Certain beers are appropriate for certain weather conditions. Stouts and porters are powerful, warming beers that are ideal for the cooler months. Warm-weather favourites include IPAs with piney hops and wheat beers with fruity flavour characteristics. The traditional pilsner? It’s a beer for any occasion. The pilsner, with its flavour profile of sweet caramel malts, honey, and floral hops, is a beer that may be enjoyed in the winter, spring, summer, and fall.
This crisp, refreshing pale lager, named after the Czech city of Plze, was first released in 1842 when Pilsner Urquell was created. The pilsner has become one of the world’s most popular beer varieties in the nearly two centuries since its invention. Nonetheless, despite its enormous popularity,
There are numerous lesser-known under-the-radar pilsners that warrant your attention.
To locate these remarkable undervalued pale lagers, we enlisted the assistance of specialists who brew beer for a living. We asked a few well-known brewers and craft beer specialists to recommend the best off-the-beaten-path pilsners to consume right now. Continue scrolling to view all of their recommendations and add them to your must-try list.
Birrificio Tipopils
Adam Lukey, head brewer at Eventide Brewing in Atlanta
ABV: 5.2%
Average Price: $6 for a four-pack
The Beer:
Birrificio Italiano’s Tipopils is my go-to under-the-radar pilsner. This is the typical Italian Pilsner from 1996, the world’s first dry-hopped pilsner. The popularity of the Italian Pilsner has grown as craft beer aficionados choose lower ABV “crispy boys.” There have been many versions of the style, but this is the original.
Notes on Taste:
The modest dry hopping from regional continental hops, combined with Italian ingenuity and a unique terroir for producing barley near the Adriatic Sea, resulted in a highly crisp lager with notes of grass, cereal, and a herbal character.
Divine Barrel Czech Pils
Chad Henderson is the head brewer and co-owner of Charlotte, North Carolina’s NoDa Brewing Company.
ABV: 5.1%
The average price for a four-pack of 16-ounce cans is $15.
The Ale:
I recommend Divine Barrel’s Czech Pilsner. This pilsner in the Bohemian style is recognised for its malt sweetness and fragrant hops. This delightful beer was designed to be savoured on a hot summer day, but it also tastes great all year.
Notes on Taste:
The sharpness, harmonious balance of malt and hops, and flawlessly dry finish distinguish this epic pilsner.
Trumer Pils
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Shaun O’Sullivan, co-founder and brewmaster at San Francisco’s 21st Amendment Brewing
ABV: 4.9%
A six-pack costs about $9 on average.
The Ale:
Trumer Pils, brewed in Berkeley, California, with a pedigree to Salzburg, Austria, is unquestionably one of the best pilsners on the market and is mostly unknown to many drinkers. With just one drink, it’ll be a permanent fixture in your refrigerator.
Notes on Taste:
Trumer Pils, with its vivid straw colour, sharp flavours, and light sweet malt character, has exceptional drinkability and is even more delightful at 4.9% ABV. It’s my favourite.
Human Robot Hallertau Pils
George Hummel, grain master at Philadelphia’s My Local Brew Works
ABV: 5.2%
A four-pack of 16-ounce cans costs about $16 on average.
The Ale:
Human Robot Hallertau Pils is my favourite local pilsner and an under-appreciated option for pilsner aficionados. To me, the most significant aspect of loving this style is its freshness. Technically, pilsner is only accessible in Plze, Czechia, but pilsner-style beers are nevertheless popular here.
Notes on Taste:
The beer is crisp, with a light toasted malt flavour. The hops are fragrant and just right. It’s like a dreamlike reverie on a large mound of Hallertau hops. It’s quickly become my go-to pilsner.
Austin Beer Garden Industry Pils
Nick Purdy, president and founder of Atlanta’s Wild Heaven Beer
ABV: 4.9%
Average Price: Limited Supply
The Ale:
The best pilsner in America may go unnoticed because it’s mostly available at Austin Beer Garden Brewing Co. in Austin, Texas. Their Industry Pils is the first thing I look for when I’m in Austin, and the first thing I ask anyone who comes to Atlanta from there to bring.
Notes on Taste:
If you find yourself in Austin or see it canned anyplace, order this beer. It’s the ideal crisp, dry, bitter, and crackery German-style pilsner (and has received GABF Gold).
Hot Plate Fellini
Exhibit A Brewing co-founder and head brewer Matthew Steinberg in Framingham, Massachusetts
ABV: 5.5%
Average Price: Limited Supply
The Ale:
Hot Plate Brewing’s Fellini is a 5.5% ABV Italian-style pilsner from Pittsfield, Massachusetts. It’s dry-hopped with Saphir hops and noted for its flowery, crisp, clean flavour profile that will have you wanting more right away.
Notes on Taste:
This unfiltered pilsner has a mild, crisp flavour and a floral scent. The dry hop imparts a pleasant bitterness to the aftertaste. It’s simple to drink.
Phase Three Geo
Garth Beyer, certified Cicerone and owner of Madison, Wisconsin’s Garth’s Brew Bar
ABV: 5.5%
A four-pack of 16-ounce cans costs about $13 on average.
The Ale:
The West Coast pilsner is currently sweeping the industry. Geo by Phase Three Brewing is my go-to. This beer combines the best of traditional pilsner malt with German yeast to get the crispness and water-cracker flavour we’ve come to expect.
Notes on Taste:
It’s brewed using Mosaic and Citra hops for a zesty herbaceous, new-age flavour that sets it apart from a traditional pilsner.
Zwei Pils
Ryan Pachmayer is the head brewer at Arvada, Colorado’s Yak & Yeti Brewpub and Restaurant.
ABV: 5.1%
Average Price: Limited Supply
The Ale:
Zwei makes an excellent German pilsner. It’s not quite off the beaten path in Northern Colorado, but you probably won’t know about it until you travel there for beer. It’s a Bavarian-style pilsner brewed using Mittelfrueh hops from Hallertau.
Notes on Taste:
Noble hopping that is crisp, fresh, and tasty. If you’re in Fort Collins, the standard New Belgium tour, Odell visit agenda is always great, but make time for Zwei, you won’t be disappointed.
Beer
von Trapp Bohemian-Style Pilsner
USBG barman at El Vez in Philadelphia, Andrew Hueston
ABV: 5.4%
A six-pack costs about $11 on average.
The Ale:
Von Trapp’s Bohemian-style lager is my favourite under-the-radar lager. Enough said. This is the classic pilsner. It’s noted for its crisp, easy-drinking flavour profile and is made in the traditional Czechia style.
Notes on Taste:
Through and through, this is a traditional Bohemian-style pilsner. Citrus zest, honey, flowery, herbal, gently spicy hops, and a dry finish make this a true thirst-quencher for any season.
Victory Prima Pils
USBG barman Michael Ng of Behind The Glass Bartending in Los Angeles
ABV: 5.3%
A six-pack costs about $11 on average.
The Ale:
Victory Brewing Company’s Prima Pils is an under-appreciated pilsner that deserves greater attention. Here’s why it’s a wonderful option and what flavours make it so. It’s a wonderful pilsner that often goes unnoticed yet sticks out for a number of reasons. This beer is a German-style pilsner brewed in Pennsylvania that combines the finest of the American craft beer scene with classic European brewing processes.
Notes on Taste:
Prima Pils is distinguished by its vivid and crisp flavours. It has a clean and refreshing flavour with a strong hop character. You’ll notice a flowery and spicy hop explosion right away.
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