Great Lakes The Wright Pils

I enjoy The Wright Pils, actually have a 6 pack in my fridge right now. While I don't Drink them enough, I really like a good pilsner and this is one I pick up often. I also like like the label.

 

It is going for 7.99 a six (other Great Lakes brews also) here in Cleveland at the moment, what a deal!

 

Every time I have a sweet/boozy/enamel-melting stout or barleywine I immediately run back to beers like The Wright Pils. Or any GL lager - it is true that there is delicate mastery involved in brewing a good one.

 

Waiting patiently in Pittsburgh for this one.

 

Great Lakes is one of my favorites. They do so many really great beers and the pils is top notch.

 

I hadn't had this before this year and I'm incredibly impressed. Now I like pilsners to begin with, but really, this one has all the characteristics that I look for in a Czech pils. Like the OP said..."clean, crisp, and full of noble hop flavor."

I wonder if this is what most pilsners in the US tasted like before or shortly after prohibition.

 

“ ….pilsners in the US tasted before or shortly after prohibition” What you are talking about there is a Classic American Pilsner (CAP). A very tasty beer that is not commonly brewed by commercial breweries; I homebrew them.

You can read more about CAP beers here:http://morebeer.com/brewingtechniques/library/backissues/issue3.5/renner.html

You can also download another article on CAP beers from the AHA website: http://www.homebrewersassociation.org/pages/zymurgy/free-downloads

Cheers!

 

I didn't realize there had been a previous widespread American version / interpretation of the style. Typically, if someone were to say "classic American Pilsner," one would simply assume an American brewery creating a German or Czech pils, not a distinctly separate take on it. I like posts like this that are legitimately informative.

 

More information.
http://morebeer.com/brewingtechniques/library/backissues/issue2.1/jankowski.html

CAPs were how German immigrant brewers made a clear lager using the North Am. 6-row malt with 20% corn to reduce the nitrogen levels. Cluster hops were used for bittering, and European (Hallertau Mittlefrueh or Saaz) hops for finishing. They are fine beers, too bad there are not too many commercial examples.

 

Great Lakes rarely has a miss. I love Wright Pils. I wish I had that and the Dortmunder on tap all Summer long.

Alas...I live in Maryland....

 

It will taste really good after a lousy, long hot summer work day. (and I do mean today)

 

It is a damn good beer, I have never had anything bad from Great Lakes. I will get a couple of sixers for the weekend.

 

I

I bought some at Carson St Deli yesterday

 

Are there any available commercial examples of the style that you can suggest? I would love to try a beer made in this style.

 

The only bottled version of a CAP that I am aware of is Champagne Velvet (which is now brewed by Upland Brewing in Indiana). Below is a short story about this beer:

“Champagne Velvet was a beer brewed in Terre Haute Indiana before and after the prohibition until the late 1950s. The brewery was shut down after it was purchased by another company. It was resurrected by the "Terre Haute Brewing Company and Tap Room" in the early 2000s using a hand written recipe from the early 1900s. CV stopped being available in Terre Haute in the mid 2000s, but it now appears that Upland purchased the brand and recipe.”

The reviews of this present day Champagne Velvet are not stellar.

Another craft brewed CAP is Craftsman 1903 brewed by Craftsman Brewing in California. It is my understanding that this is a draft product only available locally. The reviews of this beer makes it sound like this is a very good beer.

I read in a beer newspaper that Round Guys (a small brewery in Lansdale, PA) will be brewing a CAP for the National Homebrewers Conference which will be occurring next week in Philadelphia.

The only ‘real’ CAP that I have drunk is my homebrewed CAP beers.

Cheers!

 

The only ones in this area are Brewpub or Taproom beers.

 

this, Nosferatu,Christmas ale and Holy Moses are great

 

Just wait until you try GLBC Silver and Gold, which they started selling in the gift shop today. An imperial pils to celebrate 25 years of craft brewing in Ohio (the oldest craft brewery in the state)....(cough cough...want some?)