Victory Prima Pils
Greg Koch, cofounder and CEO, Stone Brewing in Escondido, California
“Prima Pils all the way. I love it because it was the first pils that taught me, one, that I could really enjoy the style, and two, didn’t pander to me. I love its unabashed yet appropriate bitterness. It’s the pilsner that taught me the style doesn’t have to be bland and simple. It’s the beer that taught me that ‘delicate and refined’ doesn’t have to be a pandering euphemism for ‘bland and simple.’”
Weltenburger Kloster Barock Dunkel
Florian Kuplent, Cofounder and Brewmaster at Urban Chestnut Brewing Co. in St. Louis, Missouri
“Enjoying a ‘Halbe Dunkles’ in Bavaria is always a treat—sitting in the Weltenburg Monastery Biergarten and drinking a Barock Dunkel makes this an extra special experience. The beer is perfectly balanced, showcasing a clean lager profile combined with a very complex malt backbone. A perfect session beer that almost makes it impossible to ever only just have one.”
Threes In Limbo
Jeppe Jarnit-Bjergsø, Founder at Evil Twin Brewing in New York City, New York
“Threes is a brewery that dared to go their own ways at an early stage. Where everyone else was putting their focus on hazy IPAs, Threes became the lager brewery of NYC. When I had In Limbo, I was honestly blown away by the balance and drinkability yet complexity of this beer. We since collaborated with Threes on a pilsner and learned a lot from them!”
Night Shift Pfaffenheck Pilsner
Matt Potts, CEO and brewmaster at DESTIHL Brewery in Normal, Illinois
“DESTIHL has a great, collaborative relationship with Night Shift because they’re a great team and they know their craft. Pfaffenheck is a fine example of that, and is exactly what I’m looking for in a traditional pilsner—a great balance of clean biscuit and bready maltiness, as well as floral and spicy hops for a brilliant, easy-drinking beer. For such a light beer, it still has a lot of character—just as I’d expect from Night Shift.”
Firestone Walker Pivo Pils
Brett Smith, co-owner/head brewer at Branch & Bone Artisan Ales in Dayton, Ohio
“We unfortunately don’t get Firestone Walker beers in Ohio but I’m lucky to travel a lot so I get to drink it pretty often. I think it’s the perfect pilsner, with an incredible balance of hops flavors and aroma. It drink it every single chance I get, and we even have a Pivo tin tacker hanging in our brewhouse!”