LEARN ABOUT BEER
What is Pils?
So what exactly is Pils? Pils is such a popular style that it has almost become the very definition of beer and is what most people expect to get when they order ‘a pint’ or ‘a glass of beer’. This makes it perhaps easy to forget that Pils is a distinctive style with its own variations. Regardless of the variant, Pils is a light beer with clean and clear aromas of grain and hops, low to medium bitterness, good freshness and moderate alcohol and body. The beer is a lager beer, which means that it gets little aroma of fruit and spices and very little residual sugar from the fermentation. This may make Pils somewhat drier and simpler than many other styles, but it also gives the beer an unrivaled purity and a special focus: The absence of fruit, spices and sweetness from fermentation allows the aromas of grain and hops to shine. And it is in light of this that there can be some variation in the style; small differences in the use of grain and hops can have a big impact on the taste of the beer.
The difference between Pils and Pilsner
A style as widespread as Pils must necessarily also be varied. So although the style is generally light in colour, some Pils are truly pale, while others are almost blushing. Bitterness and hop aroma also vary: In some Pils, the hops have really taken a bath, while in others they have barely dipped their tip into the brew. Some breweries use Czech Saaz hops, others use southern German hops such as Tettnanger and still others use a mixture. In simple terms, Pils can be divided into Czech, German and international styles.
Czech Pilsner
The Czech Republic is the country where it all started. And in the Czech Republic, Pilsner is almost like a protected geographical indication. This means that if the beer is sold as Pilsner, it also comes from the city of Pilzn and is brewed in light of this. This conservatism means that Czech Pilsner is quite true to the original. The style is somewhat darker in colour and has a little extra malt sweetness, roasted aromas and body that are balanced by extra bitterness from Saaz hops, which in turn elevate the expression with a light, grassy and floral scent.
German Pils
Out of courtesy to their Czech neighbours, many German breweries choose to call their beer Pils instead of Pilsner. And rightly so, because German Pils is quite different in style. German Pils is typically somewhat lighter, paler, and less bitter than Czech Pilsner. The beer often has a slightly earthier character from the use of German hops.