17 Best Pilsners of 2022
In 2021, Untappd's Top Styles list of the year welcomed a complete newcomer—the humble pilsner. Crisp and crushable, pilsners are a pale lager first produced by Bavarian brewer Josef Groll in Plzeň, Czech Republic, in 1842.
Historically featuring the noble Saaz hop, pilsners come in all variations today (think not only the traditional Czech pilsner, but also German pilsner and even Italian pilsner).
We loved seeing the pilsner reach over one million check-ins on Untappd last year. So as a celebration of sorts for the modest European style, we took a deep dive into the current highest-rated pilsners on Untappd.
Wait, What is a Pilsner?
A pilsner is a lager, meaning brewers use a bottom-fermenting yeast in these beers. This specific type of yeast loves cold temperatures and longer times to eat those unfermentable sugars. As a result these beers turn out cleaner and crisper.
For that reason, pilsners (and lagers in general) can be a bit more finicky for brewers to make. It's why industry folks love tasting a brewery's pilsner. Because it's often considered the unofficial mark of a dedicated brewer. You can be sure that someone who took the time to perfect their pilsner recipe has put a lot of effort into making that beer.
In other words, the juice is worth the squeeze.
What's the Difference Between Czech, German, and American Pilsners?
Technically, the word pilsner means "from Pilsen (or Plzeň)" in Czech, the town where the style originated. The addition of Saaz hops truly differentiates a traditional Czech pilsner from its brethren. It's those aromatic little cones that gave pilsner it's distinctive personality. Oh, and if you're a purist, that oh-so-soft water from Plzeň. The beer pours a straw yellow with it's low-to-medium hop character supported by a bready finish. Today, Pilsner Urquell is still one of the most popular and ubiquitous versions of the style in the Czech Republic and even around the world.
On the other hand, German pilsners, often referred to as 'pils,' tend to be a bit drier and crisper. Adapted to suit Germany's own water, pils also feature German hops, which give these beers a bit more of a bitter edge.
Finally, American pilsners sprung up when German immigrants arrived in the United States in the 1800s. Macrobreweries bastardized the style a bit, often brewing with up to twenty-five percent corn in the grain bill and placing less importance on the hops. As a result, oftentimes these early versions were leaner, less flavorful, and less bitter than their European counterparts.
But more recently, craft brewers have reclaimed the American pilsner, with many breweries across the country executing excellent versions.
A Great Time to Dip Your Toes in the Pilsner Pool
Today, you can still find fantastic traditional Czech versions of pilsner along with the slightly hoppier German pilsners. In America, we've even seen imperial versions crop up. But mostly you'll see almost every top brewery across the country now making its own version of a pilsner, from Other Half, Hill Farmstead, Suarez Family Brewery, and Tree House Brewing Company on the East Coast to Bierstadt in the Mountain West; and Highland Park and Moonlight Brewing Company on the West Coast to Live Oak Brewing Company in the South, and everywhere in between.
Regardless of where you are or if you proclaim yourself a hop head, if you haven't hopped into the pilsner pool, now is the perfect time to dip your toes.
Here are Untappd's 17 Highest-Rated Pilsners of 2022
1. Palatine Pils - Suarez Family Brewery
4.8% ABV
N/A IBU
10,127 Ratings
2. Cabana Pils - Suarez Family Brewery
4.5% ABV
N/A IBU
3,275 Ratings
3. Mary - Hill Farmstead Brewery
4.6% ABV
60 IBU
19,589 Ratings
4. Qualify Pils - Suarez Family Brewery
5% ABV
N/A IBU
7,447 Ratings
5. Slow Pour Pils - Bierstadt Lagerhaus
5.1% ABV
20 IBU
13,368 Ratings
6. Zipfeltännle Pilsner - Other Half Brewing Co.
5% ABV
N/A IBU
1,832 Ratings
7. Timbo Pils - Highland Park Brewery
5.8% ABV
N/A IBU
5,221 Ratings
8. Reality Czeck - Moonlight Brewing Company
4.9% ABV
20 IBU
7,587 Ratings
9. Hallertau Pils - Human Robot
5.2% ABV
N/A IBU
5,547 Ratings
5.3% ABV
N/A IBU
4,297 Ratings
11. Prince Percy - Maine Beer Company
5.1% ABV
N/A IBU
5,562 Ratings
12. Pilsner Urquell - Plzeňský Prazdroj
4.4% ABV
40 IBU
390,103 Ratings
13. Contrition - Burial Beer Co.
4.8% ABV
32 IBU
4,108 Ratings
14. Dry Hopped Prima Pils - Victory Brewing Company
5.3% ABV
N/A IBU
2,120 Ratings
15. Trailbreaker - Tree House Brewing Company
5.1% ABV
N/A IBU
3,954 Ratings
16. Your Young Lordship - Stamm Brewing
4.7% ABV
N/A IBU
3,035 Ratings
17. Pre-War Pils - Live Oak Brewing Company
5% ABV
32 IBU
3,868 Ratings
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