Lager must be one of the most controversial beer styles. Same time appreciated, with a hundreds years of history, and especially when hopped with noble varieties, but at the same time neglected and ignored as pathetic bulk beer.
In order to categorise different kinds of lager styles, Pint Please trusts in a simple system, in which the colour acts as an affecting factor. Lager-styles are divided into pale and dark.
In addition, there’s a category called other lagers, which includes such experimental styles as Radler or Shandy, Smoked or Rauchbier, and Zwickel, Keller or Landbier.
Lager beer styles come usually from Central Europe. Germany and Czech are the two main lager and pilsner countries.
Helles
Helles is a traditional German lager beer style that originates in Southern Germany, basically in Munich. In German, Helles stands for a bright or pale lager, but Helles lagers are mainly fuller-bodied than typical pale lagers or pilsners. That means that it’s as crispy as lager but doesn’t include those spicy hops used in pilsners. Helles is also low in bitterness and mildly sweet in taste. The ABV goes between 4.5 and 6%.
Nowadays Helles is regaining popularity, since it has been for years replaced by pilsners.
Eisbock
Eisbock is a speciality in the dark lager category. It also comes from Bavaria, Germany – but this time from Kulmbach district. It’s simply made from a Doppelbock by partial freezing.
As Bock is already a strong beer style, Doppelbock is even stronger (Doppel means double), and it also has a more malty taste. So, that’s why Eisbock also means a particularly strong beer style. The alcohol content should range from 9% to 14% by volume.
This legendary beer style was actually created by accident, as one would assume. The freezing process changes the aroma of alcohol and makes the beer more balanced to drink despite of the high ABV per cent.
Kellerbier
Kellerbier goes to ‘other lager’ category but it could simply be described as unfiltered pale lager style, though its appearance is quite murky. The original German producers describe it as naturtrüb, naturally cloudy.
The cloudiness comes from the yeast that Kellerbier typically contains more than other same kind of lager variants. Kellerbier is known for its strong flavour based on aromatic hops.
The right way to drink Kellerbier is out of earthenware rather than of glassware. Several brands are selling Kellerbiers in bottles, but if you want to taste the original one, right out of the cask, you have to go to Franconia, Germany.
The Top 20 Best-Rated Lager Beers
In lager styles the alcohol content doesn’t play as huge role as in many other beer styles. That’s why it’s possible to see 2% Radler beer in top of the list of the best-rated beers. Gösser NaturRadler means a delicious combination of lager beer and lemon juice that goes well in the summertime as well as after sport activities, keeping in mind that radlers were invented for thirsty cyclists.
The second best lager goes also to the other lager category. Aecht Schlenkerla Rauchbier Urbock is nowadays especially enjoyed during the christmas season, since its intense smoked flavour goes perfectly with traditional christmas dishes.
On the third place we’ll find instead a light Tegernseer Hell, a true German Helles beer from Bavaria. ‘Wundervoll’ in a balance of lightness and tastiness, as a German would say.
The Top 20 Most Popular Lager Beers
When it comes to the most popular lagers, we are talking about bulk stuff, indeed. But even the bulk beers are not to be sneezed at.
Heineken is a very well-known Dutch brewery, and these days you can find its products nearly everywhere. Heineken is also the most popular lager beer according to the Pint Please stats.
On the second place there’s another pale lager from Italy. Birra Moretti l’Autentica goes especially well with Italian food, and that’s why it’s often served in restaurants.
Corona Extra has an infamous name, but that hasn’t reduced its popularity. This Mexican-style pale lager is supposed to be drunk straight out of the bottle with a slice of lime in it.
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