Lager

Smaller Czech breweries are embracing an emerging trend: lighter lagers of 7°P and 8°P, packed with hops and often brewed in ways that defy the country’s usual methods.

Nuremberg’s Schanzenbräu sells plenty of helles, but it’s best known for its distinctive red lager—a niche style, even within Germany. The challenge, says founder Stefan Stretz, is achieving easy drinkability in such a full-bodied, malt-forward beer.

Meant to represent the kind of pale lagers that were brewed by the likes of John Wagner, who brewed the first lager in the United States, this is kind of like German or Czech Pilsner but includes some local variability and flair.

The cofounders of this small central California brewery have intentionally limited their scope to lager—but that doesn’t mean they sacrifice breadth or experimentation, as they tinker with everything from traditional styles to hazy pale lager.

Whether you’re the type who appreciates a real technical challenge—or just the type who appreciates something easygoing and ice-cold on a hot day—light lager has plenty to offer the ambitious (and thirsty) brewer.

Here, five gold medal–winning breweries share their top tips on shaping the perfect Bavarian-style helles.

One lager brewery at a time, a homemade zoigl star is making its way around the United States. At each brewery, the star signals participation in an evolving collaboration inspired partly by the Oberpfalz tradition. Tom Beckmann, cofounder and brewer at Goldfinger in Chicago, explains.

As today’s brewers explore the subtleties of hop-forward lagers, they’re finding ways to balance proper fermentation time with the brightest possible hop expression.

Seth Carter, head brewer at Peaceful Side in Maryville, Tennessee, cites the key factors that helped their Solveza lager win gold at the 2025 World Beer Cup—and it begins with a team-wide approach to quality.

It doesn’t take a bespoke lager brewery to bring the subtle complexities of decoction to craft lager—but it does take some ingenuity.

American brewers have been producing an industrial riff on bock for more than 150 years—light in strength but dark in color, usually made with corn as well as dark syrups. How might craft brewers reinterpret this tradition, based on the ingredients they have today?

From shared breweries to shared tables, the zoigl tradition of northeast Bavaria is unlike anything else in modern brewing or hospitality.

This beer style works just fine on its own as a fall or winter party tap—but it also makes a great base for winter-themed fruited or spiced beers.

Ashleigh Carter, cofounder of Denver’s Bierstadt Lagerhaus, focuses solely on lager in her own brewing, and she’s drawn to those with similarly singular approaches. Her chosen six-pack honors intentional commitment to a style, to a single beer, to presentation, and to experience.

In Bavaria’s lager-loving Franconian region, the Bayer family’s Theinheim Landbier is integral to their tradition of local hospitality.

A great helles is simple in composition—but simple can be surprisingly hard to get right, especially when there’s nowhere for mistakes to hide. It's a worthy challenge, and the payoff is a beer that pretty much everyone is happy to drink.

Kevin Templin, cofounder and head brewer, lays out their approach to yeast selection, spunding, managing sulfur, and preserving natural carbonation at Templin Family Brewing in Salt Lake City.

Write it down! Kevin Templin, cofounder and head brewer at Templin Family Brewing in Salt Lake City, explains how they fine-tune the tiniest details using a dialed-in sensory panel—and why it’s critical to take notes.

Strict attention to quality throughout the brewhouse, whatever the type of beer, can only help you in competitions—as can thinking ahead on maturation and carbonation. Kevin Templin, cofounder and head brewer at Templin Family Brewing in Salt Lake City, shares some key tips on how to improve your odds.

Embracing whole-leaf hops at Templin Family means stuffing them into huge game bags from the hunting store and adding them to the whirlpool. Kevin Templin, cofounder and head brewer, explains their approach to emphasizing that delicate Noble-hop aroma.