Plzen’s contribution to beer history began in 1295, when the King of Bohemia, Wenceslas II, founded the town of New Plzen on the banks of the Radbuza River. The city of Plzeň was granted brewing rights in 1307, but until the mid-1840s, most Bohemian beers were top-fermented.
Josef Groll (1813–1887) was the Bavarian brewer hired by the Měšťanský pivovar Plzeň brewery (Citizens' Brewery), owned by the city of Pilsen, to produce the pale lager and refined taste that is now associated with the beer.
Using low-protein Moravian barley malt prepared by indirectly heated kilning, and none of the roasted or smoked barley that the German brewers were using, Groll added generous portions of the fragrant Saaz hops from nearby Žatec to his brew.
On October 5th, 1842, Josef Groll presented the first pilsner to the public. It was an instant classic. The color of straw, it was light and clear. One could see right through it to the other side of the Bohemian crystal glass.
The growth of railroads in Europe and the advent of refrigeration spread the popularity of Pilsners to northern Germany and across all of Europe where the style was modified to suit local brewing resources.
By 1853, the beer was available at 35 pubs in Prague. In 1856, it came to Vienna and in 1862 to Paris. Modern Pilsners are now fermented in cylindrical tanks although a small quantity (for taste comparison) are still fermented the traditional way of open barrels in cellars.
History of Pilsner production
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