knowledge is passed down orally from master to journeyman. We were lucky enough to be taken around the workshop to catch a glimpse of the art of coopering for ourselves and although it is not part of the regular tour, it can be witnessed year-round at special brewery events.
From these barrels, our guide pours us what we have been waiting for: a glass of the golden lager itself, specifically Pilsner Urquell Nefiltrovany Lezak, the superior unfiltered, unpasteurised version of their beer. It is not every day that I get to stand in the damp, dark cellars of the Pilsner Urquell Brewery drinking its famed lager directly from an enormous wooden cask. As our guide explains, “This is the best beer that you can get, so enjoy it. Na zdraví.”
Tour Information
- Opening Hours: Daily from 9am until 6pm (May - September) or 10am until 6pm (October - April)
- Tours take place in English, Czech, or German
- Price: CZK 380
- Duration: 110 mins
- Beer tasting is included in the tour but only available to people aged 18 or older
How to get to Pilsner Urquell Brewery
Most people visiting Pilsen will arrive via Václav Havel Airport in Prague (90km away/50mins by car). From the airport, you can take the no. 100 bus to Praha-Zličín (40 Czk) and from there, catch the yellow Regiojet buse or the green-orange Flixbus buse to Pilsen (every hour/100 Czk). It is also possible to catch the airport shuttle to Prague railway station where you can transfer to the Západní Express. The Express leaves every hour and takes approximately 1 hour 15 to reach Pilsen.
There are also direct trains from České Budějovice, Klatovy (Železná Ruda), Domažlice, Cheb and Žatec.
From Pilsen train station, it is a short, 10-minute walk to the brewery. You will find that it is signposted from the station and throughout the city centre, however, this isn’t always necessary as the chimneys are visible from across the Radbuza River.
Where to Stay in Pilsen
Being Czechia’s 4th largest city and a major business/industrial hub, there is no shortage of large hotels and accommodation options in Pilsen’s city centre. However, a number of Pilsen’s breweries also offer a place to stay, often with the option of an adjoining beer spa for those really wanting to theme their entire stay in the city around its famous amber nectar.
Hotel
Courtyard by Marriott
Brewery & Beer Spa
Hotel Purkmistr
As well as brewing some of Pilsen’s finest beer, Purkmistr brewery has an onsite hotel of 32 rooms with adjoining beer spa where you can bath in a concoction of hops and yeast while enjoying an unlimited supply of 12° Purkmistr beer.
Beer Hotel
Pivni Hotel
Located south of Pilsen in the picturesque town of Nepomuk, this beer-themed hotel attached to Zlatá Kráva brewery features 16 designer rooms – each named after their own beers – with their own beer tap (and 5 litres of complimentary ale). Their beer spa and wellness centre features a whirlpool, Finnish sauna and the opportunity to take a beer bath in the old cellar of the brewery. A unique experience.
I visited the Pilsner Urquell Brewery as a guest of Visit Czech Republic and Visit Pilsen, however, all views expressed are my own.
One Response
Who knew that Pilsner had such a fascinating history behind it? It’s like an ancient beer wizardry!
Reading about the brewery’s archives and how they’ve kept records since forever made me wonder what juicy secrets they are capable of hiding. Maybe they have a secret stash of “beer alchemy” instructions that are guarded by beer-loving dragons? Lol.
And oh, that unfiltered, unpasteurized version of their beer sounds like a little piece of beer heaven! I can almost taste the crisp, golden goodness. It must have been an unforgettable experience! If only teleporting was a thing, I’d be there right now!
Cheers,
Femi.