Pilsner

"Effervescent and informative . . . This chronicle will intoxicate both beer nerds and history buffs." --Publishers Weekly

A book for both the beer geek and the foodie seeking a better understanding of modern food and drink

On the night of April 17, 1945, Allied planes dropped more than a hundred bombs on the Burghers' Brewery in Pilsen, Czechoslovakia, destroying much of the birthplace of pilsner, the world's most popular beer style and the bestselling alcoholic beverage of all time.

Still, workers at the brewery would rally so they could have beer to toast their American, Canadian, and British liberators the following month. It was another twist in pilsner's remarkable story, one that started in a supernova of technological, political, and demographic shifts in the mid-1800s and that continues to unfold today anywhere alcohol is sold.

Tom Acitelli's Pilsner: How the Beer of Kings Changed the World tells that story, shattering myths about pilsner's very birth and about its immediate parentage.

A character-driven narrative that shows how pilsner influenced everything from modern-day advertising and marketing to immigration to today's craft beer movement.

"The remarkable story of the world's most popular style of beer, from its humble birth in a far corner of the Austrian Empire in 1842 to its present dominance worldwide. Shattering myths about the style's origins and immediate parentage, this book shows how pilsner influenced everything from modern-day advertising and marketing to today's craft beer movement"--
"Pilsner, the book, is just like pilsner, my drink: bright, crisp, bubbly, fun, golden, and easy to knock back." --Meathead, author of the New York Times bestseller Meathead: The Science of Great Barbecue and Grilling
"Acitelli's confident, precise approach produces an entertaining narrative." --Kirkus Reviews
"Expertly crafted from deep knowledge and sharp insight, Pilsner: How the Beer of Kings Changed the World finishes light, refreshing, and deeply satisfying. It's a lot like my favorite beer style, pilsner! Well done, Tom Acitelli." --Bill Covaleski, founder and brewmaster, Victory Brewing Company
"It was a fun travelogue through the history of beer, making the characters and beer itself alive with every turn of the page. Beer lovers will love reading this book." --Fred, Goodreads ​
"It was so interesting to look at a huge breadth of world history through the lens of a very specific topic. Incredible to map out the impact of this particular beer style on the course of history, as well as history's impact on the beer's change over time." --Joanna, Goodreads
"Tom Acitelli tells the vibrant story of the world's most beloved (and misunderstood) beer style. The characters, passions, and flavors of lagers and pilsners get the respectful treatment they deserve from an author regarded as one of beer's great historians." --John Holl, author of The American Craft Beer Cookbook and host of the Drink Beer, Think Beer podcast ​

"Serious beer aficionados will love this detailed history of their favorite quaff."--Booklist