The Best Czech Products - #1 Pilsner Urquell

In our series "The Best Czech Products" we introduce the finest, most famous and traditional brands or products made in the Czech Republic. All products in this series are considered as naitonal treasures by the Czechs themselves and you can be sure to get the top quality for you or your friends and family.

We can't start with anything else but beer, the Czech national drink. Czechs drink 142 litres per person every year, which makes them world's biggest beer drinkers. The country has topped the per capita beer drinking table for 23 consecutive years! It's clear that the Czechs are the real experts here...

The most famous Czech beer brand is... Pilsner Urquell brewed in Pilsen (Plzeň), Czech Republic. Pilsner Urquell is the world’s first-ever pilsner type blond lager, making it the inspiration for much of the beer produced in the world today, many of which are named pils, pilsner and pilsener. Pils is arguably the most successful beer style in the world. Nine out of ten beers drunk in the world today are made according to the Pilsner style or a style directly derived from it.


The story of Pilsner Urquell started in 1842 when the very first batch of Pilsner beer was brewed by Bavarian brewer Josef Groll in the brand new Pilsner Brewery. He brewed the best beer of his life. Thanks to the best quality Czech hop from the Žatec area, a lager yeast and local soft water it was greatly accepted by the locals and later it inspired breweries all over the world becoming a real legend... In 1843 carrier Martin Salzmann brought Pilsner Urquell to Prague for the first time. It was at the request of inkeeper Jakub Pinkas from the famous restarurant U Pinkasů, the longest continually-serving Pilsner Urquell pub in Prague.

The taste of the Pilsner beer is fresh, clear and refreshing with a touch of caramel sweetness and a crisp, balanced hop bitterness. With total sales of more than 10 million hectolitres (including production abroad) Plzensky Prazdroj is a major beer producer in the region and the largest exporter of Czech beer. The brewery exports to more than 50 countries around the world. In addition to the traditional export destinations such as Germany, Poland, Slovakia and the United States there is also growing demand from countries such as Thailand, Singapore, Armenia, Israel or even Hong Kong, China or South Korea.

If you want to see this legendary beer being made, there is nothing easier than visiting the city of Pilsen (1 hour ride from Prague) and take a brewery excursion. You will learn about history and secrets, you will see the modern bottling plant and you will visit the historic cellars, where you can taste unfiltered Pilsner Urquell straight from oak lager barrels. More about Prazdroj Visit here.


Best enjoyed: Visit one of the renowned pubs serving draft Pilsner Urquell from tank
Gift ideas: Bottles and cans of beer, souvenirs from the brewery
Where to buy: Bottles and cans can be bought in almost every grocery shop in Prague
Price: 0.5 l bottles usually for 25-40 CZK (1-1.5 EUR), cans slightly more expensive