Grand Pilsener - What's all the hype?
Hertog Jan Grand Pilsener takes your everyday pint and ramps it up to the next level. This beer is a full-bodied golden blonde Pilsner, that's been given the royal treatment for an extra punch of flavour. The brewers didn't cut any corners here, they've let it age longer and added in more ingredients, resulting in a beer that's bursting with character and has a pleasantly bitter aftertaste.
They've struck the perfect balance between a touch of sweet fruitiness and a gentle bitterness on the aftertaste, leaving you craving for more. It’s the perfect blend of the fullness of a speciality beer with the fresh drinkability of a fantastic Pilsner.
Hertog Jan - A brief history
Hertog Jan is a name known globally for its skill and love of beer. Based in a beautiful white building in Arcen, Netherlands, the team push themselves to create innovative styles which are brewed with quality and passion in mind.
The brewery traces its history back to 1915, to Roobeek brewery. They built the brewery just outside of Arcen due to the incredible water quality due to the clay around the site. During the war the brewery came under fire, but as soon as the war ended reconstruction started. The silos from this period in which the malt is stored are still used to this day, and you can actually still see bullet holes!
In the early 80’s plans to close the brewery led to three employees renting the property in order to brew top fermenting specialty beers, such as Bocks, Tripels & Dubbels. This also meant the end of Pilsner being brewed on the site. That is, until, in 1993 a flood which caused extensive damage to the brewery offered an opportunity to expand with lager cellars. The pilsner returned to the Arcen site and is the beer we have come to know and love on PerfectDraft. The Pilsner recipe was developed by Gerard van den Broek (remember him from earlier?!) For that, we salute you Gerard.
Now the brewery has become a destination for beer lovers the world over to come and visit. This is down to the passion, time and love the team pour into each and every brew they do. It’s only fitting, as what was a brewery started by four passionate friends in the early 1900’s, has continued to this day to be a huge part of Dutch, and global beer culture.
