A Beer-tastic excursion

"Imagine the sense of wonder when its golden colour glittered and the snow-white head rose above it; how drinkers were amazed when they encountered the crisp, remarkable taste, till then unknown among beers, in which this domestic product gloried" - such were the grandiloquent words with which the chronicler described the day when citizens of Pilsen first tasted Pilsner lager.

The preceding quote was taken directly from the pamphlet I received at the Pilsner Urquell factory in Plzen (English spelling: Pilsen) in Western Bohemia, Czech Republic. As you can tell, Czechs are serious about their beer... and for those of you who don't know, Pilsner Urquell is considered by most to be the premier beer of the Czech Republic. So what better to do on a Friday off than a day trip out to the place where the stuff is made... the Pilsner Brewery?!

After arriving in the city of Plzen, looking around a bit, and scarfing down a good helping of delicious Czech food (goulash, dumplings, etc.), my friends and I made our way to the factory. We paid a whopping 80kc apiece - the equivalent of $4 - for our tour... and since it's the off season for tourism, we were the only English-speakers there and were thus treated to our own private tour guide! On the tour we got a feel for the entire beer-making process, as well as an idea of the history of beer-brewing in Plzen. We were able to see where the beer was packaged (right), mixed, brewed, fermented, and stored.... and, of course, got to taste the raw products that go into the beer (hops, water, barley), as well as the beverage itself! The beer we got was poured from a tap straight out of the barrel - aka, it was not fully fermented, nor was it filtered or pasteurized! Even though it still had some "stuff" floating around in it, it was definitely some of the best beer I've had - and that's saying a lot!

They even had a Pilsner vending machine!!!