In this article, we are going to discuss the 20 highest rated pilsner beers in 2023. You can skip our detailed analysis of the pilsner beer, the difference between a pilsner and a lager, the world’s first pilsner beer, the shift of Stella Artois, and the most popular beer in America, and go directly to 5 Highest Rated Pilsner Beers in 2023.
The Pilsner Beer:
Pilsner is easily the most popular beer in the world and its creation revolutionized the brewing industry. Named after the Czech town where it was born – Pilsen – pilsner is the world’s original pale lager.
Prior to its invention in the mid-19th century, brewers top-fermented their beers. Essentially, this means that the wort was pitched yeast on the surface to get the fermentation process rolling. Brewing this way requires higher temperatures and could result in irregularities and off-flavors or aromas. The pilsner was the world’s first true bottom-fermented beer. The process tends to be a bit slower, requires lower temperatures, and almost always yields a cleaner beer. To this day, ale implies top-fermented while lager stands for bottom-fermented. The German pilsner and the Bohemian pilsner are the two most common pilsner styles.
Pilsner vs Lager:
A pilsner is the result of carefully controlled “lagering,” an aspect of the beer brewing process that can produce other types of lagers under different circumstances. Therefore, all pilsners are lagers, but not all lagers are pilsners. The most notable difference between them is that pilsners tend to have more hop-forward flavors and they use a different yeast.
World’s First Pilsner Beer:
One of the best Czech pilsners to this day, the original pilsner brew is Pilsner Urquell, which grew out of the 1838 consumer dissatisfaction protest of the taste and quality of top-fermented beer. Asahi Holdings acquired the brand from Anheuser-Busch InBev SA/NV (NYSE:BUD) in 2016, in a deal that was worth $7.8 billion and also involved some other European beer brands.
The Molson Coors Beverage Company (NYSE:TAP) owns the distribution rights of Pilsner Urquell in the U.S., after it acquired SABMiller’s 58% stake in MillerCoors from Anheuser-Busch InBev SA/NV (NYSE:BUD). Under the agreement, Molson Coors Beverage Company (NYSE:TAP) acquired full ownership of the Miller brand portfolio outside of the U.S., and retained the rights to all of the brands in the MillerCoors portfolio for the U.S. market, including Peroni and Pilsner Urquell. The Molson Coors Beverage Company (NYSE:TAP) already owned a 48% stake in MillerCoors and acquired the remaining 58% for about $12 billion.
The Shift of Stella Artois:
One of the most popular pilsner beer brands in the world is Stella Artois. Anheuser-Busch InBev SA/NV (NYSE:BUD) announced in 2021 that it would shift production of the signature Belgian brand from Europe to four of its U.S. breweries, including its St. Louis flagship, which would produce the beverage for domestic consumers.
The move was part of the two-year, $1 billion capital investment program that Anheuser-Busch InBev SA/NV (NYSE:BUD) announced for its production facilities in America. In addition to the brewery upgrades, the company also committed to spend $296 million more for the domestic production and distribution of Stella Artois in the U.S. over the same two-year period.
Although the move was heavily criticized by the American beer lovers, who feared that their beloved import brand would lose its originality, it was announced earlier this year that so far, both consumer perception and sales volumes of Stella Artois have held up well.
Budweiser – another popular brand owned by Anheuser-Busch InBev SA/NV (NYSE:BUD) – also ranks among the best American pilsner beers. The King of Beers is one of the best cheap pilsner beers in the country.
Most Popular Beer in America:
Another famous pilsner-style lager, Modelo Especial has officially dethroned Bud Light as the Top-Selling Beer in America. Owned by Constellation Brands, Inc. (NYSE:STZ), Modelo Especial was the top-selling beer brand for the four weeks ended July 1st, with an 8.7% share of the overall beer sales in retail stores in the period, with Bud Light coming in second with a 7% share. Constellation Brands, Inc. (NYSE:STZ) witnessed a significant increase of over 20% in its stock price in the last couple of months.
Constellation Brands, Inc. (NYSE:STZ) also owns some other popular import beer brands by Casa Modelo, including Corona and Pacifico. According to the Brewer’s Association, the import beer category had a 22.2% share in the total U.S. beer sales volume in 2022, an increase of 2.8% from the previous year.
With that said, here are the 20 Top-Rated Pilsners in 2023.
5 States with the Most Craft Breweries
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Methodology:
To collect data for this article, we have referred to BeerAdvocate, looking for the top-rated pilsner beers in 2023. To keep our data relevant, we have only selected beers with at least 100 reviews. When two beers had the same rating, we ranked them by the number of reviews they received. The following ratings have been assigned from a total of 5.
A crisp yet distinct pilsner brewed with German hops that bring vivid notes of floral and spice, with citrus and lemon. With a sales volume of 188,750 BBLs in 2022, Victory Brewing Company ranks among the Largest Craft Breweries in the US by Volume.
19. Tipopils
Rating on BeerAdvocate: 4.03
Tipopils is the mother of Italian-style pilsners, whispering stories of barley fields and hop gardens. The first ever dry-hopped pilsner, Tipopils is a milestone on the international craft beer scene and the beer which helped put Birrificio Italiano in the global spotlight.
18. Pilsner
Rating on BeerAdvocate: 4.04
Brewed by the Oregon-based pFriem Family Brewers, Pilsner is a classic light and crisp, German-style pilsner beer that finishes clean and spicy. In 2018, pFriem was named the best midsize brewery in the U.S. at the Great American Beer Festival. pFriem Family Brewers sold 34,000 BBLs of beer in 2022.
17. Pils
Rating on BeerAdvocate: 4.05
Brewed by the Minnesota-based Fair State Brewing Cooperative, Pils is a German-style pilsner with a grassy hop aroma and a crisp finish.
16. Luppolo
Rating on BeerAdvocate: 4.06
Luppolo is an unfiltered, dry-hopped, Italian-Style pilsner brewed with European malts and hops. This 5% ABV pale lager is produced by the Oxbow Brewing Company, a small farmhouse brewery located in rural Newcastle, Maine. Luppolo ranks among the best-rated pilsner beers in 2023.
15. Weihenstephaner 1516 Kellerbier
Rating on BeerAdvocate: 4.07
First brewed to celebrate the 500th anniversary of the Bavarian Reinheitsgebot – the German purity law for beer – this 5.6% ABV pilsner has rapidly become an insider tip among beer enthusiasts. Established in 1040 in Germany, Weihenstephan is the oldest brewery in the world. The Bavarian state-owned brewery has a strong presence in 54 countries.
14. Tannenzäpfle
Rating on BeerAdvocate: 4.07
Touted as one of the best pilsners in Germany, Tannenzäpfle is Rothaus’s flagship beer. This absolute classic is indeed a stunning example of clean, delicious lager brewing. The state-owned Badische Staatsbrauerei Rothaus stopped releasing official figures for sales and revenue a few years ago, but last reported sales of $84.5 million in 2017.
13. Alexandr
Rating on BeerAdvocate: 4.08
Crisp, clean and sessionable, with a firm but rounded hop backbone, Alexandr is the first and original Czech-style pilsner crafted at the New Hampshire-based Schilling Beer Co.
12. Weihenstephaner Original Premium
Rating on BeerAdvocate: 4.09
Brewed according to the centuries-old German tradition on Weihenstephan hill, the Original Premium is a flavorful beer with a mild hoppy note and a pleasant fresh, spicy taste.
11. STiVO
Rating on BeerAdvocate: 4.11
STiVO is an unfiltered, Keller-styled pilsner brewed by the Firestone Walker Brewing Company. Firestone Walker merged with the Antwerp-based Duvel Moortgat in 2015, in a deal worth an estimated $250 million.
10. Super Fresh
Rating on BeerAdvocate: 4.11
Super Fresh is a wicked, dry-hopped, Imperial Pilsner style beer brewed by the Portland-based Peak Brewing Company. The company claims to be the #1 organic craft brewer in the world.
9. Ayinger Bairisch Pils
Rating on BeerAdvocate: 4.11
Brewed by the Ayinger Privatbrauerei in Germany, this German Pilsner style beer has the fragrance of aromatic hops from the ‘Hallertau’ region of Bavaria. Ayinger Bairisch Pils is one of the best pilsners in Germany.
8. Mary
Rating on BeerAdvocate: 4.12
Mary by Hill Farmstead Brewery is an unfiltered and naturally carbonated German-style pilsner brewed with well water, German pilsner malt, select German hops, and classic German lager yeast. Mary ranks 8th in our list of highest-rated pilsner beers.
7. Wanderer
Rating on BeerAdvocate: 4.14
A meticulous, highly technical beer brewed utilizing traditional techniques and ingredients, Wanderer is an unfiltered German-style lager produced by the Tree House Brewing Company. Tree House produced 48,400 BBLs of beer in 2018 and had an estimated revenue of $48 million.
6. Pils
Rating on BeerAdvocate: 4.14
Pils is a Bohemian/Czech pilsner style beer brewed by Heater Allen Brewing in Oregon. The recipe is based on the traditional and beloved Pilsner Urquell, which is why the beer is unfiltered with a long brewing time.
