(Illustration by Jeff Quinn) This article appears in the September 2016 issue of All About Beer Magazine, on newsstands now. From
Pearl Street Brewery La Crosse, WI Pearl Street Brewery, which started in a basement with a seven-barrel subterranean brewhouse, is
Michael Steffing of Jester King Craft Brewery (Editor’s Note: This is part of a series in which we scoured the
Ian VanGundy of Lonerider Brewing Co. (Editor’s Note: This is part of a series in which we scoured the country
Cody Morris of Epic Ales (Editor’s Note: This is part of a series in which we scoured the country to
I have always had a particular fondness for the emphatic malt character, smoothness and underlying elegance of noble hops in
Prague is a paradise for lager lovers. It can also be a daunting Old World city with hard-to-pronounce pub names
In the same vein as Sam Calagione’s self-love fest, Brewing Up a Business, which is a must-read for Dogfish devotees
Pilsner styles of beer originated in Bohemia in the Czech Republic. They are medium- to medium-full-bodied and are characterized by high carbonation and tangy Czech varieties of hops that impart floral aromas and a crisp, bitter finish. The hallmark of a fresh pilsner is the dense, white head. The alcohol levels must be such as to give a rounded mouthfeel, typically around 5 percent ABV. Classic pilsners are thoroughly refresh ing, but they are delicate and must be fresh to show their best. Few beers are as disappointing to the beer lover as a stale pilsner. German pilsner styles are similar, though often slightly lighter in body and color. Great pilsners are technically difficult to make and relatively expensive to produce.
Pilsners are one of the latest styles to be “imperialized”: with characteristics, generally alcohol and hops, bumped up sufficiently to constitute a new style but with a familiar profile. These new imperial pilsners may sacrifice pilsner’s famed delicacy, but they retain the floral aromas and dry, bitter finish of their progenitor style.