FSR September 2022

L IQUID INTELL IGENCE

where—they’re still massively popu lar—but I think there is a segment of beer drinkers that are feeling a little pal ate fatigued.” Craft brewers perfecting the lager style has helped bridge the gap between craft enthusiast and casual imbibers, but creating a high-quality lager is dif ficult because there’s nowhere to hide imperfections, Baker says. Unlike other styles that rely heavily on strong hop and roasted flavors, lagers don’t have many supplemental ingredients, mean ing even the slightest flaw is immedi ately apparent. “They’re the hardest to perfect,” he says. “ ere are a lot more things that can go wrong during the brewing process.” Even though lagers inherently have a more neutral flavor profile, the style is getting a craft makeover as breweries experiment with everything fromhoppy varieties to purple lagers. “When most people talk about lagers, they’re referring to pilsners or Ameri can light lagers,” says Cody Reif, brewing innovations manager at New Belgium. “Lagers make great approachable beers because they tend to be drier, crisp, and refreshing.” e drier texture is due to residual carbohydrates. Fans of domestic beers, like Budweiser and Coors Banquet, may have shied away from craft lagers in the past due to the higher price point, Reif says. But that’s beginning to change as some of the bar riers to larger production have started to come down, including cost and distribu tion. As a result, brewers are becoming more comfortable experimenting within the style. As Reif mentions, most peo ple think of pilsners and American light beers when they think of lagers, but those aren’t necessarily the variations making the most noise in the craft beer scene. New York–based Evil Twin Brewing produces more than 50 different craft lagers, including oat lagers, lime lagers, and even a purple lager brewed from rice. Unlike some breweries that feature a flagship beer, Evil Twin is constantly rotating the selection, which encourages experimentation without being overly committed to one variation.

“Craft beer is evolving to a place where lagers are gaining in popularity, and I think people have a better understanding of howdifficult it is to make a good lager.”

CRAFT POWERHOUSES LIKE OSKAR BLUES AND NEW BELGIUM ARE PUTTING A PREMIUM SPIN ON LAGERS.

OSKAR BLUES BREWERY / NEW BELGIUM BREWING COMPANY

to major producers like MillerCoors and Anheuser-Busch. Although lager’s ubiq uity made it one of the top-grossing vari eties, its big-brand affiliation and neu tral flavor did it no favors among craft breweries, who until very recently, over looked the style. “Craft beer is evolving to a place where

lagers are gaining in popularity, and I think people have a better understand ing of how difficult it is to make a good lager,” says Aaron Baker, senior mar keting manager at Oskar Blues Brew ery, which distributes nationally and has taprooms in North Carolina, Texas, and Colorado. “IPAs aren’t going any

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SEPTEMBER 2022