Ahead of the upcoming national Pilsner contest the Bitburger Challenge, pFriem Family Brewers is releasing a West Coast Pilsner collaboration with Bitburger Brewery and Prost! beer bar on Thursday, June 6th at the Hood River Tasting Room and all Prost! locations. The pFriem + Bitburger + Prost! West Coast Pils is inspired by a shared love for skiing and a mutual appreciation of German and American beer traditions, and built on a relationship started when pFriem competed in the last Bitburger Challenge way back in 2019. pFriem co-founder Josh Pfriem will be a judge at the upcoming Prost! Bitburger Challenge on June 7-9th in Portland.

The West Coast Pils represents a celebration of international friendship and collaboration. Jan Niewodniczanski from Bitburger, Dan Hart from Prost! and Josh Pfriem from pFriem Family Brewers solidified their bond on a skiing adventure in Alaska's majestic mountains. Their shared passion for lagers inspired them to craft this unique beer, blending the elegance of classic German lagers with the boldness of modern American hops.

“We are honored and stoked to brew a beer with our friends at Bitburger and Prost! to pay homage to the love of Pilsner bier and friendships in our cherished beer industry! We hope you enjoy this nod to German brewing tradition meeting the spirit of the American Craft brewer! Prost!” says Josh Pfriem, Co-Founder & Brewmaster.

This pilsner shines with a brilliant gold color and a bright, fluffy white head. Brewed with Weyermann Pilsner, Canadian Malting Company Superior Pilsen, and Weyermann Munich malt, it undergoes a decoction mash process, enhancing its complex malt profile. The exclusive Diva yeast from Bitburger brings a clean, crisp fermentation character, while the hop blend of Perle, Saphir, Centennial, and Amarillo adds a vibrant array of flavors.

Coming in at 5.0%, expect delicate aromas of melon, lemon zest, lavender, tangerine, soft pine, and roses. On the palate, the West Coast Pils offers clean flavors of grapefruit, orange marmalade, white peach, lime zest, grapefruit, toasted malt, and orange blossom. Finishes crisp, piney, pithy, and quenching. 

Release Party and Distribution

Join us at pFriem Family Brewers on June 6th from 3-6pm to celebrate the release of the pFriem + Bitburger + Prost! West Coast Pils. Attendees will have the opportunity to enjoy Gravity Keg pours of this collaborative beer.

Following the release, the West Coast Pils will be distributed to select accounts, including:

• Prost! PDX

• Prost! Bend

• Stammtisch

• Bantam Tavern

• Interurban

• Bloodbuzz

• Belmont Station

• Prost! Boise

• Matlack’s

• North End Pizza

• Prost! West Seattle

• Prost! Phinney Ridge

About pFriem Family Brewers
pFriem Family Brewers (pronounced “freem”) is a Northwest and European-inspired brewery and tasting room in Hood River, OR. Founded in 2012, pFriem has experienced incredible growth in the past decade and has earned prestigious awards, including being named GABF® 2018 Mid-Size Brewing Company of the Year, Three-Time Brewery of the Year by the Beer Connoisseur, and numerous medals in national and international brewing competitions. Best known for artisanal beers influenced by the great brewers of Europe while staying true to homegrown roots in the Pacific Northwest, pFriem craft beers are unmistakably unique in both flavor and balance.

Visit pFriem online at www.pfriembeer.com, or onsite daily at 707 Portway Ave., Suite 101, Hood River, OR 97031.

About Bitburger

Founded in 1817 in the southern region of the Eifel mountains, our family brewery has now been in business for seven generations, stretching over a period of 200 years. Following this long history of tradition, our brewery is now also one of Germany’s most modern and important breweries in private ownership. The most famous phrase in Germany’s beer world, “Bitte ein Bit” (“One Bit, please”), is recognisable all over the world amongst fans of Bitburger Premium Pils. Alongside our perfect pilsner, our customers also enjoy our other beer varieties and speciality beverages as well. Even though our range of products and brewing processes have continued to evolve, our core values have always remained the same: care, love and passion for brewing. These values support our consistently high quality standards. 

About Prost!

Opened in 2009, situated in the historic Mississippi District, Prost! offers Portland an inviting neighborhood pub as a gathering place for friends, great bier, and authentic German food.

Each bier, imported from Germany, is poured properly into its appropriate glass, fulfilling German tradition and guaranteeing great taste. Each bite of food is made with the best local ingredients, in the traditional German way. Including in our beautiful biergarten, each table is an open spot for communal seating to share with friends and to make new ones.