Region & History

In Plzeň, Pilsen in German, the beer that gave an entire style its name was born on October 5, 1842. The man at the brew kettle was a Bavarian: Josef Groll from Vilshofen brewed the first batch at the new Bürgerliches Brauhaus. The beer was first served on November 11, 1842. This marked the start of a story in Bohemia that would later travel the world and find countless imitators.

Who invented Pils, the Czechs or the Bavarians? Both deserve credit for its success, but neither can claim the whole achievement. The Bavarians had long been brewing bottom-fermented beer, in which the yeast sinks to the bottom at the end of fermentation and works cold. What was new was a pale, clear, golden beer of this kind.

The whole thing began with a grievance. The citizens of Pilsen, who held the brewing rights, were so dissatisfied with their beer that in 1838, 36 barrels were poured out on the town square. Afterward, they built a new brewhouse and brought in a brewmaster from Bavaria.

Still, anyone can use the word Pils. In Germany, Pils is a generic term, a style designation like Märzen or Helles. What's protected are brand names like Pilsner Urquell, known in Czech as Plzeňský Prazdroj, since 1898. Prazdroj means original source. There's also the Czech designation of origin České pivo, registered as a protected geographical indication (PGI) by the EU since 2008.

Today two major brands share the site. Alongside Pilsner Urquell, Gambrinus is also brewed there, a company founded in 1869 as a joint-stock brewery in Pilsen. According to the group, it has been owned since 2017 by the Japanese Asahi Group.