Classic American Pilsner (CAP)

Last night I had the pleasure of attending the November meeting of a relatively new brew club in Dublin, CA. The guys were nice enough to share their beers and include me in the evening's discussion topics as well as the judging for their submission to AHA Club Competition for Pilsners in late November.

We tried two beers, a German Pilsner and Classic American Pilsner. Both beers were excellent, cleanly brewed, and perfectly appropriate to style. While I never think of CAP when planning my recipes, I was reminded last night of just how good a CAP can be. For those unfamiliar with the style, you can find full guidelines here. This is certainly not a watered down, mass produced American Lager from the fridge in your local 7-11. CAP is a recently revived (and nearly lost), American version of a German Pilsner. Maltier, with adjuncts as were available when Germans settled portions of America, combined with higher hopping makes for a truly drinkable brew. For the hophead who scoffs at lighter beers and lagers this could be their gateway beer.

I'll be making a mental note to put this style in the queue for one of my next lagers.