The Pilsner beer was first brewed in Bohemia, a German-speaking province in the old Austrian Empire. Pilsner is one of the most popular styles of lager beers in Germany, and in many other countries. It’s often spelled as “Pilsener”, and often times abbreviated, or spoken in slang, as “Pils.”
Classic German Pilsners are very light straw to golden in color. The Head should be dense and rich. They are also well-hopped, brewed using Noble hops such has Saaz, Hallertauer, Hallertauer Mittelfrüh, Tettnanger, Styrian Goldings, Spalt, Perle, and Hersbrucker. These varieties exhibit a spicy herbal or floral aroma and flavor, often times a bit coarse on the palate, and distribute a flash of citrus-like zest–hop bitterness can be high.
The yeast employed lends a sulfury character to the aroma of the beer; however, some Pilsner yeast strains have a slight estery (fruity) or faint diacetyl (buttery) character. Pilsners are well-attenuated, medium-bodied beers, with malty residuals of sweetness in the aroma and flavor.
After primary fermentation, the beer usually undergoes a diacetyl rest, to reduce the amount diacetyl, and then a period of lagering (German for “to store”), which is a practice of maturing under cool temperatures (~40F) and which also produces a clear, bright beer. Alcohol content rests at about 4-5 percent alcohol by volume.
