The term “pilsener” is widely used to describe a number of beers available on the market. According to German criteria for a true pilsener, however, the vast majority of them would be unrecognizable as such. By this definition, a pilsener is a lager beer with a light golden color (5-8 color units by European Brewers’ Convention standards), a specific gravity in the 11.5-12.5% Plato range, and a hops content of at least 28 EBUs (European Bitter Units). Most so-called domestic “pilseners” fall far short in these categories; Bayern Pilsener easily meets all three (6 color units, 12% Plato, 34 EBUs).

What does all this technical jargon mean? It means you have purchased one of the very few authentic pilseners brewed in America. Reward yourself by enjoying this beer the way it was meant to be served: pour your cold Bayern Pilsener, in two or three slow steps, into the center of your glass (a fluted or “tulip” glass works best). The thick creamy head (the German term for this is “crown”) and you have just created the mark of a classic Bavarian pilsener. It is functional, too – the crown holds finely distributed natural carbonation inside the glass and acts as a shelter for this beer’s distinctive, hoppy flavor.