When you think about Lager, you probably think about pale fizzy blonde beer with not much taste. Great for barbecues and refreshment on scorching hot days but not much else. But there's much more to Lager than bubbles! So what’s the difference between lager and beer? It comes down to two things: temperature and yeast. But what exactly is Lager and how is it made? We’ll explain it all in 5 minutes…
Where does the name Lager come from?
The word Lager comes from the German word for ‘to store’. Lager beers were originally brewed over the winter when cellar temperatures were much lower. To make this happen, you need a special kind of yeast – lager yeast. Unlike its more fragrant friend Ale yeast, Lager yeast can withstand lower temperatures. It also like to hang around at the bottom of the fermenting beer. That’s why you might hear people talking about top fermentation (Ale) and bottom fermentation (Lager) beers. Cold also means slow – Ale yeast can do its thing in up to a week, while the original lagers could take up to six months to be ready!
Lager Yeast vs Ale Yeast
No only does Lager yeast ferment at a lower temperature, it is also has less of a role in shaping the taste of your beer. Ale yeasts react with the alcohol in the beer, producing fruity, spicy or other compounds – esters and phenols, but Lager yeast just makes alcohol, giving a much cleaner, les complex taste.
International Pale Lager
This is what most people think of Lager – beers like Stella Artois or Beck’s. Brewed with pale malt and grassy, lemony continental hops, these easy-drinking beers are perfect for a hot day. But Lager isn’t just light gold beer, it comes in a range of colours from pale straw to super-malty ruby Vienna Lager, to deep, dark Munich Dunkel and Schwarzbier, and even sweet, sticky Doppelbock. That’s because it’s the yeast that makes it a Lager, not the colour.
India Pale Lager
Because Lager yeast gives less flavour compounds to the beer, Lager is a perfect beer style for experimenting with hops. That’s why brewers are turning to IPL or Hoppy Lagers. Think of it like trying to paint your masterpiece on the front page of the New York Times: there’s a lot going on already, and it’s going to be super-complex and occasionally it’s just a mess. If you use your paint palette on a blank canvas – kind of like a simple, lightly malted Lager body – then you get the true colour of the hops shining through.
A wide range of Lager beers
To help you choose, each Lager sold on our website features detailed information about the beer and the brewery, the brewing techniques and the . You will appreciate the description presenting the brewery and the character of each lager.
With PerfectDraft, you will discover a wide choice of drinks from large breweries or artisanal brewers. You’ll love our selection of bottled beers and PerfectDraft Kegs available from our online shop.
Whether you like Belgian, American, German or French Lager, you’re sure to find the right beer.
Discover our guide of session IPA and informations about Indian Pale Ale beer.
