The origins of the Pilsner style of beer can be traced to 1842, when the first Pilsner was brewed in Pilsen, Bohemia (now the Czech Republic). Today, the state-of-the-art Pilsner Urquell Brewery is still true to Josef Groll, Pilsner Urquell’s visionary brewmaster.
One of the world’s best-known styles of beer, the Pilsner seeded the creation of several other types of beer over the ages, like many of the lagers brewed in the United States. But, its success also inspired competition; Josef Groll’s original golden beer soon spawned imitators, many of which claimed to be Pilsner beer or Pils whether they came from Pilsen or not. Today, Pilsner or Pils has become a generic term around the world for any bottom-fermented golden beer.
In its appreciation for excellence, Pilsner Urquell has become the primary sponsor of the photographic community’s prestigious Lucie Awards. Gerd Ludwig was honoured with the Lucie Award as International Photographer of the Year in 2006, and was subsequently commissioned to create a singular image that reflected Pilsner Urquell’s unique taste and identity. This assignment was the focal point of a Pilsner Urquell documercial, Gerd Ludwig: Journey of Discovery. The commercial length film, created by feature film director, Peter Webber (Girl With A Pearl Earring, Hannibal Rising), premiered at the 2007 Lucie Awards event at Lincoln Center’s Avery Fisher Hall in New York City.