Examining Pilsner’s Past and Present in

The distinction between Pilsner and Lager is a tricky one. It’s reductive, though easy, to say all pils is lager and not all lager is pils. But there are brewers who make what they call pilsner without a lager strain of yeast by cold fermenting with an ale strain of yeast… and then German Pils is different from Czech Pilsner… and then Czechs believe there’s only one Pilsner, Pilsner Urquell, and all other pale, maybe-decocted, maybe-hoppy lagers are just that–pale lager. Not Pilsner… they say, like the Highlander, “there can be only one.” And that one is brewed in the Czech/Bohemian town of Plzeň. Confused yet?

In 2018, just as in 1918, people love lager. One difference between today and 1918 is that lager was kind of illegal in DC as Prohibition came early to our town in 1917. Our team of contributors came up with a cracking list of pilsners and pale lagers, but before I share their recommendations, I want to provide a bit of historical context.

First, the facts. DC-brewed lager is a