The story
Pilsner Fest in Plzeň
Pilsner Fest marks October 5th, 1842, when brewer Josef Groll produced the first batch of pale lager at Plzen's Citizens' Brewery, a style that now accounts for roughly seventy percent of global beer production. Staged by the brewery, now Plzensky Prazdroj, the festival runs music across four stages and closes each night with a communal toast at 18:42, honouring the founding year, drawing tens of thousands of visitors.
Pilsner Fest marks the anniversary of a single specific brew day: October 5th, 1842, when brewer Josef Groll produced the first batch of pale lager at what was then the newly built Citizens' Brewery in Plzen, a beer style that went on to influence roughly seventy percent of all beer produced globally today.