Yes, it's a lager. For those of us that may have been scarred by the first sip of their Dad's sub-par frothies, this is for you. Yes, it's lager, but not like that.
Even though Pilsners are considered a lighter style of lager, the hops profile is much more dominant. Typically, for a traditional Czech (or Bohemian) Pilsner, it will be made with the spicy punch of Saaz hops. Still a far cry from your hazy ales, a true Czech style Pilsner will be clearer than the only part of a doughnut that isn't life-changingly delicious.
A German Pils, on the other hand, has the potential to be a little cloudier, and as dry as your Uncle Dave's sense of humour. Generally speaking, the kilning of the malt will be lighter on the German counterparts, so the sweeter, biscuity or toasted bread notes you'll see in the Bohemian Pilsner are a bit more toned down here.
If you want to get really in to it (and you've read up to here, so I'll assume you do), Pilsner is, like any lager, made with bottom fermenting yeast. That is to say yeast that ferments at a lower temperature, and takes a little more time. The moral of this story is that even though these beers go down dangerously fast, time in the brewery is King.
We're seeing a resurgence of lovingly crafted Pilsners, both modern and nods to the old world styles. Deeds Brewing are taking a really in depth look at lagers at the moment with their Limited Releases, and Hawkers are bringing them back - if they ever left.
