Perlenbacher Premium Pilsner is Lidl’s own-label pilsner, brewed under license by Frankfurter Brauhaus in Frankfurt an der Oder (with some markets supplied by sister TCB Group plants like Brasserie Champigneulles in France). It has picked up gold at the World Beer Awards more than once, including a country-winner gold in the Pilsner Lager category and, in 2024, the outright title of World’s Best Classic Pilsener, beating out plenty of beers that cost five or six times as much. At around GBP 1.29 to GBP 1.49 a bottle in the UK, that is a genuinely unusual result for a discount supermarket beer, and it is worth asking why it keeps happening.
Perlenbacher Premium Pilsner at a glance
| Style | German Pilsner |
| ABV | 4.9% |
| IBU | Around 15 |
| Brewery | Frankfurter Brauhaus (Frankfurt an der Oder, Germany) |
| Sold by | Lidl (own label) |
| Price | Roughly GBP 1.29-1.49 / EUR 0.65-0.85 per 500ml bottle |
| Awards | World Beer Awards gold, Pilsner Lager (2025); World’s Best Classic Pilsener (2024) |
| Closure | Screw cap |
How it tastes
Pour it into a proper glass and Perlenbacher looks the part: pale straw gold with a tight white head that holds reasonably well. The nose is mild and grainy with a touch of noble hop, nothing showy. On the palate it leans malt-forward for a pilsner, with a light honeyed sweetness up front, a clean cracker-like body, and a bitterness that shows up late and fades fast rather than lingering. It finishes dry and crisp, which is exactly what you want from something built for drinking cold on a warm afternoon rather than sipping and analysing.
Why does it use a screw cap instead of a crown cap?
Most bottled lagers, Perlenbacher included in some markets, use a crimped metal crown cap because it forms an airtight seal that locks in carbonation and needs a bottle opener to remove. The bottle in these photos, though, has a screw cap, which is more unusual for beer, screw closures are far more common on wine and spirits because they reseal easily without a tool. Supermarket own-label beers like Perlenbacher sometimes ship with screw caps on specific production runs or export markets, mainly because it lets the bottler use the same capping line and closure supplier across several product lines (including non-beer drinks) rather than running separate crown-cap equipment, and it is friendlier for anyone who wants to reseal a half-finished bottle. It has no real effect on the beer’s quality as long as the seal is intact when you buy it, if anything, a properly torqued screw cap holds carbonation just as well as a crown cap over the kind of short shelf life a supermarket lager sees.
At GBP 1.29 a bottle, who needs the pub?
What to eat with it
This is a classic German-pilsner food beer, not a sipping beer, so lean into that. Bratwurst or any grilled sausage is the obvious match, since the beer’s dry bitterness cuts through the fat and spice. Sauerkraut works for the same reason, the beer’s crispness balances the sourness. It also holds up well next to salty snacks (pretzels, crisps, fries) and mild cheeses like Emmental, and it is light enough to sit alongside a simple green salad or grilled fish if you want something less heavy.
The right glass
A tall, narrow pilsner glass is the right call if you want to show it off, the shape keeps the head tidy and channels the aroma toward your nose. A standard pint glass works fine too if that’s what you have; the main thing is pouring it properly (tilt the glass, then straighten up for the last third) so you get a proper head rather than a flat pour straight from the bottle.
Who it is for
Perlenbacher makes sense if you want an easy-drinking lager for a barbecue, a football match or just restocking the fridge without spending a fortune, and you don’t mind a beer that is competent rather than complex. It is not going to replace a proper craft pilsner if you care about hop character or a fuller body, but as a everyday session beer it consistently overdelivers for the price, which is exactly why it keeps placing at international judging panels stocked with far pricier entries.
Perlenbacher Premium Pilsner FAQs
Where can I buy Perlenbacher Premium Pilsner?
It’s a Lidl own-label beer, so it’s sold in Lidl stores across the UK, Germany and several other European markets. It isn’t sold through other retailers or on general marketplaces since it’s exclusive to Lidl.
Has Perlenbacher actually won awards?
Yes. Perlenbacher has picked up gold medals at the World Beer Awards, including being named World’s Best Classic Pilsener in 2024, and has also placed at the USA Beer Ratings.
Is Perlenbacher the same beer in every country?
Not always. Lidl’s Perlenbacher range is brewed under contract at different plants depending on the market (Frankfurter Brauhaus in Germany, other TCB Group breweries elsewhere), so the exact recipe and ABV can shift slightly between countries.
What is Perlenbacher’s ABV?
4.9% ABV, in line with a standard German pilsner, though some regional listings round it to 4.5%.
Where to buy Perlenbacher Premium Pilsner
Perlenbacher is a Lidl exclusive, so you won’t find it anywhere else, check the beer aisle at your local Lidl. It typically retails for GBP 1.29-1.49 a 500ml bottle in the UK.
Perlenbacher is a Lidl exclusive and is not sold through US delivery apps. Krombacher Pils is a comparable US-available German pilsner.
The verdict
Perlenbacher Premium Pilsner isn’t trying to be a craft beer, and it doesn’t need to be. It’s a clean, malt-led German pilsner that does exactly what a supermarket lager should do: drinks easily, tastes better than its price tag suggests, and has the award-show pedigree to back that up. If you’re stocking up for a barbecue or just want a dependable everyday lager, it’s a smart pick.
