Main Lager Styles

Note: These examples below were chosen for two reasons. The first is availability. There is most likely tons of excellent beer right in your neck of the woods; these are beers that are relatively widely distributed, so you should be able to find at least one per style. The second is adherence to style guidelines. These beers may deviate from the description, but they are not too far from the norm. This is less true for catchalls such as Strong Ale, which collectively describes many different styles and variations.

Adjunct Lager

The most ubiquitous style in the US, this is your typical ballpark beer. Light in color, low in alcohol content, and light in flavor, these beers are very easily drinkable and are very cheap. Adjunct lagers use barley along with some other “adjunct” grain. Most American adjunct lagers use corn (e.g. Miller and Coors), but rice is another notable example (e.g. Budweiser). Light varieties are often available as well.

Examples: Bud/Miller/Coors, Pabst Blue Ribbon, Fosters, Red Stripe, etc.

Bocks

A traditional dark German lager that features a sweet, malty taste. Caramel and toffee flavors are most common, with plenty of room for bread and dark fruit flavors to linger. Bitterness is traditionally low, but there are plenty of examples that veer from this. The beer should be amber to dark brown in color, with a mid to high alcohol level. Not overly sweet, bocks keep things simple to showcase the complexities of dark, toasted malt. Doppelbocks are sweeter and maltier than their single bock counterparts.

Examples (Single Bock): Sam Adams Winter Lager, Shiner Bock, Anchor BockExamples (Doppelbock): Ayinger Celebrator, Spaten Optimator, Troegs Troegnator, Victory St. Victorious

Maibock/ Helles Bock

Don’t let the ‘bock’ suffix fool you- this style is traditionally a lighter beer, both in color and in body, than the bock/doppelbock style. German malts add fresh cracked barley, honey, or a light toasty flavor to the bouquet. Noble German hops lend their spicy, slightly resiny quality to the style, although the hops are added in low quantities. These beers will often run slightly stronger than your average summer session beer, at around 6-8% alcohol by volume.

Examples: Rogue Dead Guy Ale, Sierra Nevada Glissade, Victory St. Boisterous

Oktoberfest/Märzen

This dark beer is the typical beverage of choice during autumn in Bavaria. The beer traditionally utilizes only Pilsner, Munich, and Vienna malts, which contribute a bready, cereal flavor, with a tinge of caramel and toast. The beer has a slight lip-puckering quality, but the malty sweetness should be enough to offset the sensation. As is true of most German lagers, noble hops are primarily used. The spicy, slightly earthy perfume should be noticeable; however, they should not overwhelm the malt backbone. Balance is key.

Examples: Sam Adams Octoberfest, Paulaner Oktoberfest, Ayinger Oktoberfest

Pilsner

A crisp, pale, refreshing beer that relies heavily on the oft-forgotten fourth ingredient- water. The traditional Pilsen water is very soft, meaning it has a low mineral content. The result is a crisper, cleaner beer. The only malt used is Pilsner malt, which is the lightest in color. It is often noted for having a grassy taste. Hopping is prominent, traditionally in the form of the spicy, floral Saaz hop.

Examples: Sam Adams Noble Pils, Victory Prima Pils, Pilsner Urquell, Lagunitas Pils

Rauchbier

Imagine liquid sausage in a bottle. The style utilizes large quantities of wood-smoked malts to give the beers their characteristic meaty flavors. Dark and robust, hops hardly play a factor whatsoever. These beers will often catch drinkers off-guard with their unusual flavor, but they can be a treat when there’s adequate preparation for the spicy, smoky, umami sensation on the palate.

Examples: Aecht Schlenkerla Rauchbier Märzen/Urbock/Weizen,

Vienna Lager

Vienna lagers fall much in line with Oktoberfests, due to the similar malt bill of Pilsner, Munich and Vienna malts. Toastiness and caramel may come through slightly more. These tend to have a little less body than their Oktoberfest counterpart. However, noble hops play a similar role. Their spicy presence should be a bit less noticeable, as these beers often drink very clean and make great session beers.

Examples: Great Lakes Eliot Ness, Sam Adams Boston Lager