Pilsner or other lager suggestions

Metropolitan Flywheel is a pretty good take on the style from a small brewery, but I don't think it's available in 12 packs.

If you can get north of the Cheddar Curtain get some New Glarus Hometown Blonde -- their new seasonal is a terrific German Pilsner.

 

Are you close enough to Wisconsin to hop over the border for some New Glarus? If so, start there. I believe their Hometown Blonde is out now.

EDIT: steveh beat me to it.

 

As far as imports go, the obvious choice would be Jever- right in the ballpark you are looking for. Konig is also solid, if a little les obviously hopped up. Buy from closed cases, though- those green-bottled beers can get skunky when on display.

fwiw- my fave domestic versions are not available to you (Sly Fox Pikeland Pils and Troegs Sunshine Pils) but keep them in mind if you ever do come across them in your travels.

 

...also the new Pilsner Urquell fresh packs. The most noticeable difference I find between the new and old "versions" (besides the absence of skunkiness) is a lingering hop presence. 12-packs should be no problem there, either.

 

Koenig Pilsner, Wuerzbuerger Hofbraeu, Lammsbraeu, Mahr's. I wouldn't trust the hop bite to be there but they are decent when fresh (and really good fresh in Germany). Unfortunately in the Chicago market besides imports that are often old there aren't any outstanding pilseners available except if you count prima or summerfest which are good but not amazing. Trumer is great if you get it fresh. I would suggest jsut going up to the Woodmans in kenosha and stocking up on cases of the Hometown blonde. Its not perfect, but very close to a fresh german pils. Fresh Pilsener Urquell would work but just watch the skunkage and it won't have too much hops to it. As far as other lagers go it is also quite thin, but you can always get Weihenstphaner products I ahve seen 2 of them in the Chi market (Original, Korbinian). Oktoberfest beers are in right now, I recommend Ayinger for a nice bit of hops, Revolution (grolwer hopefully), Hacker-Pschorr, Spaten, Paulaner. Hacker-Pshorr Edelhell or Muenchener Gold are good, Spaten's 3 other lagers are good when fresh and un-skunked. Mahr's has a lot of good stuff just make sure its fresh. Schlenkerla's smoked lagers are good as is Spezial. Weltenburger is good but beware of old stuff, same with ettaler. There are plenty more but they have to be fresh and even then they are neutered versions of the stuff in Germany most of the time. There is a Westheimer dunkel beer that you might be able to find that claims to be unpasteurized, and im pretty sure at least a few of the german imports aren't pasteurized.

 

SN beer camp 12 pack, is got 3 nice Imp pils in it. No idea why its called imperial but they taste good.

 

I enjoyed Sixpoint's The Crisp outdoors this summer.

http://beeradvocate.com/beer/profile/10607/62989

 

Agreed, it is quite good, and it isnt imperial.

I also Like Sam Adams Noble Pils. Try any german Helles Lager you can get your hands on. Harpoon Bohemian Pilsner has a decent bite to it.

 

I would recommend to avoid it like the plague, i thought it was terrible, a poorly crafted lager. just so the op has 2 opinions.

 

Your review of The Crisp mirrors my thoughts on NB Shi(f)t pretty faithfully; if I am presented with one now, I simply tell myself I'm drinking an American Pale Ale, which tempers the disappointment considerably. Still doesn't make me like it, though....

 

also did not like at all

 

I'll agree with the stock-up, but will say that -- while drinking it on my patio while grilling last weekend -- I found it very reminiscent of the beers I enjoyed in Germany. For a fresh, locally-brewed Pilsner that's amazing to my palate.

 

I also enjoy König Pilsener. My distributor gets four packs of half liter cans that sell for $5.99. There is a date on the bottom of the cans that I assume is the one year "freshness" date, since the last pack I bought has the date 04/25/13. I figure my beer is four months old and it tastes fine. The current packaging has a red wrapper.

 

In WI i find this stuff for 4$ a 4pack

 

Can't go wrong there. I'm in NY. Gotta pay the tax man!

 

Might as well grab some New Glarus Two Women Lager as well if you make it up to WI for the Hometown Blonde. It is als exellent IMO

 

Metropolitan Flywheel is a great pilsner with a decent hop presence. As the bros put it "hop bitterness is aggressive but not boisterous"- definitely worth seeking out and not very hard to find in Chicago (they're local), I've even seen it at Jewel-Osco on occasion.

 

Hope you do, too. And don't fall for the BA axiom that if it's any good it must be expensive.