The name of the country where we brew Pilsner Urquell has changed numerous times since we started back in 1842: from the Austro-Hungarian Empire to Czechoslovakia, to the Czech Republic, and now Czechia. Four names for one unique place.

In fact, Pilsner Urquell has been enjoyed in many unique places over the years, thanks to intrepid beer lovers. Here are some of the most interesting.

America in the 19th Century

Did you know that Pilsner Urquell arrived in the US before the Statue of Liberty?

We began exporting our beer there in 1873, two years before construction started on the famous statue. Pilsner Urquell was first sold in New York City. As the Czech magazine Worldview wrote at that time, “demand for the beer is strong” despite the premium price.

The Mirny Science Station in Antarctica

In early 1960, Czech explorers carried Pilsner Urquell to the Antarctic research station in Mirny on a Soviet polar expedition. They only brought the bare essentials with them, and clearly they couldn’t go without their golden lager. At least they had no problem keeping it cold!

American Army Bases

In 1998, Pilsner Urquell was registered with the US Army’s provision centre in Dallas, Texas, becoming an official supplier of beer to US military bases around the world. Now those lucky soldiers can be served the world’s first golden lager while serving their country.

Kosher Outlets in Israel

In the late 1990s, the Czech national rabbi and an Israeli rabbi inspected our brewery and declared it kosher. That’s why you can find our beer in kosher shops and restaurants in Israel and throughout the world.

The Desert Sands of Egypt

During the 1980s, Czech members of an archaeological expedition to Egypt wrote to the brewery to inform them that the bottles of Pilsner Urquell they had brought to the Eastern Desert had maintained their quality and flavour, even under the harsh weather conditions. That’s impressive, considering the fact that temperatures in Egypt can reach more than 45 degrees Celsius!

The Vatican

Every Easter we brew a special batch of Pilsner Urquell that is blessed by priests in Plzeň and then shipped to the Vatican, where it’s served at official and social events related to Easter.

As you can see, our beer has been enjoyed just about everywhere. What’s your favourite place to drink Pilsner Urquell?

......Wood and Bone of course