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Pilsner Urquell

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This article is about the beer. For the brewery that produces this beer, see Pilsner Urquell Brewery.

Pilsner Urquell
TypeBeer
ManufacturerPilsner Urquell Brewery
Introduced1842; 182 years ago (1842)
Alcohol by volume 4.4% [1]
StyleCool fermented beer
Websitewww.pilsnerurquell.com Edit this on Wikidata
Main gate of the Plzeňský Prazdroj

Pilsner Urquell (German: [ˈpɪlznɐ ˈʔuːɐ̯ˌkvɛl]; Czech: Plzeňský prazdroj [ˈpl̩zɛɲskiː ˈprazdroj]) is a lager beer brewed at Asahi Breweries' Pilsner Urquell Brewery in Plzeň (German name: Pilsen), Czech Republic. Pilsner Urquell was the world's first pale lager,[2] and its popularity meant it was much copied, and named pils, pilsner or pilsener.[3] It is hopped with Saaz hops, a noble hop variety that is a key element in its flavour profile, as is the use of soft water.[4][5][dead link‍]

Almost all draught Pilsner Urquell is sold filtered, but small quantities are available in limited amounts unfiltered. The majority of the beer is sold in the Czech Republic, Slovakia, Germany and South Korea, it is also sold in China, Japan,[6] the United Kingdom,[7][8] Canada, United States,[9] Sweden,[10] Hungary and Austria. In recent years, the unpasteurized "tank" version of the beer has become increasingly available. It is available in 330 ml, 355 ml and 500 ml aluminium cans and green or brown bottles.

The brewery was part of the SABMiller group of companies from 1999 to 2017. As part of agreements with regulators before Anheuser-Busch InBev was allowed to acquire SABMiller in 2016, Pilsner Urquell was sold to Japan-based Asahi Breweries in 2017.[11]

History

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Pilsner Urquell was the first pale lager, and the name pilsner is often used by its copies. It is characterised by its golden colour and clarity, and was immensely successful: nine out of ten beers produced and consumed in the world are pale lagers based on Pilsner Urquell. The German name, which means 'original source', was adopted as a trademark in 1898.[12]

By 1839, most beer in Bohemia was dark and top fermented. Nonetheless, bottom-fermented lagers were gaining popularity. The people of Plzeň preferred imported cheaper bottom-fermented beers to local top fermented ales.[13] The burghers of Plzeň invested in a new, state-of-the art brewery, the Měšťanský pivovar (Burghers' Brewery), and hired Josef Groll, a Bavarian brewer, to brew a bottom-fermented beer. On 5 October 1842, Groll had a new mash ready and on 11 November 1842, the new beer was first served at the feast of St. Martin markets.[14]

The brewery registered Pilsner Bier B. B. name in 1859.[15] In 1898, they also registered names Original Pilsner Bier 1842, Plzeňský pramen, Prapramen, Měšťanské Plzeňské, Plzeňský pravý zdroj and finally Pilsner Urquell and Plzeňský Prazdroj, which are in use today.

Pilsner Urquell is today brewed solely in the Pilsen brewery. It was brewed between 2002 and 2011 in Tychy, Poland[16] and between 2004 and 2017 in Kaluga, Russia.[17]

  • A mug of Pilsner Urquell
    A mug of Pilsner Urquell
  • 330 ml bottle of Pilsner Urquell
    330 ml bottle of Pilsner Urquell

See also

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References

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  1. ^ "Pilsner Urquell". Retrieved 20 December 2023.
  2. ^ German Beer Institute, PILS Archived 19 October 2011 at the Wayback Machine
  3. ^ University of Economics Prague, Brewery tour of Pilsner Urquell
  4. ^ "Pilsner Urquell". Archived from the original on 3 July 2007. Retrieved 16 October 2007.
  5. ^ "Archived copy". Archived from the original on 15 July 2011. Retrieved 16 October 2007.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: archived copy as title (link)
  6. ^ "Plzeňský Prazdroj upped its exports again, with Pilsner Urquell surpassing the 1 million HL mark". Prazdroj. 25 April 2018.
  7. ^ "Czech this out". Ben Viveur. 16 May 2012. Retrieved 23 May 2012.
  8. ^ "98. Pilsner Urquell". threehundredbeers.com. Archived from the original on 27 March 2022. Retrieved 28 August 2015.
  9. ^ "Keepers of the Craft Content". Draft Magazine. Retrieved 21 September 2014.[dead link‍]
  10. ^ "Gyllen Prag, the Czech restaurant in Gothenburg: beer". Gyllene Prag. Retrieved 8 September 2016.
  11. ^ "Asahi Group to buy InBev beer brands for $7.8bn". Financier Worldwide. Financier Worldwide. February 2017. Retrieved 1 February 2017.
  12. ^ Jackson, Michael. Ultimate Beer, p. 124, DK Publishing, Inc., 1998. ISBN 0-7894-3527-6
  13. ^ "Pils". The German Beer Institute. Archived from the original on 19 October 2011. Retrieved 24 June 2010.
  14. ^ Řezáč, Jiří. "Kdy bývá pivo Pils? (When is Pils beer?)". GastroNews.cz. Archived from the original on 18 July 2011. Retrieved 24 June 2010.
  15. ^ Pilsner Urquell Archived 13 June 2008 at the Wayback Machine
  16. ^ Pilsner Urquell už se v Polsku vyrábět nebude
  17. ^ Plzeň už opravdu jenom z Plzně. Výroba Prazdroje v Rusku skončila
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