Grand Opening of the first Pilsner Urquell Tank Outlet in Austria

18.6.2009 News
Garden area seats up to 350 guests

With its 380 places inside and 350 in the garden area it tempts Viennese and tourists to enjoy Pilsner Urquell, the Pure Pilsner from Pilsen, in its top quality terrace on one of the most famous and visited streets in Vienna.

The SABMiller Europe Import Markets partner on this project, the Austrian brewery Stiegl, offers a selection of typical local beers but none of them is tanked as Pilsner Urquell, making it the only tanked Pils type beer in the outlet offered to “beer Feinschmeckers”.

Entrance to Zattl

“Feinschmecker” is a German expression for Gourmet, a person who is an excellent judge of fine food and drinks. Historical sources state that one of the greatest “Feinschmeckers” was the longest reigning Austro-Hungarian Emperor Franz Josef. They even state that his “…personal valet always made sure that French Cognac, Red Hungarian Wine and Pilsner Urquell Beer were, always on hand!” (source http://www.yellow-net.com/drink-tips/drink-tips.htm). Michael Zattl, the owner of the newly opened tank outlet comments: “Pilsner Urquell is one of the best beers in the world. It is a first-rate beer with fresh taste that differs in flavour from the Austrian beers. To our customers we offer it in its un-pasteurized form to let them savour the Pilsner Urquell unique taste.

Vojtech Homolka, SABMiller EIM Export Quality Manager, checking on rinsing equipment

 The project, based on a 10-year contract with approx. 600 hl/year throughput, is the top foreign investment of the SABMiller Europe Import Markets unit in its 7-year history. Michael Zattl adds: “It took us about a year to bring the project alive. As the outlet is situated in the area of a historical significance, we and SABMiller Europe Imports Markets representatives Juergen Scherieble and Marcus Furst went through meeting with the Abbot of the Abbey (Note: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Schottenstift,_Vienna) to receive the necessary permissions. Then we started work with architect and after six months, with a great deal of technical support from Vojtech Homolka, we are opening the first Pilsner Urquell tank outlet in Austria – in Vienna. When I was participating the Ambassador programme* in Pilsen I thought it would be nice to have a Pilsner Urquell unique outlet and here I am, having the first tasting from the just filled tank!.”

From left: the owner of the tank outlet, Mr. Michael Zattl and Marcus Furst, SABMiller EIM Area Manager

*Note of editor: Ambassador Programme is a programme designed to give partners of SABMiller Europe Import Markets detailed information about the PILSNER URQUELL brand. It is primarily designed for distributors, sales managers, restaurant and bar owners, and bar tenders. After completing the Ambassador programme participants become “Ambassadors” of Pilsner Urquell Brand and should propagate and glorify the brand in the world to their customers, colleagues and friends. Last year we welcomed 303 new Ambassadors and there were already about 2000 people from different countries all around the world who took part in the programme in the 6-year period.

More info from the Grand Opening Event (18th June) shall follow on 22nd June.

Contact:

Petra Zahorec Martuskova
Trade Marketing Executive
SABMiller Europe Import Markets
mobile:+420 724 617 555
e-mail:

Extras:

Pilsner Urquell – a beer legend

Pilsner Urquell, meaning ‘pilsner from the original source', is the first clear golden beer, created in 1842. Named after the town in which in was created, the beer came to define a whole category (Pilsners) and set the standard for all lagers. At the brewery in Plzen, 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 the original equipment and process, the beer is then compared using modern equipment to make sure the beers match perfectly – no other brewer in the world does this.

Using the fines ingredients; Saarz hops, malt and Pilsner water, Pilsner Urquell is an intensely hoppy beer with crisp body, a balance of subtle sweetness with velvety bitterness.

Pilsner Urquell is the flagship brand of international brand portfolio of SABMiller plc, one of the world's largest brewers, and is a contender in the premium status segment of the market. The brand states its global vision as being ‘To be the most rewarding beer choice amongst premium status beer consumers'.

The best technology for beer tapping

At the beginning of 1995, Plzensky Prazdroj experts started providing Czech restaurants with a new process – drawing beer from large-capacity tanks rather than traditional kegs. The new process was enabled by specially developed beer tanks. Today, 14 years later, this system prevails in most restaurants that meet Plzensky Prazdroj's technical requirements for tapping its beers. Thanks to their benefits, the beer tanks have become one of the major factors in achieving a competitive edge in the already saturated beer market in the Czech Republic.

Patrons of famous pubs enjoying their favourite Pilsner beer are mostly unaware that the beer is not poured from traditional kegs but from refrigerated tanks. In the Czech Republic, this system is now used by almost 400 restaurants and pubs selling Pilsner Urquell, Gambrinus, Radegast and Velkopopovicky Kozel.

There were several reasons behind the tank development decision made by Plzensky Prazdroj at the beginning of the 1990's. Distribution and storage of beer in large volumes (as opposed to individual kegs) is cost effective for both the brewery and the owners of restaurants and pubs.

The state-of-the-art system of stainless steel tanks with a volume of 10 hl (and 5 hl from 2006) offers the inner leak-proof polypropylene bags, a so called bag-in-box system. The advantage of this system is that beer does not come into contact with air during the pouring process. This has a positive impact on the quality and durability of non-pasteurized beer. A necessary prerequisite for the installation of beer tanks is a minimum level of weekly beer consumption.

With the benefits that it brought to restaurant operators and consumers, the system has positively influenced the performance of Plzensky Prazdroj's activities on the Czech beer market and now it starts to spread abroad.

Plzensky Prazdroj's Cool-Boxes with Tanks – Interesting Facts

  • The bag-in-box system is also used abroad. However, there is no other country where the system is as widespread and advanced as in the Czech Republic, which is due to Plzensky Prazdroj's efforts. The reasons behind this phenomenon are the record-high beer consumption in the Czech Republic and the fact that in Bohemia and Moravia it is common to draw only one or a few beer brands.

Technical Description of Cool-Boxes with Tanks

  • A stainless-steel tank with a volume of 10 or 5 hl in a horizontal position.
  • A sterile bag inside made from polypropylene, absolutely impermeable – “higher barrier” system. It does not release any parts of compounds and can be recycled. Every bag can be used only once.
  • Tanks (at least three in every restaurant or pub) are located in an insulated room – a cool-box with tanks.
  • The temperature in cool-boxes is 8 – 10 degrees Celsius.
  • Beer is drawn by air compressors equipped with filters. Air pressing against the inside bag pushes it out.
  • The cool-box consists of building blocks. It can be disassembled and re-assembled at a different place.
  • Beer can be distributed from the tank to four independent taps.
  • Transportation of beer

    Informational Beer Tank Storage Diagram

    Note: the set up of equimpment is always taylor made according the specifis and requirements of the venue

    Pros of the Bag-in-Box System of Cool-Boxes

    From the consumer's point of view:

    Benefits:

    • Pubs with cool-boxes tap non-pasteurized beer, e.g. a highly natural product.
    • The beer has the right relish, it is not oversaturated, as might have been the case when beer used to be tapped from kegs.

    From the client's point of view:

    Benefits:

    • Customers appreciate the high quality of beer from tanks, which has a positive impact on the loyalty they show towards the pub and the volume of beer being consumed.
    • The cool-box system can be connected with up to four independent taps.
    • It is not necessary to open kegs all the time, the pub owner can pay attention to his guests.

Vienna, Austria