It’s Beginning to Look a Lager Like Christmas
December brings lots of things: family gatherings, hearty comfort foods, a wintery change of seasons, and holidays galore, but it also brings a day for celebrating the type of beer known as Lager, on December 10th.
Beer is the most popular alcoholic beverage in the world and sales total almost $800 billion dollars per year! Of all that beer being consumed, Lager beer is inarguably the most popular. As of 2022, Heineken, a Dutch Lager brand, holds the number one spot in being the most valuable beer brand in the world and is valued at 7.6 billion dollars. The best-selling beer in the world also belongs to a Lager: Snow, which is only sold in China. This beer, by volume, sold an approximate 101.2 million hectoliters in 2017 per GlobalData Consumer sales data. Runner-up to this whopping number, is Budweiser Lager, clocking-in at 49.2 million hectoliters. Tsingtao, Bud Light, Skol, Heineken, Harbin, Yanjing, Corona, and Coors Light round-out the list from third to tenth-place, respectively, with every single one of these best-selling beers being Lagers!
What is a Lager anyways?
The word “Lager” comes from the German word “lagern,” which means “to store.” The origins of this particular type of beer can be traced back several centuries to the Middle Ages, in Bavaria, which is now modern-day Germany.
Lagers are characterized by a distinct brewing process. When a Lager beer is brewed, a cool fermentation yeast is utilized. The growth of the yeast is calm and slow and it sinks and settles to the bottom of the vessel containing the wort during the fermentation process. This is known as “bottom-fermenting.” The brewing process is completed in temperatures typically consisting of between 42–55 °F, and therefore, the brew can sit and age for longer periods of time due to the cool temps – also known as “conditioning.” The final product is a light, clean, crisp, smooth, and refreshing beer. Additional tidbits about Lagers:
• Tend to be highly carbonated
• Tend to be varying shades of gold in coloration
• Malted grains are typically utilized, including corn and rice
• Very lightly hopped, resulting in a delicately mild hop flavor
• ABV (alcohol-by-volume) ranges from 4.5-13%
• IBU (international bitterness units) runs low, ranging from 5-45
Lager, as a type – or style – of beer, has several variations, all brewed in the same manner, including: Pale lagers (what we typically visualize when we hear the term “Lager”), Helles lager, amber lagers – Märzen, Bock, Vienna lager, dark lagers – Dunkel, Schwarzbier, American lagers, Czech Pilsner, German Pilsner, and India Pale Lager (IPL).
Best Lagers to place under your tree this season:
Winter Lager by Samuel Adams Brewing Company – Boston, MA – 5.6% ABV, 22 IBU. This lager beer is a spiced wheat Bock that utilizes Cascade hops and several varieties of malts. This is a seasonal brew that can be found in grocery stores and your local bar during the months of October through January. The beer itself is one of my favorites this time of year. It has all the elements of a classic Lager being crisp and smooth, with malted, biscuit-like flavors, with very little hoppiness. The color is a reddish-amber and there are added subtle hints of ginger, orange peel and cinnamon. Sam Adams has updated their recipe this year, but in my opinion it’s still very similar to prior years, just brighter!
Stella Artois by Stella Artois macrobrewery and Subsidiary of Anheuser-Busch InBev – Leuven, Vlaams Gewest Belgium – (that’s a mouthful, eh?) – 5% ABV, 24 IBU. Stella is a Pilsner, and did you know that it was first brewed as a Christmas beer? “Stella” refers to the Christmas star, and “Artois” is in reference Sebastian Artois, founder of the brewery. Saaz hops and an original strain of Stella Artois yeast are used to brew this classically golden-colored beer. One of my go-to-beers all year round, it is always consistent in flavor, and always satisfyingly crisp and clean, with floral aromas and a dry finish.
Smoke & Dagger by Jack’sAbby Craft Lagers – Framingham, MA – 5.6% ABV, 25 IBU.
A dark lager, this Schwarzbier is almost black in coloration and has the added bonus of having a distinct smokiness throughout.
The brewing process utilizes Beechwood smoked malt and chocolate malt. There are complex notes of chocolate, smoke, and roasted coffee beans while still, somehow, retaining the notorious crisp and smooth characteristics of a quintessential Lager. It’s pretty much perfect.
It truly is the most wonderful time of the year to grab your favorite Lager to celebrate National Lager Day on December 10th – Cheers!
Sources:
https://vinepair.com/articles/10-biggest-beer-brands-world-2018/
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lager
https://thecraftycask.com/craft-beer/lager-beer-explained
https://www.badgerbeers.com/news/what-is-lager/
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