The Czechered Past of Pilsner is Perfect for Canada Day!

It’s hot, it’s summer and you have been working hard in the backyard all afternoon.   As long as you have nowhere to be you’re probably reaching for a cold one. There are a lot of beer styles out there yet for most of us a light, refreshing pilsner is called upon most often this time of year. When reaching for a beer very few of us stop to think about the craftsmanship and history involved. Read on to find out a bit about the Czechered past of Pilsner.

Czech in origin, this lager style beer has become synonymous with summer heat and drinkability the world over. The mild flavours are thanks to super soft (low dissolved particles and minerals) water and a lightly kilned grain. The strain of hops generally leaves a crispness more so than a bitterness that is more characteristic of the popular IPA style of beer.

Pilsner has a lot to thank from before the beer was even produced, starting out in the 1300’s when the town was given permission to brew their own beer. Shortly thereafter guilds and trade associations were put into place to pass on knowledge and skills needed in beer production. After a slow decrease in the quality of the beer that the town was drinking eventually the people of Plzen had enough. The beer got so bad that in 1837 the townspeople held a protest that produced a public brewery in 1837-38. First produced in 1842 Initially the tunnels, or underground shelters were dug to house goods during sieges of the town in the past. Oddly enough it was a perfect location for brewing lager beer, and so they did. The brew master from Bavaria who was put in charge of this project was Josef Groll. Reinvigorating great beer into the region brought in another golden age of beer in Plzen.

A golden beer requires a great snack to go alongside it. Meat must be mild, such as chicken or possibly going as far as fish. Pasta in a cream sauce can also hold its own with a pilsners’ sharpness. When it comes to cheese and bread think light again.   An aged cheese or dark bread can easily overcast the finer details of a Bavarian brew.

While the temperatures have been up there for a while now, the summer officially just started a week or so ago. With Canada day coming close a great number of Canadians will be celebrating with beer in hand. Whether it is a pilsner or another style, heck even another beverage altogether, please enjoy; but enjoy responsibly.