Favorite American Craft Pilsners
As we enter the dog days of summer, I’d like to highlight few of my favorite American Craft Pilsners to help you beat the heat! Pilsner is a type of pale lager (one of the two main subsets of beer) that gets its name from the Czech city of Pilsen, where it was first brewed in 1842. They are typically around 5 percent ABV and have a minimal yeast character, allowing the hops and malt to really shine. They are crisp, refreshing beers with a clean finish – the combination of which creates a brew with a high amount of drinkability. In addition to standing up on their own, pilsners pair nicely with a wide variety of foods. So, whether you firing up the grill, headed to the beach, or camping in the great outdoors, here are some of fantastic summer sippers to add to your cooler!
Beverly Pils
Indie Brewing Company – Los Angeles, CA
Bohemian-Style Pilsner – Located in the heart of downtown Los Angeles, Indie Brewing Company began when four buddies (Connor Forbes, Kevin O’Malley, Morgan Keller, and James Mancuso) left their respective jobs in geology, advertising, and law to pursue a career in craft beer. What began as a hobby with homebrews in pots on an electric stovetop has evolved into a full-fledged brewery operation pumping out delicious pilsners, pale ales, saisons, porters, and more. Beverly Pils, one of their newer offerings, is a pale, light-bodied, Bohemian-style Pilsner brewed with 100% Weyermann malt. At 5% ABV, this beer pours straw in color with two fingers of white, pillowy foam. The aroma and flavor have a toasted, biscuit-like, bready malt character balanced by medium level of spicy hop bitterness. The level of attenuation is medium-to-high and the finish is very clean and crisp. A wonderful, modern rendition of a classic Czech-style Pils!
Timbo Pils
Highland Park Brewing Company – Los Angeles
West Coast Pilsner – For hopheads who would like to enjoy a few beers while remaining upright, allow me to introduce you to Timbo Pils. This is essentially a cross between a German-style Pilsner and a West Coast IPA. Weighing in at 5.8% ABV and loaded with copious amounts of Citra and Mosaic hops, this beer pours a beautiful straw color with one finger of frothy, off-white head that dissipates rather quickly. The smell is dominated by hop aroma that comes from adding hops late in the boil (the final 15 minutes) and dry hopping (hops added during fermentation). These aromatics include notes of mango, pine, citrus, and passionfruit. The taste has similar flavors as well as a cracker-like, bready malt character balanced by a medium-to-high level of bitterness from early additions of spicy, peppery, herbal German/Czech hop varieties. The body is medium and the finish is crisp, dry, and slightly resinous. Overall, this a fantastic, non-traditional pilsner with a very complex hop profile. One of many incredible offerings from Highland Park!
Pivo Pils
Firestone Walker Brewing Company – Venice Beach, CA
German-Style Pilsner – Another classically rendered pilsner with a West Coast twist, this beer has been the benchmark of the style for years and helped liberate American Pilsners from the clutches of flavorless, industrial beer. Weighing in at 5.3 percent ABV, it pours a brilliantly clear pale straw color with a fairly well-retained two finger collar of fluffy, white head. The nose has some sweet bready maltiness along with a grassy, lemony, floral hop aroma from the use of German-grown hops. The taste follows and the body is light-to-medium with a lively amount of carbonation. The finish is crisp and dry with a pronounced bitterness. This beer is more widely available than the previous two options and will continue to be a staple in my beer fridge, particularly during the warm, summer months!
