CHICAGO - Beer lovers longing to replicate the distinctive Czech taste of Pilsner Urquell in the United States fret not ?" the Czech brewer announced earlier this week that beer distributed to the U.S. will be packaged and shipped "to have a taste as fresh and distinct as the beer in the Czech Republic."

To that end, the brewer will deploy refrigerated, express shipping and fully enclosed packaging, "extensive measures" that ensure "this is the freshest Pilsner Urquell ever available in the U.S."

"The primary enemies to beer are light, time and heat," said Vaclav Berka, the Pilsner Urquell brewmaster. "Due to these factors, the Pilsner Urquell that people have drunk in the U.S. over the past years simply has not been the equivalent of the fresh Pilsner Urquell available in the Czech Republic. We are changing that."

Accordingly, Pilsner Urquell sold in the U.S. will now be packaged in fully enclosed secondary cartons that ship from the brewery within 30 days of production in refrigerated containers, a process that will help stop the aging process of the beer. Distributors will maintain the beer??s refrigeration once they receive it.

"Throughout our 170-year history, Pilsner Urquell has been one of the most respected and influential beers in the world," said Pilsner Urquell Brand Manager Chad Wodskow. "Our goal is to add to this legacy by establishing Pilsner Urquell as the No. 1 import beer when it comes to quality. With these major steps, we believe we're on track to do just that."

The first new barrels from the Plzen brewery arrived in the U.S. earlier this month. All of the new packaging states "Express Shipped Cold" and will be available in the following packages (in addition to draft): 4-pack cans, 6-pack bottles and12-pack bottles.

"I'm so thrilled to know that by diminishing these hurdles, the taste of Pilsner Urquell in the United States will be virtually indistinguishable from the taste of Pilsner Urquell available in the Czech Republic," Berka said.