Almost all draught Pilsner Urquell is sold filtered, but small quantities are available in limited amounts unfiltered. The majority of the beer is sold in the Czech Republic, Slovakia, Germany and South Korea, it is also sold in China, Japan,[6] the United Kingdom,[7][8] Canada, United States,[9] Sweden,[10] Hungary and Austria. In recent years, the unpasteurized "tank" version of the beer has become increasingly available.
The brewery was part of the SABMiller group of companies from 1999 to 2017. As part of agreements with regulators before Anheuser-Busch InBev was allowed to acquire SABMiller in 2016, Pilsner Urquell was sold to Japan-based Asahi Breweries in 2017.[11]
Pilsner Urquell was the first pale lager, and the name pilsner is often used by its copies. It is characterised by its golden colour and clarity, and was immensely successful: nine out of ten beers produced and consumed in the world are pale lagers based on Pilsner Urquell. The German name, which means 'original source', was adopted as a trademark in 1898.[12]
By 1839, most beer in Bohemia was dark and top fermented. Nonetheless, bottom-fermented lagers were gaining popularity. The people of Plzeň preferred imported cheaper bottom-fermented beers to local top fermented ales.[13] The burghers of Plzeň invested in a new, state-of-the art brewery, the Měšťanský pivovar (Burghers' Brewery), and hired Josef Groll, a Bavarian brewer, to brew a bottom-fermented beer. On 5 October 1842, Groll had a new mash ready and on 11 November 1842, the new beer was first served at the feast of St. Martin markets.[14]
The brewery registered Pilsner Bier B. B. name in 1859.[15] In 1898, they also registered names Original Pilsner Bier 1842, Plzeňský pramen, Prapramen, Měšťanské Plzeňské, Plzeňský pravý zdroj and finally Pilsner Urquell and Plzeňský Prazdroj, which are in use today.
Pilsner Urquell is today brewed solely in the Pilsen brewery. It was brewed between 2002 and 2011 in Tychy, Poland[16] and between 2004 and 2017 in Kaluga, Russia.[17]
