Undrinkable Beer Again In Pilsen

In 1838, citizens of Pilsen protested against the poor quality of local beer by spilling 36 barrels in front of the town hall. The protest became a turning point for the city’s brewing future and expressed the demand for a new, modern brewery. The episode led toward the creation of the Burghers’ Brewery in Pilsen. Martin Stelzer was hired to design the new brewery, and the city then turned to Bavarian bottom-fermentation knowledge by recruiting Josef Groll. For the Beer Chronicles timeline, the 1838 protest is the crisis point that directly precedes the foundation of the brewery that produced the first pilsner.