Let's talk Pilsners

Are you starting to see the typical availability of German beer over here? I only wish we could the best stuff, but as it is I'll grab a Veltin's (or more likely Radeberger) before anything made by BMC.*

(*As in, brewed at, and with a label marked: B,M, or C)

 

At least we have gotten over the freshness problems with German beers here for the most part.

 

I'm not a huge Pilsner fan, however I just had Fresh Cut from Peak Organic and loved it. Hopped like a Pale Ale/IPA, finishes like a Pilsner. I also like Mama's Little Yella Pils from Oskar Blues and Notch Session Pils.

 

Is that because they're more fresh, or because we can finally translate freshness codes? Because a lot of the German beer I see in my area is pretty old.

And shall we bring up Pasteurization as a flavor killer?

 

To quote: http://beeradvocate.com/community/threads/lets-talk-pilsners.145120/page-6#post-2079743

As I've said with the new advent of "IPLs," if I want an American Pale (or India Pale) Ale, that's what I'll look for. These over-hopped lagers seem terribly redundant.

 

Seems to me most stores by me got rid of the "freshness problem" with German beers by no longer carrying many German beers. And the ones they do carry are still, at best, often 3-6 months old and many more well over a year old.

 

If it falls in front of me I'll try it, but if it doesn't I sure as heck won't go looking for it.

People may flame me for this, but I'm getting kind of sick of DFH and all their silly attempts at strange style brews. Brew a solid pils that people will enjoy and leave it at that, no need for pear, or grape, or pomegranate or any other silly fruit infusion in it.

I love some of the stuff they do, but it's getting over the top anymore. When was the last time DFH brewed a new beer that was not some gimmick?

 

Hey -- you move to Northern Illinois when I wasn't looking?

 

You have my profound pity

 

That's showing up more and more in the US, now that Pilsner has made a custom fount for US bars.

European Cafe in FL recently had a write up about theirs, and Hospoda in NYC is the PERFECT place to get one poured -- their bartender just won the International Master Bartender for his Pilsner pour, beating out bartenders from across the globe. A perfectly crafted "Miliko" pour should be up there on every beer-nerds bucket list with Pliny the Younger, Westy 12, Heady, and that 8 year old bottle of Abyss.

Check out out (or Czech out!) this video about the pours if you're interested, it adds whole new dimensions to what many people just think of as a "simple pilsner."

 

Another vote for Pirma Pils by Victory. It's the best beer you can get for a buck fifty. If it's not that, I'm looking for a skunky German pils.

 

I would say your spot on about Piercing Pils. Not much of a pilsner but a fine beer.

 

Wait -- the Milk Pour? Are you supposed to let that massive head settle out before you drink? Does it settle out? Because if that sort of beer never settled out, I'd think you wouldn't be getting a full glass of beer and you'd really be getting ripped off.

And since these beers are all coming from the same tap, and the same keg, I am really skeptical at how different they really are -- maybe in body and mouthfeel, but flavor? I saw a lot of badly poured beers in my college days, and they looked an awful lot like this (perceived) gimick.

Anyone have extensive knowledge of this?

 

Quite a few articles about it in the NYC metro area, because of a bar named "Hospoda".

Here's one - How to Pour a Pilsner Urquell - and a Google will turn more. Notice this article has 4 different styles - not 3 as in the video, and all with different names. So, we're up to SEVEN different ways to pour and serve PU now.

 

All from the same keg and the same tap? Sure, okay... and the locals in the Germany Forum laugh at the concept of the "Pils Pour."

 

but still only one way for it to exit your body

 

Well... not really...

 

The locals might laugh but the German brauerbund seems to think that it takes 3 minutes to pour a pils . 3 minute pilsner pours, Stellar Artois's 9 step pouring ritual, 7 different Pilsner Urquell pours, it's all marketing.

 

Now, now, "Crusader" - you're gonna make celebrity brewmaster Fergal Murray jealous if you forget him and the
Guinness Six Step Pour (for best results have a stopwatch [119.5 seconds] and metric calipers [15-20mm] on hand).

 

Nor would you want to at 6% abv....another gripe I have with this pilsner.