When Will Italian Pilsners Be A Category?

While on a trip to CA I had a couple of West Coast Pilsners.

The last competition I judged had several NZ Pilsners in the Pilsner category.

 

Like with IPAs, it seems that we're trying to become geographically differentiated. My local German-inspired brewery just introduced a Canadian pilsner. No reason was given for that association other than they named it Big Yellow Zamboni. (Their house pilsner is called Big Yellow Truck, and the recently-released Italian pilsner is called Big Yellow Vespa.)

I put the Canadian one on BA as an American Pilsner, and the Italian one as a Euro Pale Lager. I noticed while looking up these on their website that they now refer to Big Yellow Truck as a Michigan Pilsner but I have it on the BA page as German. I'll have to change that one to American.

 

Too late to edit above. I was thinking this site had an American Pilsner category, but it's American Lager. To change Big Yellow Truck to American Lager would cause it to lose its identity so I'm leaving it alone.

 

Would you happen to know what malt(s) were used to brew this beer?

My guess is that used Pilsner Malt from Canada Malting and ergo the chosen name of Canadian Pilsner.

Cheers!

 

I keep saying this exact same thing to the guy who stocks beer at my local stop and shop and he looks at me like I have six heads.

 

I'll find out. The brewery is usually there at lunchtime when I go, but he was a no-show when I was there to try that beer. I'll catch him next time.

 

I’m with @JackHorzempa :

“The so called “Italian Pilsner” is simply a German Pilsner which includes the aspect of dry hopping with European hops. Nothing really new to see here.”

So, entertain the slippery slope momentarily: if Austria brewers made a dry hopped pils, e.g., would we create an Austrian Pils for a beer judging category in the BJCP? Who is next, Greece? Where would this slide end?

Enjoy the ride.
Cheers!

 

Just for the snits and giggles, I searched the BA beer database using '[statename] pilsner' for 10 random states to see how many I'd find. Seven out of ten states have a pilsner named for it, and I'm wondering if each brewery probably had some ingredient that is unique to that state in the recipe to justify the name.

 

It’s a Pilsner dry hopped with noble hops, which leads to a particularly spicy, grassy aroma. I’m not saying it had never been done before but it wasn’t very common, hence its novelty when it caught on with American brewers a few years back. I think they’re excellent. DSSOLVR’s Cold Caprese Pizza is particularly excellent.

 

I have some cans of Human Robot's "Italian-style" Pilsner in my fridge right now. Also some other local beers labeled as West Coast, East Coast, and New Zealand style Pilsners.


As for Human Robot, they mostly focus on German and Czech style beers, so in addition to their flagship Hallertau Pils and Czech 10, they have a rotating variety of Pilsners more specifically labeled as Northern German, Polish, Alsatian, New Zealand, West Coast, American Noble, plus various single hop versions (Hallertau, Callista, Grungeist, Spalt, etc).

There are definitely differences between sweetness/dryness, bitterness, and hop profiles, but I think the BA style categories don't need to get uber-specific.

 

I just finished my last can of Notch’s Alsatian Pils and have three cans left of their Polish. Both used exclusive ingredients that make it far different than their German Pils, German Afternoons.

 

Human Robot's Alsatian-style Pilsner (Storig) was "brewed with French pilsner malt, 25% corn, and Strisselspalt hops". I liked it.
https://www.beeradvocate.com/beer/profile/58686/633884/

I haven't personally had their Polish-style one (Niebo), but they say "Delicately hopped and dry-hopped with Lubelski and now Tomyski, the oldest and most traditional noble hops of Poland."
https://www.beeradvocate.com/beer/profile/58686/575064/

 

At the recent Logjammin’ Lager Beer Festival in Philly I had a pour of Marlowe Falcon Club which was advertised to be a Polish style Lager (Pilsner):

“Crafted in collaboration with Human Robot, our Polish-style lager is a tribute to tradition, brewed with authentic Polish hops Marynka and Lubelski. This crisp and flavorful lager embodies the essence of Polish brewing excellence, offering a delightful combination of heritage and innovation.”

I thought this beer was very good.

Cheers!

P.S. Let the debate about new Pilsner sub-styles based on ingredient locations continue!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

 

Last summer, a brewery in my area did a Canadian Pilsner as well, but admitted that it was essentially a Labatt clone. I wonder if the term Canadian Pilsner is now becoming some sort way to give more prestige to what would otherwise be an AAL, like how many American breweries used to/still term their AAL as a Mexican Lager. Do you know if your brewery uses adjuncts compared to their other offerings, like Big Yellow Truck?

 

NZ Pils?
https://www.bjcp.org/beer-styles/x5-new-zealand-pilsner/

 

I wrote an article on the topic of Alsatian Pilsner which will be published soon (next week?) and below is a ‘teaser’ from that article:

“I became aware of the Alsatian Pilsner substyle by reading about a few US craft breweries making beers they branded as “Alsatian Pilsner”. US craft breweries of late have marketed various Pilsner substyles with a theme of labeling them based upon where certain ingredients are obtained, for example featuring hops grown in certain countries/area. If a US craft brewery features hops grown in Poland (e.g., Lubelski hops) they may brand that Pilsner as being a Polish Pilsner. Or if they feature hops from New Zealand, they might call it a New Zealand Pilsner. But the Alsatian Pilsner is a substyle which is much deeper than that since this substyle has been around for almost 100 years. And the substyle is not just defined by where the hops are grown but also a differing grain bill (i.e., it is not just brewed using Pilsner malt).”

As a homebrewer/craft beer consumer I am a bit ‘skeptical’ about branding a beer as being a new sub-style simply based upon a given ingredient’s location. I regularly homebrew a beer I label as 1896 Michelob and for about 5 years that beer featured Czech Saaz hops but for the last two years I used Polish grown Saaz hops (aka Lubelski hops). Do I ‘rebrand’ that beer as a Polish Pilsner? No, I do not.

But I recognize that for commercial brewing there is a need to fulfill the demands of consumers who are constantly looking for a ‘shiny new thing’ beer. If they brand their beers with a new sub-style branding the hope is this will generate excitement and increase revenue.

What will be the next new Pilsner sub-style? Will it be a South African Pilsner featuring African Queen hops? You heard it here first!

Cheers!

 

I've recently encountered a couple here in Spokanistan. But we tend to be behind the times, so perhaps no one here has realized they've become passe yet.

 

Whether they use any adjuncts or Canadian malt is a question that is on my list to ask the brewer when I see him again.

 

This sentence is a stretch.
How to probably support your thesis by going to research archaic and obsolete sources.
The beer was called "TipoPils", which in Italian is a crasis that would mean "a sort of Pils", because it is a product that is well-distinguished from a "classic Pils".
Not because someone claimed to have invented anything.
At most, it is those who, by drinking it, have inspired their work who have coined the term "Italian Pils Style".
And I think this difference with a classic Pils can be found when drinking.
Furthermore, to appreciate that herbaceous and bitterish characteristic of medium persistence due to the dry hopping of Saaz hops, in the USA the dry hopping takes place on site, once the tanks have been shipped.
Therefore, wanting to clarify that for me you can categorize "beers" as much as you want, but you will never be able to do it with all of them...
Anyway I give you this news, if you are not a regular drinker of

and you want to drink a Pils with dry hopping, you drink the Italian one or one inspired by it.
In fact, many respectful artisans call their dry hopped Pils Italian Pils Style, because they knew this way of doing things and came up with the Tipo Pils and not with the

which, it is said, were made like this centuries ago.
But I repeat... it's trivial... categorizing everything is utopia.
After the BJCP removed the word "Italian" in front of the name "Grape Ale", what do we want to talk about?
The first beer fermented from a grape must comes from here.
Now everyone makes them and they are called "Grape Ale".
But every good artisan knows... and the recognition is correctly demonstrated at every meeting occasion in festivals or international events.

 

I purposefully used single quotes around the word invented for a reason.

Cheers to you for 'recognizing' the stretch!