Pilsen, Czechia
Plzeňský Prazdroj
The Plzeň brewery whose first pale bottom-fermented beer in 1842 established the model for pale lager worldwide.
Also known as Pilsner Urquell brewery, Urquell brewery.
The combination that produced it was local and partly accidental: exceptionally soft Plzeň water, pale kilned Moravian malt, Saaz hops and a Bavarian brewer bringing cold-fermentation practice. The result was so much better regarded than the town’s previous beer that it reshaped brewing globally within a generation.
The brewery retains a small open-fermentation and wooden-lagering operation in its historic cellars for comparison against the modern production beer.
Why it matters
The origin of pale lager, which is now by a wide margin the most-brewed beer style in the world.
Details
| Founded | 1842 |
|---|---|
| Where | Pilsen, Czechia |
| Status | Operating |
| Ownership | Part of the Asahi group as understood at the review date. Recorded 2026-08-16; ownership changes without announcement. |
Reference beers
BeerHQ carries only the products that anchor something. This is not the brewery’s full range.
Styles it is associated with
- Czech premium pale lager — The original pale lager: rich bready malt, generous Saaz hopping and a rounded bitterness that soft Bohemian water makes possible.
Traditions
- Bohemian pale lager brewing — The Czech pale lager tradition: exceptionally soft water, Saaz hops, floor-malted barley and multi-step decoction.
Other breweries in Czechia
Budějovický Budvar · Rodinný pivovar Bernard · Staropramen · Velkopopovický Kozel
Last reviewed 2026-08-16.