Sierra Nevada Premium PILS Lager is debuting across select markets across this U.S. this week.

In Atlanta last evening, a team from Sierra Nevada as assembled at The Ramspeck (Brick Store Pub’s private event space) to debut a new beer. While the brewery is most known for whole-cone hop forward offerings, this beer you could say is a departure from the hops- a Premium PILS Lager.

A year in the making.

For more than a year, Sierra Nevada VP Brian Grossman, Brewery supervisor Seth Hewitt, Innovation brewer Matt Ruzich and team have been developing a new pilsner – a future national offering that Sierra Nevada hopes mays set a standard for the style in U.S. In the past, Sierra has released a pilsner here and there – Nooner Pilsner back in 2014, and seasonal Summerfest. Good beers in their own right, but the grander vision was a more “elevated” pilsner. Hence why “premium” is a part of the branding.

History + Quality.

The team focused heavily on the brewing history on pilsners, especially water chemistry, hops and yeast. Premium PILS is features Weihenstephaner yeast, and newer hop variety Saphir (German bred), and Pilsner malts with a touch of Carapils malt. Throughout Sierra’s presentation, the brewers focused on quality. Something the brewery is well-known for, and it definitely shows in Premium PILS. It’s soft, and crisp, with just a tinge of underlying hoppiness, and only 4.7% alcohol by volume.

Markets.

For now, Sierra Nevada Premium PILS is available on draft in 30 markets: Orlando,Jacksonville, Atlanta, Chicago, Portland, Maine, Las Vegas, Reno, NYC, Rhode Island, Denver, Boise, New Orleans, Grand Rapids, Minneapolis/St. Paul, Cleveland, Portland/Eugene/Medford, Dallas/Ft.Worth, Milwaukee & Madison, Wisconsin, Bay Area/Sacramento/Chico, California, St. Louis, Charlotte/Asheville/Winston-Salem/Wilmington/Raleigh, North Carolina, South Carolina (All), Washington D.C.

For now, PILS is considered a seasonal, but is already being discussed like a year-round beer. Expect it to hit a very unique package in late-summer 2025.

Below, scenes from the media release party in Atlanta.

[See image gallery at beerstreetjournal.com]

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