What’s Your Go-To German Pilsner?

A new Lager brewery opened near me. Goldfinger Brewing and they have a very slow pour Pilsner that's very tasty. I order the growler ahead of time to give them time to pour it. The owner was trained to make beer in Germany. He seems to have gotten it right. The lagers are good too, but that's off topic.

 

Same here. Post Shift and Green State Lager are cheap enough to let me save up for the occasional six pack of it though

 

Welcome to BA. Lagers aren't off topic - Pilsners are lagers. Seems like everything they brew is a lager. The idea of filling a growler with a "slow pour Pilsner" technique seems a bit counter-productive to the idea since you are not drinking it from the growler. If that's what they're doing, I feel for the staff.

 

IA Metric for American version, whatever is freshest from Germany from any top producer, Radeberger, Weihenstephaner, Rothaus , etc

 

Pilsners *are* Lagers, so still on a parallel track.

 

A number of folks have mentioned Rothaus with some discussion about the high price. The other issue is freshness. My local Retail Beer Distributor has five six-packs of Rothaus at 16 bucks a six-pack and those beers have best by dates of August. At a cost of 16 bucks for beers over two months past their best by date - that is an easy pass for me.

Cheers!

 

came into say Jever. It used to be rothaus until a place I frequent started carrying jever. If someone were to ask me what I want in a pils that beer is it. I’ve slowly bought 3 six packs over the past month or so.

you know, doing my part to keep stock moving. I’m also looking forward to the paulaner pils whenever it’s in our area.

 

Do you recall the bottling dates of those beers?

Cheers!

 

Late June @JackHorzempa

 

These beers are so much better fresh than not, how do I know that? I can compare to domestic lagers brewed by head brewers that were both trained in Germany and worked there for over a decade and I can see that the fresher the beer the better it is. So even when we buy seasonal Marzens and Festbiers were lucky at the first dropping if they’re under 4 months old, from there obviously it goes down. I can then compare these beers to offerings from Red Oak and Old Mecklenburg and imported beers can’t really compete with 10 day old beer. To expect core offerings that are imported to be great imo is a stretch, there’s a difference in still being ok to pretty good to bring fresh and spot on to style. I don’t like to pay top money for 8 month old beers. I understand the logistics involved, but it’s a real obstruction to having great beer, I’ve read here many times you cant beat the beer at its source, and at its source it’s fresh and a completely different beer.

 

Pictures?

I sound skeptical because Spaten doesn't even show the Pils on their website anymore.
@jesskidden

Things like this make me skeptical too.

 

Bitburger
Konig
Live Oak Pilz
Real Ale Han’s Pils

I think two of those are technically considered Czech style pils vs. German style but the difference typically escapes me. I love them all.

 

The real test put said beers up against the German ones in opaque glasses. It’s always fun, but then again if it’s a beer you know very well it may stand out. Either way, always a fun experiment.

 

Not to derail, and I love slow pour, but their marzen may have usurped ayinger as my favorite this year. After having a 4x of one and 6x of the other this year I find myself longing for more Bierstadt.

 

Jever is distributed statewide by Hunterdon - and I haven't seen it in any of the half dozen stores I frequent in a long time. I think I even asked a Hunterdon rep about it recently (the advantage of beer shopping in the late AM - early afternoon is one often comes across a distributor salesperson, taking stock, taking orders, etc. - I always try to figure out who they work for by looking at the brands they're checking out, and then pick their brain for info) - and he didn't even seem to recognize the brand. OTOH, ... I might be confusing the situation with another Hunterdon rep who I was talking to about B. United's beers.

Anyway, if I saw Jever with a good date (they use an /outrageous/ 15 month best before date but I understand the labels now also list bottling date) I'd buy the case as I always have. Stretching back to the plastic case days* in the US. Unexposed to light** and I control the storage temps after purchase.

* Which still come in handy in the beer cellar:


** Unless, it's the cans which I've only seen in Florida but do exist in the North as @zid has shown (teased?).

 

From the Real Ale website:

“Hans Pils

German-Style Pilsner

You might say, a great beer is man’s other best friend. So when we made this German-style pilsner, it just made sense to name it after the brewery’s dog, Hans — our owner’s German Shorthair Pointer. Inspired by the pilsner beers of Northern Germany, Hans is crisp, brightly hoppy and full of flavor. At 50 IBUs and featuring Tettnang hops, it’s even hoppier than many pale ales. The German malt helps create a nice pale golden color and provides the perfect companion to the hops.”

https://realalebrewing.com/beers/hans-pils/?age-verified=e8d2c8af75

And while Live Oak ‘advertises’ Bohemian as regards their Live Oak Pilz that beer tastes like a German Pilsner to my palate - more of a clean/crisp beer and not a rich maltiness.

I am a fan of both of those beers.

Cheer!

 

I’ll talk to the import guy at roger Wilco. I too had never found it then it showed up and he said he wanted some and hadn’t had it in stock for years. He said “no worries, when im out I’ll order more, theyre (distributor) here every week.”

I may actually grab some today, if I see the guy I’ll ask and post any info I get from him. Maybe I should’ve gone your route and bought a case out the gate. I would’ve saved the case discount

forgot to tag you @jesskidden

 

Ciao,
given that every lawyer has my full respect,
Including who gets an idea of beer simply by reading what the label on the can / bottle says ...
I can't help but notice that when asked "what's your go-to German pilsner?", The only truly classic German pilsner you mentioned is the Jever.
I think ... being a secular style, if you really wanted to write something, you could mention some other Pils of the Region of Bavaria (for example).
If you've ever had a chance to taste any.
Brewed by those who have been brewing it for generations, from father to son.
Because it is obvious that the reference model are those for anyone who wants to give it a more modern reinterpretation, although it may be more or less adherent to the original style.
It is not enough to take a German Pilsner recipe and stick to the model for brewing a German Pilsner.
Incidentally, Oxbow Brewing Co.'s Luppolo is defined by the same brewery as "Italian -Style Pils", but if it's the same thing for you, I raise my hands and remain silent ...
It is useless to make a controversy about the keyboard...
Especially after a working Monday (not in the brewing scene).
There is a different view on this topic ...
Then, as said, apart from what is dogma, every personal opinion is respectable in the same way, of course, I don't want to agree with myself.
Sorry, as usual, for any (probable) language imperfections.