Brewers have a deep appreciation for Pilsners. Many will agree: A good pilsner, with its brisk, subtle flavors and crisp, snappy bitterness, is a difficult-to-make exercise in technique and precision. The style’s simplicity and lack of fuss leaves little room for even the slightest flaw.
Part of the pilsner’s admiration among beer makers around the world is the challenge in creating a memorable one; it’s a true measure of brewing greatness. It’s also because pilsners are delicious and refreshing, and low in alcohol, making it an ideal beverage of choice in many situations. Ask a brewer what they’re drinking after a shift, or what they’re sipping on while working an event, and you’ll likely get this response (and proudly): crisp, clean pils.
We asked 17 beer makers to share the one pilsner that holds a special place in their heart, and their glass. Did your favorite make the list?
Editor’s Note: Some responses have been edited for clarity and length.
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Live Oak Pilz Read More -
Rothaus Pils Tannenzäpfle Read More
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Threes Vliet Read More
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Pilsner Urquell Read More
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Upland Brewing Company Champagne Velvet Read More
Live Oak Pilz
- ABV: 4.7%
- From: Austin, Texas
“A classic from the oldest brewery in Austin. Great malt character from single-decoction mashing and beautiful hoppiness from Saaz hops. I love the firm bitterness. Squeaky-clean. My go-to beer in Austin. Eminently crushable. This being put in cans a few years back made my life better.” — Jeffrey Stuffings, co-founder of Jester King Brewery
Rothaus Pils Tannenzäpfle
- ABV: 5.1%
- From: Grafenhausen, Germany
“We’re spoiled with pilsners here. Thanks to Berlin’s drinking culture you will find a decent selection of German and Czech pilsners, and even Franconian lagers, in every corner shop. My favorite is quite simple, though: Rothaus Pils Tannenzäpfle. It’s fresh, consistent, available pretty much everywhere, and it has the perfect balance of sweet, crisp and bitter. Plus a cool label.” — Lukasz Wiacek, founder of FUERST WIACEK
Threes Vliet
- ABV: 5.2%
- From: Brooklyn, New York
“I first visited Threes in the fall of 2016, while visiting some family and friends in Brooklyn. At this point, we were building our space and I was obsessively observing what other brewers were up to. To say I was impressed with everything Threes was doing would be an understatement. I recall thinking everything felt thoughtful and true. But my biggest takeaway was its beer, in particular its Pilsner Vliet. Much like the experience Threes offers, Vliet feels deliberate and authentic. One of the cleanest, most drinkable American pilsners I’ve had the opportunity to enjoy, it has a classic cracker-like malt flavor and a truly balanced and subtle hop profile, which I feel a lot of breweries putting out great IPAs struggle to achieve with their pilsners.” — Ryan Lavery, co-owner and head brewer at Widowmaker Brewing
Pilsner Urquell
- ABV: 4.4%
- From: Plzen, Czech Republic
“Great beer often reminds you of a time and place, and having been to Prague, I can say Pilsner Urquell is a perfect reminder of the beauty and delicateness of that wonderful city.” — Adam Robbings, co-founder and brewmaster at Reuben’s Brews
Upland Brewing Company Champagne Velvet
- ABV: 5.5%
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From: Bloomington, Indiana
“This is delicious and crisp, with a perfect hop balance. Matt [Mitchell, director of sales operations] from Upland visited us one year with some delicious beers, and Champagne Velvet was my favorite. The story behind ‘The Beer with the Million Dollar Flavor’ intrigued me, and to think the recipe was over 100 years old and it was once one of Indiana’s most popular beers, and Upland brought it back to life, it’s such a neat thing. And the packaging echoes its roots in a grand way. Big fan of both this beer and Upland.” — Todd DiMatteo, co-owner and brewer at Good Word Brewing & Public House
Jever Pilsener
- ABV: 4.9%
- From: Jever, Germany
“My favorite pils? Many, luckily. There’s one, though, that influenced my life. The one that, approximately 30 years ago, first made me experience the hop punch! I still remember that feeling of dry, sharp bitterness, suspended into a mellow flow of caressing malt sweetness and texture. That pils was Jever. At the time I was traveling to Germany and I would always try to spot a place that had Jever on tap or in bottles. It was hard, but every time I found it, it was simultaneously a joy and a shock. I felt like I was being tested, like if that bitterness would trial me for the admittance to a new world, the one of ‘real beer.’ Beer with plenty of character, bold and tasty. It was so good! Years later, while trying to brew a Jever of my own, I found my way to that sort of a pils, that ‘something’ I called Tipopils. In the end, Tipo had nothing to do with the ‘German bomb,’ but it was in searching for the idea of Jever that I found the hidden doors and hop treasures that led me to Tipo.”
— Agostino Arioli, founder and brewer at Birrificio Italiano
Birrificio Italiano Tipopils
- ABV: 5.2%
- From: Lurago Marinone, Italy
“I took a road trip with my family to Italy one summer and called my good friend Agostino Arioli at Birrificio Italiano to let him know that I was going to stop by for dinner and a beer or two. He sent me on my way with a case of his Tipopils and the vacation was elevated to an entirely new level. Drinking fresh Tipo is as close to pilsner perfection as I know. It’s in no way a typical or traditional German pilsner. Ago, in his magical way, created a new beer and in my mind a new style of lager. Tipo was the beer that inspired me to create Pivo Pils and will forever be one of my most influential lagers.” — Matt Brynildson, brewmaster at Firestone Walker Brewing Company
pFriem Family Brewers Pilsner
- ABV: 4.9%
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From: Hood River, Oregon
“We were stationed next to pFriem at Rhinegeist’s Rare Beer Fest last year and I was quickly reminded of how good the pilsner is. It has a wonderfully soft mouthfeel with a creamy head, and the pFriem team really nailed the carbonation. We seek it out every time we head out to the West Coast for hop selection, making the stop at pFriem’s brewery on the drive from Portland to Yakima Valley.” — Collin Castore, co-founder of Seventh Son Brewing and Antiques on High
Heater Allen Pils
- ABV: 5.2%
- From: Portland, Oregon
“This is my go-to pilsner that’s not ours. It’s Czech style, so expect a good punch of hops and a sturdy amount of Bohemian malt. I love that I can get cans and draft of a beer that’s lagered for eight weeks pretty much anywhere worth going to in Portland. Although I adore other Heater Allen beers, I can’t seem to get enough of the Pils. Also, I have a pretty big crush on head brewer Lisa Allen.” — Kevin Davey, brewmaster at Wayfinder Beer
Victory Prima Pils
- ABV: 5.3%
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From: Downington, Pennsylvania
“Picking one pilsner isn’t easy because I really enjoy the style and feel that many breweries create with their consistent, well-balanced versions. However, one that stands out to me is Prima Pils. This is a classic pilsner and a go-to beer for me, thanks to its wonderful hop character that I think contributes nicely to the crisp, dry finish.” — Ryan McVeigh, brewery operations manager at Kona Brewing Company
Station 26 Saaz Pilsner
- ABV: 5.3%
- From: Denver, Colorado
“In Denver, we’re home to so many great pilsners, with some really obvious top choices. I was recently able to experience a beautifully crafted example from a brewery I wouldn’t have expected that deserves some love: Station 26 and its Saaz-hopped pils. It’s so damn crisp and clean. It pours a beautiful, pristinely clear straw color (I’m a sucker for clear beer) with a great floral aroma, followed by an ever-so-sweet, honey-like taste. It finishes with a slightly earthy hop bitterness. Really everything you could want from a good ol’ pils.” — Bess Dougherty, head barrel troll at The Grateful Gnome Sandwich Shoppe & Brewery
Bellwoods Bellweiser
- ABV: 4.8%
- From: Toronto, Ontario
“This is one of the nicest pilsners out there, and it’s made by some of the finest folks in the industry. It has everything I want in a pilsner: a nose full of hops that aren’t trying to be cool, which makes them so very cool; a soft malt character that my dad would appreciate; and a clean yeast character that doesn’t care if you pay attention to it. When I plan my trip to a deserted island, my suitcase will be full of this beer.”
— Daniel Endicott, co-founder and brewer at Forest & Main Brewing Company
Seedstock Czech Pilsner
- ABV: 5.8%
- From: Denver, Colorado
“Run by brothers Ron and Jason Abbott, Seedstock is a small brewery in Denver that refuses to give into the hype of hazy IPAs, instead paying homage to their European ancestors — farmers who settled in Nebraska and began making the beers from home in their barns by focusing on traditional German and Czech styles. The pair produce an array of outstanding old-world lagers, like this Czech-style pilsner, a brilliant example with the perfect amount of bitterness. I feel like Seedstock’s great work is often overlooked, which is a shame. Don’t sleep. — Paul Mahoney, head brewer at Launch Pad Brewery
Redlight Redlight Side-Pull Pils
- ABV: 4.0%
- From: Orlando, Florida
“This is brewed and served to perfection in the Czech style, with each mug beautifully topped with a sweet, creamy head of foam transports me back to my honeymoon in Prague and all the crispy bois we drank on that unforgettable trip. It pours bright gold and has a medium-light body, with notes of water cracker and a floral hop bitterness. Now, that’s if you decided to go for the crisp version. The brewery serves it two ways, and if you go for the smooth option you’ll get a beer with a rounder, maltier taste and silkier finish. Even better, both [at that time went] for only $4 a pour during the brewery’s happy hour.” — Haidar Hachem, Co-owner/Head Brewer of Shōjō Beer Co
Hill Farmstead Mary
- ABV: 4.75%
- From: Greensboro Bend, Vermont
“After I graduated from brewing school, my future wife drove up to meet me in Middlebury, Vermont. We drove the next day across the state, ultimately to Portland, Maine, and stopped at Hill Farmstead along the way. It was there I first encountered Mary, the perfect intersection between the balance you can bet your life on from a Hill Farmstead beer, and the archetype of a craft pilsner. You almost have to talk about pilsner in the abstract, because, even when done unspectacularly, they exhibit similar characteristics. There are only so many ways to combine continental Pils malt, noble hops and one of a handful of yeast strains. But what separates the best from the rest is process and water chemistry. Mary is an exquisite little offering: delicately balancing floral and subtly spicy hops with crisp, vaguely doughy malt, and with the soft mouthfeel you expect from his works despite being dry and smooth.” — Brett Taylor, partner and head brewer at Wild East Brewing Company
O/O Ekta Pils
- ABV: 5.2%
- From: Göteborg, Sweden
“It’s insanely refreshing and crispy AF, just as I like it. Just a real, real, real good pilsner, you know? It’s one of those pilsners that reminds me of the second day at beer festivals when you’re desperately looking for the crispiest crispy boi to kill that hangover. If I could find something like Ekta every time, I’d be so much less hungover.” — Nanna Birk Ackermann, sales and logistics manager at Gamma Brewing Company
La Trappe Puur
- ABV: 4.5%
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From: Berkel-Enschot, Netherlands
“As a brewer, you need to twist the rules every now and then. My moving out of the Netherlands made me rethink all my recipes and go-to beers, of course, because of availability or resources. In the United Kingdom, I have plenty of pilsners to turn to but I miss having the availability of La Trappe Puur. A few years ago I went to the brewery and during the tour they said this was their take on a Pilsner, but they couldn’t call it one because it doesn’t use classic Pilsner yeast. Again, sometimes you need to twist the rules. So, La Puur is a Belgian Pilsner, fermented with Trappist yeast. It uses only organic malts and organic noble hops, which leave a dry, bitter finish. When I go back to Nijmegen it’s the first beer I’ll order in the pub, with a big cheese platter to feel truly at home.” — Do Bongers, head brewer at Fierce Beer
