Brewery Museum in Pilsen and interesting fact about beer

Brewery Museum in Pilsen is the producer of one of the best beers in the world, Pilsner Urquell.

Pilsen is a city located in western Czechia. It gained fame thanks to the brewery where the most recognizable beer in the world is produced. Pilsner Urquell beer from Pilsen is considered by many to be the best and most perfect of all golden beverages in the world. I find it difficult to verify this claim as I am not a sophisticated beer connoisseur, although I do have my favourite brands.

Of course, excellent beer is not the only attraction of Pilsen. However, in today’s story, it will be the main character of our tale.

Brewery Museum in Pilsen and the history of beer Pilsner Urquell

There was a time when anyone who wanted to could brew beer in Czechia. However, this led to the creation of beverages so poor that many stopped calling them beer. Therefore, a regulation called the Brewing Right was introduced, which precisely defined how and from what ingredients beer could be produced. It also required obtaining permission for such activity.

Eventually, beer production ended up in the hands of monasteries and wealthy townspeople, who had to prove their ability to brew beforehand. It was around this time that the first beer taverns and inns emerged in Czechia.

Officially, the history of Pilsen and its connection to beer dates back to the twelfth century. It was then that the King of Czechia, and future King of Poland, Wenceslaus II granted the citizens of the city the privilege of brewing beer. The brewers meticulously utilized their acquired rights, and soon Pilsen was filled with the aroma of hops and fresh beer.

Of course, beer was brewed in the territory of present-day Czechia much earlier, as in other parts of Europe. During the times when pagan Celts roamed our lands preaching their teachings, grain beer was brewed here. However, it is presumed that it was the Slavs who began using hops in beverage production, marking the beginning of the beer as we know it today.

Brewery Museum in Pilsen and Pilsner Urquell from Pilsen, Czech Republic

Beers are produced in almost every country in the world. There are thousands of breweries with more or less popular brews. So why is Pilsner beer considered the best and most important in the world?

It probably has to do with the history of the brewery where the first modern lager was created. Another reason is likely the belief that the beer produced here is made in an ancient, traditional, and strictly defined way, which is largely true.

Josef Groll, creator of Pilsner beer, later Pilsner Urquell

In the 18th century, there were many breweries in the Czech city of Pilsen, producing various types of beer. What united them was their poor quality, and they essentially sold only in local taverns and cheap inns. The situation became so dire that even the military stopped ordering beer from Pilsen.

In 1839, the city officials decided to establish one large brewery that would produce beer at the highest possible level. It was named the City Brewery in Pilsen, and it was decided that beers similar to those brewed in Bavaria would be produced there. To ensure maximum support for the new brewery, the famous Bavarian brewer Josef Groll was hired.

And here our story gains momentum. Josef turned out to be an incredibly talented brewer. He didn’t just perfect the old method of brewing, but over the years, he conducted research on yeast that would allow for the production of a pure beverage with a unique taste.

Ultimately, in 1842, precisely on October 5th, Josef Groll announced the creation of a new type of beer, which he called lager (the name comes from the German word lager, meaning to store). Interestingly, the brewery authorities initially frowned upon the unexpected innovation. However, the residents of Pilsen fell in love with the new beer, as evidenced by the crowds in popular city taverns.

Taverns like “Under the White Rose” or the most popular place in the city, “Under the Golden Eagle,” were packed every evening when fresh barrels of the beverage were delivered. The drink quickly gained the name Pilsner beer, which was officially bestowed upon it. Today, Pilsner beer is known worldwide, and many breweries produce it.

The original beer, still brewed today at the Pilsner Brewery, can be purchased under the brand name Pilsner Urquell, which literally means “pilsner beer from the original source “(the word urquell in German means “source”).

This beverage is available throughout the Czech Republic and in many places around the world. I occasionally buy it in English supermarkets. I enjoy it very much, although I prefer heavy, local ales.

Brewery Museum in Pilsen and the types of beer currently brewed there

The method of brewing lager beer differs from earlier productions by the type of yeast used. This is also the basic division of beers produced worldwide.

Both types of beer have their admirers and people who can’t stand them; that’s just how it is.

Top fermentation method of brewing beer

Bottom fermentation used to produce lager beer

Brewery Museum in Pilsen Tour

Visiting Pilsen, it’s hard to miss the local Brewery Museum. Housed in a historic building of the original brewery, right in the heart of the city’s historic centre.

While exploring the museum, you’ll have the opportunity to embark on an exciting adventure and learn, in a fun and educational way, about the beer production processes, serving methods, and the consumption of the golden beverage.

The highlight of the museum, in my opinion, is its cellars, where barrels of the finished product are ageing. Additionally, there’s a model of a complete production line from the late 19th and early 20th centuries. Various machines, equipment, and other items collected in the brewery over decades of its operation are displayed in the spacious rooms.

You’ll also find old bottle-filling devices, capping machines, glass washers, and warehouses. Throughout our stroll in the old premises of the former brewery, we constantly felt as if the facility was still operational, and its employees had just taken a break.

Another worth-seeing spot is the interior of a former tavern, where bar furniture and equipment are set up. Simple mannequins serve as guests and staff. Among the gathered items, there are many interesting artefacts, including a beautiful music-playing cabinet from a large metal perforated plate.

In one of the rooms, an original bar is set up with snacks, barrels, and tankards. Everything looks as if it’s waiting for the next guests.

Furthermore, from the information available in the museum, you’ll learn a lot about beer production, the lives of former brewery workers, and track how the technology of brewing this beverage has evolved.

Brewery Museum in Pilsen and beer tasting at the museum

In addition to the oldest part of the brewery in Pilsen, you can also visit the new facility where the famous Pilsner Urquell beer and many other varieties are produced to this day.

Of course, what would a brewery tour be without tasting the beverage produced there? During your journey through the production halls of the famous Czech brewery, you will have the opportunity, my dear reader, to try several of the most well-known brands of beer produced in the facility. If you even slightly enjoy beer, you’ll be in seventh heaven.

To visit the production plant and enjoy a tasting, you should book your visit in advance. If you succeed, you will have an almost two-hour guided walk and, of course, the above-mentioned tasting.

Practical information from the Brewery Museum in Pilsen

• I recommend purchasing tickets online in advance.
• The Brewery Museum is located in the city of Pilsen at the address: U Prazdroje 7, 301 00 Plzeň 3, Czech Republic.
• The museum is open from 9:30 a.m. to 6:00 p.m. These hours are subject to change depending on circumstances.
• In some rooms of the museum, the temperature is very low, so it’s advisable to remember to bring something warm to wear.
• Children of all ages can participate in the brewery tour, of course, excluding the tasting of beverages 🙂
• The museum is mostly accessible for people with disabilities.
• The guided tour lasts about one and a half to two hours.

Brewery Museum in Pilsen interesting facts

• Joseph Groll created the first lager beer in 1842.
• Joseph Groll, the creator of Pilsner beer, passed away in 1887 in a tavern, to the establishment of which he contributed.
• Pilsner-type beer is very difficult to brew. The final product must have a clear colour, a white abundant foam, a clean taste, and aroma. Additionally, its consistency must be smooth and delicate.
• The composition of Pilsner beer is basic. Only water, malt, hops, and yeast are required for its production.
• The brewery in Pilsen has its cooperage. It is there that the barrels in which the beer ages are produced.
• In addition to barrels, the cooperage also produces wooden tankards with lids. The beer allegedly tastes best in them, but I couldn’t be convinced. The thick and clumsy wooden walls of the vessel didn’t suit me at all.
• The largest barrels used in the brewery can weigh up to three tons.
• Under the brewery in Pilsen, there is a network of corridors and cellars. The total length of underground rooms reaches nine kilometres.
• The cellars under the brewery remain cool throughout the year. The temperature there never exceeds 8 degrees Celsius, even on the hottest days.
• Most of the rooms in the brewery cellars are filled with barrels.
• During a guided tour of the Pilsner Urquell cellars, it is possible to taste the beverage poured straight from a large oak barrel.
• In the Czech Republic, there is a network of pubs called tankovne, to which the brewery supplies Pilsner Urquell beer straight from the barrels. These are places where Pilsner is always fresh and served perfectly.
• In pubs distinguished as tankovna, specially trained people called Tapsters work, performing duties to perfect the serving and storage of Pilsner Urquell beer.
• Beer brewing in Pilsner Urquell facilities is done in parallel. Each batch of beer overlaps with the next, allowing the same perfect process to be maintained for the next batch.
• The entire Pilsen is saturated with the Pilsner Urquell brand. Every restaurant or pub serves local beer, and its advertisements are visible everywhere.
• In the production of Pilsner Urquell beer, a triple addition of hops is used. This happens at various stages of production.
• In Pilsen, there is a unique way of serving beer not found anywhere else. It involves pouring only thick and wet beer foam into the tankard. Given time, it settles and reduces to beer, occupying roughly one-third of its volume. This beer, served in this way, is called Milko, and the girls liked it very much.
• Serving beer in Pilsen is significant. The liquid is always poured into a cold and dry glass or tankard. Pilsner Urquell beer served from a tap always has a thick and dense foam, and the vessel is placed on the table with the beer brand facing the customer. Additionally, after filling the tankard, a bit of foam always charmingly and slowly trickles down the outer wall of the glass.
• In Ireland, there is dark beer, no less known than Czech Pilsner, namely Guinness beer.

Polish version