A beer style that I enjoy very much that I’m embarrassed to say I don’t drink nearly enough of, German Pilsner has ‘Summer’ written all over it. Sometimes spelled ‘Pilsener’, or referred to as ‘Pils’, this beer is a bottom-fermented, pale lager that is a copy of Bohemian Pilsner (the original clear, light colored beer) that was adapted to brewing conditions in Germany. I’d like to expand on the history of this style, but since I want to save that for when I write my Top 5 Czech Pilsners, let’s get to the meat and potatoes of what German Pils is all about.

German Pilsner Characteristics

Bright and beautiful, German Pilsners will appear straw to light gold, and be very clear with a creamy long-lasting white head. They’ll have a light, grainy Pils malt aroma (sometimes resembling Graham crackers) and prominent flowery, spicy noble hops courtesy of the Hallertauer, Tettnanger, or Spalt varietals. However, this complex aroma will be VERY clean without fruity esters. Keep your nose peeled also for an initial sulfury aroma from the water and/or yeast, and possibly some "corny" notes (Dimethyl Sulfide, or DMS). German Pils taste crisp and bitter, with somewhat of a dry finish, and will have a malty flavor with some hints of grain. A spotlight will be on the noble hop bitterness it and will linger into the aftertaste. Again, there shouldn’t be any fruity esters and no diacetyl (that buttery/butterscotch flavor you get in a lot of other beers), and have a medium-light body with medium to high carbonation and be VERY drinkable. German Pilsners will be drier and crisper than Bohemian Pilsners, with a bitterness that will linger more in the aftertaste, have a lighter body and color, and have more carbonation. As you move from Southern Germany to Northern Germany, the examples you’ll find will be paler in color, drier in finish, and more bitter.

German Pilsner Food Pairings

Being a delicate, light, unobtrusive beer, German Pilsner (and all Pilsners, really) are incredibly versatile with a variety of foods. So clean and crisp, it may lack the fruity, malty, roasty, complex flavors that pair well with a lot of grub, but its attributes in other arenas make up for that, as it provides palate-cleansing bitterness, high carbonation, and malty sweetness. It will cut right through a spicy dish such as Thai, Vietnamese, Indian, Mexican, or Jamaican food, and will handle fatty foods just as well, especially oily, robust fish. And speaking of seafood, bring it on…ANY type of shellfish will be happy with a glass of Pilsner. Ham, bacon, and prosciutto go great with Pilsner, as the beer will slice through the fat and muffle the sodium-bomb that ham can be at times. If cheese is your poison, feel free to pair it with some light cheddar of any variety.

Sometimes choosing a Pilsner, be it Czech/Bohemian or German can be difficult, as many of the breweries in Europe just LOVE those green bottles, which sunlight wreaks havoc on and can render a perfectly drinkable and enjoyable beer a skunky mess. Fortunately, most of the ones on my Top 5 come in brown glass, so you don’t have to worry. But if you do seek out ones in the green enemy, spring for a 12-pack if you can, so you’re getting a product that’s been protected from light (whether it’s natural or artificial) from the point it left the packaging line to the point it makes it in your hand while you’re mowing the lawn. Cheers!

Trumer Pils

Sly Fox Pikeland Pils

Stoudt’s Pils

Bitburger Premium Pils

Troegs Sunshine Pils

TAGS [ GERMAN PILSNER | TOP GERMAN PILSNERS | BEER REVIEWS | GREMAN PILSNER CHARACTERISTICS | GERMAN PILSNER FOOD PAIRING ]