Pilsner Urquell, the original Pilsner lager beer, was introduced in 1842, in the city of Pilsen, located in the Kingdom of Bohemia, part of the Empire of Austria, within the German Confederation. This country is now known as the Czech Republic (Czechia). The town leaders, dissatisfied with the quality of their local beer, called for development of a more pleasant and consistent product, and the brewmaster, Joseph Groll, from the neighboring Kingdom of Bavaria, was contracted to develop something new. His introduction of Pilsner beer, in late 1842, took the town, and soon, the rest of Europe, by storm, and Pilsner became one of the top-selling beer styles in the world. Even the Austrian Kaiser, Francis Joseph Hapsburg, visited the brewery and certified the beer as an official supplier to the royal court. The company, Plzeňský Prazdroj, trademarked the name, meaning "original Pilsner", and became a leader in European beer production. Today, this company, which has come under foreign ownership, following the 1940s-1990s government seizure, continues to brew Pilsner Urquell according to the original recipe and process, and they also produce a wide array of beer brands and styles, most of which do not find their way to the Americas.
Pilsner Urquell, coming in at 4.4% alcohol, is rated five out of five hop cones, for bitterness, on the Cyclops Scale. With it's cracker malt notes and Saaz hop presentation of grass and sharp, yet mild, bitterness, the brand remains the world standard for the pilsner style. I have sampled this product many times and recommend it, in the strongest possible terms.
RJT
https://www.prazdroj.cz/en/znacka/pilsner-urquell
