Dock Street Brewing Company - Bohemian Pilsner

You’re in for a treat. Billed as, "One of the finest Pilsners in the United States … as aromatic and soft as the best from Bohemia" by world beer guru, Michael Jackson, Dock Street’s Pilsner is brewed in the style of the original Pilsner beers of Bohemia in what is now the Czech Republic. Bill uses enormous amounts of costly Czech Zatec and German Hallertau hops. Zatec hops are considered by masterbrewers to be the finest and are the most expensive in the world – three times more than standard hops; and because they are less biting, the brewery needs to use 2-3 times more than usual quantities to get the beer to an appropriate bittering profile for the style. The proof is in the Pilsner... You’ll taste it immediately.

Note a pleasant floral hop nose and gentle bitterness in this light-to-medium bodied, filtered pilsner. The body begins with a bitter tanginess and offers a clean, soft, complex malty flavor. True to style, Dock Street’s Pils ends with a long, dry finish. Overall, a great interpretation of a difficult style to brew.

The Dock Street Brewing Company has been producing award-winning ales and lagers since 1986 when founder Jeffrey Ware transformed his passion into a career. With a professional background restaurant management and as an artist and sculptor, you could say his background was more suited to creating handcrafted beers than that of most founders we’ve interviewed. Even in High School, when his pals were pounding Milwaukee’s Best and Stag, Jeff sought out Bass, Guiness, and Watneys, already aware that there was more to beer than what the big brewers were pushing. In the early 1980’s, he discovered a consumer movement in England called "The Campaign for Real Ale" (CAMRA). CAMRA is a highly organized group of radical beer drinkers that was formed to protest the consolidation underway in the British brewing industry. Small, old, local brewers were being bought out by the nationals and their traditional, flavorful, "cask conditioned" ales ere being discontinued. To counter this alarming trend, pubs began brewing their own "real ales" downstairs and selling them upstairs. These early "brewpubs" were Jeff’s inspiration for the Dock Street Brewing Company.

Brewmaster, Bill Moeller has a rich family brewing heritage. Not only was his Great Grandfather a Brewmaster in Germany, but also his Grandfather in Brooklyn, as well as his father and his two Great Uncles. Must have been a helluva family reunion. Bill is a graduate of the U.S. Brewers Academy in Mt. Vernon and had the following to say with regards to his passion: "Designing a new beer is almost like acting. You talk to it, you relate to it, you sit, you taste, and you project images of how you want the final product to look and taste."

In addition to the two award-winning beers we’ve featured this month, the brewery also produces and Amber Ale. The company also owns and operates the Dock Street Brewery and Restaurant in downtown Philadelphia.

For more information about the brewery and scheduled tours, call (610) 668-1480.