The original
Pilsner. Pilsner Urquell was produced by
Bavarian master brewer
Joseph Groll for the
Burghers' Brewery in the town of
Pilsen in 1842. It is however not the first transparent
beer, nor even the first transparent
lager - most lighter coloured beers are transparent, even
unfiltered ales, depending whether they are poured with the
sediment or not.
The name Pilsner Urquell was registered in 1898 in order to distinguish it from the many imitators it had spawned. The name is German for "original source Pilsner". The
brewery at which it is produced is also now officially called Pilsner Urquell although it has been known as
Plzensky Prazdroj, the
Czech equivalent, and this name still appears on bottles. The brewery is located on Prazdroje street and is now owned by
South African Breweries.
The beer itself is a clear and golden
lager with a dry and bitter flavour. The famous
Saaz hops are used but from my tasting they have been used mostly for bittering rather than to contribute even as much flavour or aroma as in other
pilsners. This beer is generally despised by
beer snobs as it has been so influential in the rise of mass produced lager. Judged on its own merits it's not so bad, but there's not much to it besides the bitterness from the hops, and could do with a little
flavour. Nevertheless it's quite interesting to taste a beer that has had so much impact on the world of
humankind's greatest beverage.