Pilsner Urquell, the world’s first golden lager has crowned Chris Milner from Browns Bar and Brasserie in Leeds with the prestigious title of Pilsner Urquell UK Master Bartender of the Year.
Chris will now join seventeen bartenders from around the world in the Czech Republic, the birthplace of Pilsner Urquell, and will then go onto Berlin to attend a glittering awards ceremony where he will represent the UK in the Pilsner Urquell International Master Bartender of the Year competition. The globetrotting bartenders will compete in an international final which comprises a series of written and practical assessments including one of the most important elements for the Czech brand, the perfect pour and presentation of the beer.
The announcement was made at an awards ceremony where 10 finalists from around the country celebrated following an intensive afternoon of judging. Also attending the event to talk to and judge the finalists on their perfect pour was Danny Walker, the current Pilsner Urquell International Master Bartender.
In addition to being crowned Pilsner Urquell International Master Bartender of the Year, the winning bartender will also win a special VIP trip to three of Pilsner Urquell’s export markets to experience the beer’s far reaching popularity.
Nick Miller, Managing Director of Miller Brands, said, “In 1842, the citizens of Pilsen changed the way the world sees beer, with the creation of Pilsner Urquell. Through our Master Bartender Programme, Pilsner Urquell recognises and rewards those bartenders from across the globe who not only set the benchmark in their profession, but also share the same passion and pride in Pilsner Urquell as the brewers have done for over 165 years.
“This year we had some really fantastic finalists and it gave me great pleasure to give the award to Chris. It was a tough competition and year on year, the knowledge, professionalism and dedication of the finalists is going from strength to strength. We look forward to keeping up this high standard and seeing the competition attract even more entries, as we draw more bartenders into the unique history of Pilsner Urquell.”
-ENDS-
For further information:
Emma Currin
Leisure PR & Communications
(M) 07753 838 490
Email: emmacurrin@leisurepr.co.uk
Notes to editors:
The Pilsner Urquell Master Bartender Programme
The Master Bartender programme was launched on the back of research commissioned by Miller Brands to understand the current levels of bartending and training needs. Only 6% of bartenders asked said that they had received training from a beer brand, compared to 49% from other drinks brands (spirits and wine). Of those beer training sessions, all had been about storage and service, not about the way the beer was brewed and why they taste the way they do.
Pilsner Urquell
Pilsner Urquell is the world’s first, clear golden beer, created in 1842. Pilsner Urquell means ‘pilsner from the original source’. It is the flagship brand of SABMiller’s international brand portfolio and is the company’s premier contender in the premium status segment of the market.
Named after the town in which it was created, the beer came to define a whole category (Pilsners) and set the standard for all lagers. At the brewery in Pilsen, Pilsner Urquell is still brewed to its original recipe (unchanged for over 165 years) using the parallel brewing process to ensure that the taste of the beer stays true. By brewing a sample batch of the beer in the traditional way, using original-style equipment, the beer can then be compared to that which is made using modern equipment to make sure the beers match perfectly – no other brewer in the world does this.
Using the finest ingredients; Saaz hops, malt and Pilsen water, Pilsner Urquell is an intensely hoppy beer with a crisp body and a balance of subtle sweetness with velvety bitterness.