Want your frothie without the fuss? Your hops without the hoopla? Perhaps you just want a beer that tastes like real beer, a beer that pairs well with whatever the menu looks like, or a beer that’s suitably sessionable? Or maybe, just maybe, you want a beer that does it all.
Ask and you shall receive: Josh Hodges, the man behind beloved bottle-o Mr West and Bar Spontana, goes in on three of his go-to pilsners right now.
Hey Josh, what if I like my pilsner clean, crisp and with a little bit of structure? What should I be reaching for?
It’s hard to look past Rattenhund (or Rat Dog, as it’s affectionately known). Hop Nation put in the work to make this a textbook pilsner and one of the first examples of proper lagering in Victoria. Cool fermentation, long cold maturation, noble hops that bring just enough floral lift and spicy bite, and a base of bohemian malt that gives a lean but solid backbone. The result is a beer that feels polished without being boring with just enough bitterness to leave you wanting another sip. It’s one of those beers where you suddenly look down and realise your glass is empty, which says everything you need to know.
And how about if we’re stepping outside of the box? Is there something out there that’s still sessionable, but a say, more lively and adventurous?
Something with a bit of charisma but still keeping it sessionable? That’s where La Sirène’s Natty Pils comes in. It’s 100 per cent organic hops and malt, unfiltered, and brewed with a bit more zip. You get this hazy golden glow in the glass, a little more grain character on the palate, floral aromatics that flirt with spice and citrus, and a honeyed, biscuity malt sweetness that makes it feel rustic yet refined. It still finishes crisp and refreshing, but the extra texture and subtle energy make it feel like a pilsner that’s been given a lively, natty twist.
And how about another go-to? Something best-in-class? Something very, very drinkable?
And then there’s Keeper, the quiet assassin. A brewery that makes nothing but pilsner, and you taste the obsession in every sip. Twelve weeks of cold maturation gives it this impossibly smooth body, a clarity of flavour that’s almost startling. It’s grassy, bready, gently bitter, but with a length and softness that make it feel best-in-class. Keeper isn’t trying to reinvent the wheel, it’s trying to perfect it. And when you drink it, you get why: it’s balanced, deeply drinkable, and it has that rare quality where you immediately want to order another round. It’s the kind of pilsner that reminds you why the style has been beloved for centuries and also the one we are currently pouring on tap at Bar Spontana.
Make The Switch today, and check out episode four of The Switch featuring Josh Hodges right here.