h2g2 The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy: Earth Edition

Actually it is not "curiously" called after a Czech town, but that is where this special process of brewing was invented. So it is not a german beer at all, it is a czech variety of beer. It is served in 0.25 to 0.33 Liter glasses.

The name "Pilsener" as well as the name of the Czech city "Pilsen" is coming from "Bilsen" or "Bilse" which means in german "Bilsenkraut" (lat. Hyoscyamus spp.) a herb from the solanacea family which was used for making a really strong (in high dosage psychoactive) beer.
It´s possible that the german purity laws were made to stop brewery with psychoactive herbs ... those kinds of beer used to cause hallucinations, excessive violence or even death after drinking to large amounts. As another reason for the purity laws, wheat was to valuable to use in brewery ... so the law says that beer should only be brewed with water, vine, malt and barley (and no wheat which was saved for making bread).
The german beer called "Bock" or "Maibock" also has the name from its psychoactive contents. "Bock" was originally a very strong hallucinating brew, or even an ambrosia. On "Walpurgisnacht" or "Beltane", the night from Apr30th to May1st, the legend says that witches and warlocks gathered on the "Blocksberg" to dance with the devil. And this is where the name comes from: from riding the goat (Bock).

Hi Satyr
Lovely bits of information on one of my favorite subjects. Thanks!

How about writing something on your page so you can be properly greeted here. That'll open up your message center. Anyway, an unofficial welcome is in order. Have a and enjoy the festivities.

Prosit!

oops..... didn't brew that one properly. It came out kinda dry.
Here--have an or a . That should be better.

You're right, Pilsener (short:Pils, slang:Pölz) is called after a Czech town, Pilsen. But it is also served in 0.5l glasses. I'm not sure, but maybe Pilsen was part of Germany, when Pils was invented.

Yes, right... Pilsen is a czech town. In the years when the Pilsener was invented it was a part of the "Holy Roman Empire of German States". Although, the word "Bilsen" from which "Pilsen" comes was a well known name for henbane all over europe...