Pilsners Gone Global | The Wall Street Journal

Over the last couple of decades, I watched as craft breweries reworked the IPA to create geographic distinctions. West Coast IPAs, East Coast IPAs, New England IPAs, Midwest IPAs and more.

Of late, I've seen breweries create crisp pilsners calling out Italy, France, Canada, Belgium, Germany, the Czech Republic, New Zealand and more right on the label. Why? Among pilsners, differences tend to be nuanced. Using hops and grains from different countries, and calling out the location on a label, can help underline a pilsner’s uniqueness.

For my latest article for the Wall Street Journal, I chatted with folks at Firestone Walker, Jack’s Abby, Highlanf Park, Lowercase Beer and more to discuss this spin-the-globe approach to producing pilsners.