06/10/2026
THE ORIGIN of PILSNER BEER
The variety of beer known as PILSNER, PILSENER or simply PILS is a relatively new bottom-fermented brew style. The first batch of this pale lager beer was produced on 5 October 1842 in the city of Pilsen (Plzeň in Czech) in what is now Czechia. At that time Pilsen was in Bohemia ("Böhmen" in German), but just over a decade later the beer brewed in Pilsen had gained popularity and spread to Vienna, Paris and beyond.
But who brewed that first batch of Pilsner beer at the Plzeň Citizens' Brewery (now Pilsner Urquell Brewery) in Pilsen, Bohemia? The Bavarian brewer Josef Groll (1813–1887) had been invited to Pilsen to help improve the quality of the local top-fermented brew. Using local water and ingredients (Saaz noble hops, Moravian barley malt), and the relatively new "Lager" (German for "storage") fermentation process in cool caves, Groll produced a clear, golden pale lager beer.
Josef Groll and other beer brewers were benefiting from earlier research done by the Czech brewer František Ondřej Poupě (1753–1805, Franz Andreas Paupie in German) from Brno. His research had first been published in German in 1794, and later (1799) in Czech. "Pilsner Bier" was registered as a trademark in 1859 by the Chamber of Commerce and Trade in Pilsen. In 1898 the "Pilsner Urquell" trademark was created to emphasize that Pilsen was the original source ("Urquell" in German).
Today the "Pilsner" beer variety, still clear and golden, is brewed all around the globe from Germany to Mexico, from Japan to Australia. But the original Pilsner still comes from Pilsen. Most German brewers use the term "Pils" as a sign of respect for the original source.
Be sure to sample Küsterer Pils the next time you're sipping locally on the . Served in a traditional Pils Glas, to remain cool, crisp, and bright.
