Apparently, today is National Lager Day. Let’s celebrate National Lager Day. Why the hell not. Of course, if you’re old enough, you remember when everyday was National Lager Day in the U.S. Because that was the only choice you had. Times have changed. Ales are everywhere. The difference between ales and lagers? In a nutshell, an ale is brewed with top-fermenting yeast (Saccharomyces cerevisiae) and lager with bottom-fermenting yeast (Saccharomyces uvarum). Ales tend to be darker, have a cloudier appearance, higher alcohol content and a stronger, fruitier, more robust flavor with stronger bitter tones from the hops due to the higher amount of hops, faster, more thorough fermentation. Lagers tend toward a lighter, clear appearance, have a lower alcohol content and a sweeter, smoother, crisp flavor from the higher sugar content, slower fermentation and cold treatment. Made with yeast that ferments slowly at cool temperatures, lagers takes up valuable tank space at small breweries and is often considered too subtle next to the big yeast flavors of ales. But, lagers are gaining in popularity. Anyway, it’s National Lager Day so Peaks and Pints has constructed a lager flight we call Craft Beer Crosscut 12.10.17: A Flight of National Lager Day.
Köstritzer Schwarzbier
4.8% ABV, 22 IBU
In April 1991, the Köstritzer Brauerei, a subsidiary of the Bitburger brewery, shed its 1543 wardrobe and emerged as of one of the most modern breweries in Thuringia, Germany. In September 1993, it re-introduced the “original Köstritzer black beer,” a traditional bottom-fermented lager that contains a distinctive fine malty flavor due to the use of refined barley malt. It’s a delicious blend of light freshness with a smooth, sweet finish.
Ayinger Celebrator Doppelbock
6.7% ABV, 24 IBU
During Lent, as legend goes, German monks sustained themselves by sipping strong, dark lagers dubbed doppelbocks. This timeworn tale of liquid bread tends to overshadow an indisputable truth: Doppelbocks are fantastic feats of brewing engineering, no more so than Ayinger Celebrator. With accolades from the late Michael Jackson and a collection of gold medals from the World Beer Cup, this rich, toffee-rocked lager is dark, crisp, with a touch of chocolate and grape notes. While presenting a full body, it’s not cloyingly sweet and features a wonderfully creamy body and enough alcohol to warm your palate.
Northish Ladislav Hasselhoff
5.3% ABV, 26 IBU
The classic German and Czech pilsners are hoppy, expressive, fascinating lagers that drove the explosion of the beer industry during the industrial revolution. German pilsners are grainy grassy and lighter in color than Czech pilsners. Czech pilsners are earthy, herbal and spicy with more pepper. Tacoma’s new craft brewery, Northish Beer Co., brewed a German/Bohemian pilsner hybrid with imported, floor-malted German Pilsner barley, 100 percent Czech Saaz hops and lagered it for a many weeks with Czech yeast. The result is crisp and refreshing. The Saaz adds earthy and spicy aroma and flavor, while a touch of malt brings a subtle sweet graininess and depth to this lager.
Aecht Schlenkerla Rauchbier – Urbock
6.5% ABV, 40 IBU
Looking for a lager to enjoy by Peaks and Pints’ fireplace? We suggest a hickory-charred resin-dried chocolate-smoked German-styled smoked beer such as Aecht Schlenkerla Rauchbier – Urbock, in which its barley malts are smoked over beech wood logs. Its higher smoke malt concentration and longer maturation in the 700 year old cellars underneath Bramburg create a flavor profile of most intense smokiness beautifully balanced with deep malt sweetness. It tastes somewhat sweet dark malt with dark bread and a little treacle tone, dry toasty roast, moderately smoky notes of campfire and subtle smoked ham, oak, pretty dry on the back end where the smoky, ashy notes overpower the malt. It has a fairly light body with extremely low carbonation. It’s a solid smoke beer.
Wander Global Mutt Baltic Porter
7% ABV, 42 IBU
Unlike English porters, Baltic porters are lagers, not ales. When England introduced porters to the Balkans region of Europe, the people balked at the ale. They were lager yeast folks. These creative brewers used lager yeast and began brewing stronger and stronger versions of the English porter, creating what today is known as Baltic porter — almost a lager version of an imperial stout with a lot of roasted character, chocolaty notes, and hints of coffee and creaminess. Wander Brewing Co. in Bellingham is all about global Baltic porters. Its Global Mutt Baltic porter sources its coffee direct from a farmer in Brazil, fair trade cocoa nibs from the Democratic Republic of Congo, chocolate from Theo’s in Seattle, water from Bellingham (duh), hops from Yakima and specialty malt from Europe. It’s big and delicious.
