Nebraska Brewing Company - Nebraska Pils

Pouring a crystal clear bright straw color with a cap of crisp white foam, Nebraska Pils looks good in the glass as we lift it up to take a sniff. Hop aromas come forth with some lightly spicy notes along with plenty of earth, some herbal-grassy character, and mild citric and floral tones. While Nebraska has chosen to put an American spin on their Pils by selecting Sterling and Liberty hops, which were both developed in Oregon, they are both descended from classic central European noble hops like Saaz and Hallertau Mittelfrüh and deliver the same hop character we know and love from German and Czech pilsners. On the palate, Nebraska Pils offers a sturdy, crackery core of pils malt overlaid by prominent spicy-herbal character. Very little residual sweetness remains in this brew after fermentation, allowing the moderate hop bitterness to easily keep this lager dry from the start to the finish, where the dryness hits its crisp apex and leaves us ready for another sip. Refreshing and super easy to drink, Nebraska Pils is quite food-friendly. For us, pizza is a classic pairing, along with lemon-spritzed shrimp skewers, German sausages, and soft pretzels with spicy mustard. Enjoy!

Paul Kavulak began homebrewing around 1992, and it became a serious hobby which would ultimately lead to the founding of Nebraska Brewing Company many years later. The pivotal moment occurred in 2005 when Paul, frustrated and disappointed in the outcome of one of his recipes, threw a large bag of Cascade hops into the fermenter and walked away. When he calmly came to clean up his mess a couple weeks later, he discovered the beer had transformed into exactly what he had been trying to achieve. The idea of starting a brewpub with this “Cardinal Pale Ale” as its flagship began to take root.

After realizing that he would never achieve the dream of opening the brewpub if he couldn’t make enough time for it, Paul convinced his supportive wife, Kim, to go all-in. He quit his job, and the pair focused completely on bringing Nebraska Brewing Company to life. A used brewing system was located and purchased from Sasebo, Japan, and in November of 2007 the brewpub opened its doors. Unfortunately, this was right as the U.S. housing bubble burst, but they would weather the recession that soon followed through a combination of careful business decisions and great beer, eventually signing on Tyson Arp, who currently serves as Nebraska’s Overlord of Brewing. A bold decision was made to invest heavily in their fledgling barrel-aged beers – a decision which has proved very smart indeed, as members of our Rare Beer Club who have previously enjoyed Nebraska’s barrel-aged beers, including the excellent Chardonnay barrel aged Belgian-style strong ale, Mélange à Trois, can attest.

In 2014, a second brewing location was opened not far from the first, allowing the expansion of both their canned beer business as well as their barrel-aged program. Their original brewpub location continues to thrive, and is a great spot to grab some tasty pub fare along with an excellent brew to wash it down. For more info on this truly superb brewery, give them a call at 402-934-7100 or visit nebraskabrewingco.com.