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Urquell means "from the source." Pilsner is derived from the town of Plzen (Pilsen) in the Czech Republic. First brewed in 1842 at the Plzensky Prazdroj Brewery, by the young brewmaster Josef Groll, Pilsner Urquell ushered in the new era of golden lager.

The soft water of the town allowed the sweet flavors of Moravian malt to blend perfectly with the aromatic characteristics of Saaz hops. The triple decoction brewing process and angled-flame heating in copper vessels·help caramelize the malt. Up front Pilsner Urquell is slightly sweet, with a honey-caramel-nut flavor and malty, toasted-grain character. It finishes crisp, with a sharp and distinct bitterness.

The original pilsner has spawned hundreds of imitations worldwide over the past 165 years, many of them lighter, lesser-flavored versions, such as those brewed by America’s mainstream breweries. The beer also inspired the concept of a beer glass, in particular the funnel-shaped Pilsner glass. Prior to the invention of golden beer, all beers were dark, heavy and cloudy and were served in ceramic mugs.

Pilsner Urquell was the number one import beer in the U.S. before Prohibition. After Prohibition, communism largely shut off Czechoslovakia and Eastern Europe from the rest of the world, and it wasn’t until the Velvet Revolution in 1989 that Pilsner Urquell was able to widely export to the outside world again. Under the ownership of SABMiller since 2000, Pilsner Urquell is making a broader push in the U.S. as well as in 50 other countries around the world.

SABMiller ownership has also led to some brewery modernization, including switching from open wooden barrel fermentation to cylindro-conical fermentation. While some beer extremists contend this has lessened the flavor profile, the brewery insists the quality of Pilsner Urquell has never been better.
This certainly seems to ring true for the export market. Pilsner Urquell remains a world classic.

The Plzensky Prazdroj Brewery is famous for its brewing history and the new ownership has built a huge visitor center. Travel to Pilsen and you can still drink the original unfiltered Urquell on tap.