Explaining the Differences Between Pilsners and Lagers

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Pilsners and lagers are both crisp and refreshing, but differ in their taste and appearance

Co-authored by Devin McSween Reviewed by Sander Raav

Last Updated: April 12, 2023 Fact Checked

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Differences Between Pilsners and Lagers

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What is a lager?

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What is a pilsner?

You’re at your favorite brewery with your friends, scanning the beer list, when a pilsner and a lager catch your eye. You’re pretty sure you like both of these types of beers, but how exactly are they different? Well, you’ve come to the right place! In this article, we’ll go over the main differences between pilsners and lagers. Each of these beers come in several sub-types, so we’ll be sure to also tell you about those. Read on to learn more about these brews!

Things You Should Know

A lager is a type of beer while a pilsner is a type of lager. It is a pale, golden color while lagers range from light yellow to deep brown.
Pilsners tend to be crisper, hoppier, and spicier than lagers.
Lagers are bottom-fermenting beers that ferment in cold temperatures. Some of the most popular lager types are dunkle, helles, and bock.
The pilsner was first brewed in 1842 in the Czech Republic city of Plzeň. Pilsners come in popular sub-varieties like German, American, and Belgian.

Section 1 of 3:

Differences Between Pilsners and Lagers

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You might be surprised to learn that a pilsner is actually a type of lager! Lagers typically have a clear appearance that ranges in colors like pale yellow, amber-red, and deep brown. Pilsners are a light variety of lagers. They are always crystal-clear and golden.^{[1]
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Pilsners tend to have a hoppier, more bitter taste than lagers. Lagers are well known for their crisp, clean, and light taste. These beers usually go down easy and taste especially refreshing on hot, summer days. While pilsners also share these qualities, they usually have a spicier, slightly bitter flavor. This makes pilsners great on days when you want a beer with some punch.^{[2]
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- The crisp, subtle taste of lagers makes them great beginner beers if you want to learn to enjoy the taste of beer.
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Hops are one of the key ingredients in beers, which give them their unique flavor. Pilsners are made with a special type of hop called the Saaz hop. These hops give pilsners their distinctive floral taste and spicy, earthy zip. Lagers use all sorts of different hops, resulting in beers that are citrusy and bitter, rich and deep, or mild and understated.^{[3]
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Section 2 of 3:

What is a lager?

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A lager is a type of beer that is bottom-fermented. The 2 main types of beers are lagers and ales. Unlike ales, lagers are made with yeasts that ferment in cool temperatures. These yeasts sit at the bottom of the barrel and often take several weeks to months to ferment. This is where lager gets its name, stemming from the German verb lagern which means “to store.”^{[4]
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- Lagers were first brewed in Germany in the 1500s. Before then, most beers were ales.
- Miller Lite, Michelob Ultra, and Corona are some of the most popular lagers.^{[5]
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- Ales are fermented with yeasts that like warm temperatures. These yeasts rest at the top of the barrel and usually take a shorter time to ferment than lager yeasts.
- Compared to lagers, ales tend to have a more fruity and yeasty, or bready, taste.
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Lagers are split into pale and dark beers. For the most part, lagers are either a pale, straw yellow, like pilsners, or a deep brown. Dark lagers tend to have a higher alcohol content, or alcohol by volume (ABV), than pale lagers. Some of the most popular lagers are:^{[6]
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- Dunkle: this dark lager, which is named after the German word for dark, has a rich, chocolatey, and malty taste.
- Bock: this dark lager is a deep amber color. It tends to have a sweet and malty flavor. The Doppelbock, or double bock, tends to be slightly sweeter and has a caramel taste.
- Helles: this pale lager is crisp and understated. It is usually less hoppy than a pilsner.
- Märzen: This amber lager is an Oktoberfest favorite. It tends to be dry with a bready, floral, and slightly spicy flavor.
- Vienna: This lager is a light amber color. It’s similar to the Märzen but tends to be more hoppy than malty.

Section 3 of 3:

What is a pilsner?

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Pilsner is a lager that was first made in the Czech Republic city of Plzeň. As the story goes, the Czech Republic hired the brewer Josef Groll to develop a beer that tasted great and could be stored for a long time. He famously used Plzeň’s soft, mineral-free water and Saaz hops to create the pilsner (the anglicized version of Plzeň) in 1842. Everyone loved the crisp, spicy flavor, which quickly gained popularity throughout the world.^{[7]
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- The original pilsner, called Pilsner Urquell, is still brewed in Plzeň today!
- Popular beers like Heineken, Budweiser, and Stella Artois are pilsners.^{[8]
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Pilsners are divided into sub-types depending on where they’re brewed. These days, pilsners aren’t just made in the Czech Republic. As pilsners gained popularity, different breweries put their own spin on this pale, hoppy beer. Some of these popular varieties are:^{[9]
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- German pilsner: this pilsner is made with different hops than the original Czech pilsner. This gives it a lighter, crisper taste that’s known for its drinkability.
- American pilsner: this pilsner is typically brewed with corn and hops only found in North America. They tend to have a more subdued, malty flavor.
- Belgian pilsner: this beer is very similar to the original Czech pilsner. It has a smooth, subtle taste.