The introduction of modern refrigeration to Germany by Carl von Linde in the late 19th century eliminated the need for caves for beer storage, enabling the brewing of cool fermenting beer in many new locations. Some beers are labeled Urtyp Pilsener (UP) meaning they are brewed according to the original process, although many breweries use this accolade for their top beer. In 1898, the Pilsner Urquell trademark was created to put emphasis on being the original brewery ( Urquell, meaning 'original well', the English equivalent would probably be 'prototype Pilsener beer'). In 1859, Pilsner Bier was registered as a brand name at the Chamber of Commerce and Trade in Plzeň. Improving transport and communications also meant that this new beer was soon available throughout Europe, and the Pilsner style of brewing was soon widely imitated. In 1856, it came to Vienna and in 1862 to Paris. In 1853, the beer was available in 35 pubs in Prague. These former luxury items showcased the visually pleasing golden clarity of the beer, further influencing the Pilsner's rapid dissemination. This allowed the general population to purchase glass drinking vessels for the first time. Parts of the brewery, however, were acquired by Wolferstetter, another brewery from Vilshofen, which still produces a Josef Groll Pils.Įmergence of efficient glass manufacturing in Europe around the same time, lowered glass prices. Groll's contract with the brewery ended in 1845, he returned to Vilshofen in Bavaria and later inherited his father's brewery. The recipe was regarded as a sensation and took hold very quickly. The combination of Plzeň's remarkably soft water, local Saaz noble hops from nearby Žatec, brighter malt prepared by British technology, and Bavarian-style lagering (bottom-fermented beer termed at the time) produced a clear, golden beer. The Plzeň brewery recruited the Bavarian brewer Josef Groll (1813–1887) who, using the specifics of local ingredients and paler malts, presented his first batch of pale lager on 5 October 1842.
Part of this research benefited from the knowledge already expounded on in a book (printed in German in 1794, in Czech in 1799), written by Czech brewer František Ondřej Poupě (German: Franz Andreas Paupie) (1753–1805) from Brno. īrewers had begun aging beer made with cool fermenting yeasts in caves ( lager, i.e., German: gelagert ), which improved the beer's clarity and shelf-life. It was here they began to brew beer in the pioneering Bavarian style. The officials of Plzeň founded a city-owned brewery in 1839, called in German: Bürger-Brauerei Pilsen ( Czech: Měšťanský pivovar Plzeň, English: Citizens' Brewery) which is now known as Pilsner Urquell. The taste and standards of quality often varied widely, and in 1838, consumers dumped whole barrels to show their dissatisfaction. The city of Plzeň began brewing in 1307, but until the mid-1840s, most Bohemian beers were top- fermented.
Can of Belgian Pils represented on a mural of the railway station of Louvain-la-Neuve ( Belgium) Origin