Pilsner Urquell’s success story began with frustrated tavern owners in the 19th century. Many in the town of Pilsen had become disgruntled with their warm fermentation brewing methods, which had resulted in sour, undrinkable beer. This led to the town commissioning a new brewery to be built by architect Martin Stelzer. The Industrial Revolution had begun to take hold, so he discovered new, innovative ways to brew beer by touring European and British breweries. Upon returning to Pilsen the new brewery was built on the banks of the Rabduza River, an area rich in soft water and sandstone foundations which could be used for cold storage (lagering).
The beer itself was brewed using high-quality Moravian barley and Saaz hops. The strain of Bavarian yeast used in the process worked in low temperatures unlike other common strains. A malt kiln from England was used as well as a slow mashing process that extracted a large amount of sugar and protein from the malt. The end result would be one of the most widely popular beers in Europe.
The brewery was run by Josef Groll, a seasoned brewer, and sold its first beer in 1842. It immediately became a hit, being praised for its malty, bittersweet taste and its extraordinarily clear, pale golden color. It also looked handsome in clear glass tankards which had recently become popular in Czechoslovakia. Pilsner beer spread like wildfire and became a massive export for the city, transported to Germany by the River Elbe and throughout all of the Austro-Hungarian empire through “beer trains.” It had even reached America by 1874, introducing lager brewing there.
Pilsner Urquell had been fermented in Bavarian oak vessels for seventy days until the 1990s, when the communist government was removed from power. The free market demanded faster fermentation processes, so the fermentation method was moved to stainless steel vessels, with the process taking only thirty-five days. Though its brewing methods have changed, its popularity has not. Pilsner Urquell continues to be the best selling beer in the Czech Republic, even after all these centuries.
Written by Fernando Gomez
Sources: Oxford