CHICAGO, Ill. – The Brewlab and Pilsner Urquell announced today that San Francisco will play host to a Master Home Brewer Competition this summer . The second annual competition will challenge home brewers in San Francisco to recreate the classic Czech-style pilsner. The winning home brewer will not only receive a trip for two to Prague and Plsen, but will also have the amazing opportunity to brew a special one-time only batch of Pilsner Urquell with the Brew Master, Vaclav Berka.
Revered for its importance in the history of beer, Pilsner Urquell will celebrate its 170th birthday later this year. It was Oct. 5, 1842 that Josef Groll brewed the world’s first golden beer and changed the way the world enjoyed beer. Vaclav Berka, just the sixth Brew Master in Pilsner Urquell’s history, continues the tradition created by Josef Groll. He will be on hand for the competition again this year.
“Last year, I experienced firsthand, the passion and expertise shown by many of these very talented home brewers,” Berka said. “As the popularity of home brewing continues to grow, we expect this year’s competition to be even more spirited. I’m looking forward to judging the competition again this year and brewing with the winners when they visit the brewery later this fall.”
The San Francisco event will take place on Saturday, July 28, and will be held in conjunction with Brewlab San Francisco. Brewlab (http://brewlabsf.com) is a San Francisco bay area home brewer’s collective dedicated to supporting the local home brew scene and connecting home brewers to beer fans. The organization plans tasting events and competitions throughout the year to help home brewers get quality feedback on their beers. Brewlab also hosts classes, runs an equipment sharing program and seeks out creative new ways to improve the craft of brewing beer at home.
“The pilsner style is a pinnacle beer style for home brewers and Pilsner Urquell is the quintessential bohemian pilsner,” said Emily Ford, Co-Founder of Brewlab. “We’re thrilled to be partnering with Pilsner Urquell to discover how well our regional home brewers are able to conquer such a difficult style.”
As was the case with last year’s competition, a panel of experienced judges, including Vaclav Berka, will judge the entered home brews. Contestants are required to bring three 10 to 14-ounce bottles of their home brew. The judges will select winners based on the following criteria:
75% — Accuracy to style (Czech-style pilsner)
25% — Cleanliness (absence of off flavors)
Brewlab is limiting the San Francisco competition to the first 75 home brewers who reserve a spot by emailing their name, phone number and competition city to [email protected]. Contestants will then receive details, including the exact time and location of the competitions.
