Best American Lagers

Not long ago, you were more likely to find an LSU fan in Alabama than a quality lager brewed in the state. But recently, more local breweries have been tackling the style, including Madison’s Blue Pants Brewery. Last year, they introduced their seasonal Pils made with ingredients imported from Germany, bringing a touch of Old World authenticity to the deep South. bluepantsbrew.com

Eisbock is an often forgotten lager style in which some of the beer’s water is frozen and removed to help concentrate the flavors (and amplify the ABV). Of course, Alaskans know a thing or two about freezing, so it’s not surprising that the state is home to a world-class Eisbock like the one made at Anchorage’s Glacier Brewhouse. It’s only released on a limited basis, but if you’re lucky, you might catch a version aged in whiskey barrels from the Buffalo Trace distillery. glacierbrewhouse.com

One of the knocks against the ubiquitous pale lager is that it’s often a flavorless style, leaving an innocuous, boring but drinkable brew. To turn that idea on its head, Flagstaff’s Historic Brewing Company makes a summertime seasonal called Undercover Cucumber that tosses a hefty dose of cucumber, basil and orange peel into the mix. The result is certainly designed for a specific palate, but at least it gives your taste buds something to perk up for. historicbrewingcompany.com

The scene in Arkansas is indicative of what’s happening to beer in many states: Though craft beer continues to explode, most of these new breweries are focusing on ales while interest in lagers lags behind. Though Springdale’s Core Brewing Company certainly makes their fair share of ales, they’ve also managed to buck the anti-lager trend by including two lagered brews at the top of their year-round lineup. Their Behemoth Pilsner is a drinkable standard worthy of a warm Arkansas day. corebeer.com

Where do you even begin in California? The state probably makes more amazing hopped-up lagers than anywhere else in the country. If you live in the Golden State, you most likely already have your favorite. For the rest of us, California Lager from San Francisco’s Anchor is an easy-to-find beer that brings the feel of West Coast sunshine to the entire country: drinkable, delicate, creamy and brimming with a delightful mix of bread, cracker, light citrus, pepper and bitter notes. It gets bonus points as a historical nod to the first lager ever brewed in the state back in the 19th century. anchorbrewing.com

Longmont’s Wibby Brewing jumped on the newly growing trend of lager-focused breweries just last year and is already churning out an awesome lineup of cold-fermented beers, including their stunning Schwibby Schwarzbier that revels in all the complexity you’d hope for in a craft beer: an unfolding dance of hops, oats and chocolate malts. wibbybrewing.com

Not many American breweries are known for their doppelbock—those extra-strong lagered malt bombs that tend toward a dark sweetness and dried fruit flavors—but among the 13 beers Bloomfield, Connecticut’s Thomas Hooker Brewing Company produces throughout the year, their Liberator Doppelbock consistently finds itself rated as one of the best in the world. hookerbeer.com

Dogfish Head stakes its reputation on “off-centered stuff for off-centered people,” so even something as simple as a pilsner is never straightforward. A couple of years ago, the brewery introduced their Piercing Pils—“a Czech Style Pilsner brewed with a White Pear Tea and Pear juice.” Ironically, the result of this off-center experimentation is a craft pilsner that even mainstream drinkers will appreciate, a slightly sweetened brew that stays firmly grounded with a bitter finish of Saaz hops. dogfish.com

Part of the irony of lagers is that though these beers need colder temperatures for brewing, their crisp, refreshing flavor is ideal for warm summer months. With that in mind, Tampa’s always reliable Cigar City Brewing has recently put a twist on their old Hotter Than Helles recipe to create what the brewery has dubbed a “Tampa-style lager” that they say is “perfect for the Florida heat.” Though Tampa might not have the same pedigree as Munich when it comes to beer, it’s fun to think that Florida’s Gulf Coast might one day have a signature style. cigarcitybrewing.com

Since exploding onto the scene in 2014, Athens’ Creature Comforts has quickly garnered national acclaim for a steady stream of beers that run the gamut from spot-on versions of established styles to deft attempts at experimentation. The brewery’s Bibo Pilsner does both, pushing the boundaries of the classic German style by using ingredients from five different countries, including very nontraditional Montueka hops from New Zealand. creaturecomfortsbeer.com

There are few more unlikely places to brew a beer that typically requires fermentation temperatures in the low 50s than Hawaii. But the Maui Brewing Company’s Bikini Blonde is a competent take on a Helles lager. It’s a light, easy-drinking brew that ships to much of the continental 48, meaning you can get a taste of the Hawaiian islands without the expensive plane ride. mauibrewingco.com

Doppelbocks are kind of like the imperial stouts of the lager world. If you like big beers with lots of dark flavors, they’re easy to fawn over. A brewery in the small town of Victor (population around 2,000) is doing the big style proud, making a top-flight doppelbock that they credit to their state’s “ample supply of top-quality water”—though this beer is so lusciously thick, we don’t blame you if water quality is the last thing on your mind. grandtetonbrewing.com

Barrel-aging tends to be the province of heavier, boozier beer styles like stouts or, for lagers, doppelbocks or eisbocks. But Chicago’s Half Acre proves that even a pilsner can be barrel-aged if you pick the right barrels. By choosing to age their signature pilsner in gin barrels, notes from the botanical-driven drink balance surprisingly well with the pilsner’s hop profile. halfacrebeer.com

Part of why lagers get a bad rap is that the name conjures up images of bright red cans labeled “Old Milwaukee.” But breweries like Sun King have set out to prove that colorful cans don’t have to be filled with boring yellow suds. Off and on since 2013, the Indianapolis-based brand has put their Afternoon Delight—a whiskey barrel–aged doppelbock with notes of molasses and vanilla—in re-sealable Alumi-Tek bottle-can hybrids, an aluminum-packaged lager that packs a wallop. sunkingbrewing.com

Like many lagers, rauchbiers—a style of smoked beers—have German roots. So from German tradition to America’s heartland comes Camp Fire Black Lager from Des Moines’ Confluence Brewing. The brewery adds a touch of smoke to this lager made from a broad malt bill, “a salute to the state’s great outdoors, conjuring memories of sitting around a campfire or bonfire on a cool autumn evening.” confluencebrewing.com

Lawrence, Kansas, may be a long way from Oktoberfest, but since 1989, Free State Brewing has been bringing a taste of the annual festival to the Jayhawks and consistently been rated as one of America’s best takes on the style along the way. freestatebrewing.com

Louisville’s Goodwood Brewing whipped up a truly unique beer when they released this lager named after their hometown last year. It became the first beer made with 100 percent Kentucky-grown grains. Not only that, but the lager is aged on white ash, a wood commonly used by the nearby bat-maker Louisville Slugger. You’d be hard-pressed to find a beer with more of a Kentucky pedigree. goodwood.beer

How we got through 17 states without an India Pale Lager is astounding. The IPA is the runaway king of the American craft beer world, and its lagered cousin is exactly what you’d expect: a super-hopped-up pale beer with a crisp, clean lager finish. Shreveport’s Great Raft Brewing’s seasonal take on the growing style hits a classic lager with 50 IBUs of Bravo, Citra and Amarillo hops for an IPL that proves hops can have fun without the ale yeast. greatraftbrewing.com

One of the reasons you’re less likely to see smaller breweries produce lagers than ales has nothing to do with popularity. Lagers are more technically taxing to make, which is why it’s always cool to see an upstart brewery making amazing lagers. Portland’s Bunker Brewing does precisely that: Their flagship Machine Czech Pilz is a grassy delight, proving that with dedication, great pilsners are within any brewer’s reach. bunkerbrewingco.com

Think you need your own brewery to make great lagers? Think again. Though Brian Strumke calls Baltimore home, he’s what’s known as a gypsy brewer—meaning he brews beers all over the world before slapping his Stillwater Artisanal Ales label on them. The transient nature of his work has never stopped him from making amazing brews, including Yacht, Stillwater’s dry-hopped session lager that comes in a stylish can befitting a fancy boat. stillwater-artisanal.com

When it comes to making modern American lagers, Framingham’s Jack’s Abby is among the best in the business. The brewery opened in 2011 with a dedication to the bottom-fermenting beers and has already churned out enough impressive creations to practically warrant their own 50 top lagers list. With that in mind, if you have to start somewhere, try their flagship India Pale Lager, Hoponius Union—a hop-lover’s dream in lager form. jacksabby.com

A Mexican-style lager brewed in the distant cold of Michigan? Don’t be so surprised. Ann Arbor’s Wolverine State Brewing, who has distinguished itself in one of craft beer’s most competitive states by focusing on a diverse lineup of lagers since opening in 2006, has offered up this drinkable amber lager (think a better Dos Equis Amber) as a summer seasonal for the past couple of years. wolverinebeer.com

Standard Oktoberfest beers are many things, but innovative is not one of them. Enter Minneapolis’s Surly Brewing Company, who for a decade has been putting its own unique twist on the traditional Marzen by loading it up with three different types of rye and Sterling hops. They describe the result as “not a German style Oktoberfest bier”—a winning contradiction. surlybrewing.com

Speaking of Oktoberfest, though the weather in Mississippi might not be quite the same as in Germany, that doesn’t mean that residents of the southern state don’t want to get in on the party. This year, Jackson’s Lucky Town Brewing Company added a Marzen to their seasonal lineup, and locals immediately started heaping praise on the malty brew from the capital city’s first craft brewery. luckytownbrewing.com

How many American breweries have a Zwickelbier as their flagship brand? In fact, how many American breweries produce a Zwickelbier at all? Actually, quick poll, how many of you know what a Zwickelbier is? Right. St. Louis’s Urban Chestnut Brewing Company made this unfiltered and unpasteurized German style their own, turning the cloudy Bavarian-style lager with notes of grass and honey into a noteworthy beer, distinctly different from that other famous St. Louis lager. urbanchestnut.com

The Great Northern Brewing Company in Whitefish makes a flagship Wheat Lager that’s a hybrid of three styles: described as, “brewed like a German wheat beer, cold-fermented, aged like a lager, & hopped like an American ale.” The result isn’t just drinkable, it’s also a two-time Great American Beer Festival medalist. greatnorthernbrewing.com

Lincoln’s Empyrean Brewing Company is one of the elder statesmen of Nebraska’s craft beer scene, originally launched in 1991 as part of the state’s first brewpub. More recently, they’ve been one of the few breweries in the state to consistently offer up a lager: a seasonal Marzen that’s been honoring Oktoberfest since 2011. empyreanbrewingco.com

Billed as “Reno’s first lager brewery,” the city’s Pigeon Head proves just how much trying to break out of craft beer’s ale mold has become a selling point. Though the small lager-centric brewery is still getting their feet wet, the Red Rye Lager has stood out as a fan favorite, and they certainly deserve credit for bringing something different to Nevada’s brewing scene. pigeonheadbrewery.com

“A porter?” you may be asking. “Aren’t those ales?” Yes, usually they are. But some porters, especially those labeled “Baltic Porter,” can be made using lager yeast. Hampton’s Smuttynose Brewing Company goes the lagering route with their acclaimed take on the style—a huge, thick brew with notes of chocolate, coffee and dried fruit. smuttynose.com

Since 1996, Butler’s High Point Brewing Company has brought a piece of Germany to North Jersey in the form of their Ramstein line of German-style beers. With such a strong focus on the German tradition, they execute a number of lagers well, but their spring seasonal Maibock is especially acclaimed for its dense malt character. ramsteinbeer.com

In New Mexico, a chile beer seems only fitting, so Moriarty’s Sierra Blanca Brewing produced a lager made with whole green chiles under their Rio Grande label. The resulting Pancho Verde Chile Cerveza is not everyone’s cup of tea, but on a summer day in the Southwest, you don’t want to drink tea, you want to drink a chile beer! sierrablancabrewery.com

Originally released in 1988 as a historical nod to Brooklyn’s 19th-century brewing tradition, today Brooklyn Lager from the borough’s Brooklyn Brewery holds a place in history all its own. Beers didn’t taste like this in the ’80s—balancing aromas of dry-hopped complexity with an amber malt bill that evolves on the palate. And though New York City’s beer scene has improved dramatically in past few years, the city’s most famous lager still holds its own as a well-crafted standard. brooklynbrewery.com

Farmville’s Duck-Rabbit brewery has made a name for itself in North Carolina’s competitive brewing scene with its odd name and by defining itself as “the dark beer specialist.” That includes a few dark seasonal lagers, the most intense of which is their Duck-Rabbator Doppelbock, a beer they proudly proclaim is “like a whole loaf of bread in every glass!” Though grain-wise that might be true, flavor-wise this is one bread you’ll want to save for dessert: sweet, candied and fruity. duckrabbitbrewery.com

According to the Brewers Association, as of 2014, North Dakota had only six craft breweries, the fewest of any state. So it’s probably not surprising that until last year, no beer from ND had medaled in the Great American Beer Festival since 1998. But that all changed when Fargo Brewing brought home the bronze in the “Kellerbier or Zwickelbier” category for their Fargo Original, a beer the brewery describes as “a light, crisp, traditional German style lager.” That’s a long overdue victory worthy of making our list. fargobrewing.com

Since the 1980s, Cleveland’s Great Lakes Brewing Company has embraced Dortmunder lager originally brewed in Dortmond, Germany, and turned it into their award-winning flagship—a beer that’s still rated as one of America’s best takes on the balanced, easy-drinking style. greatlakesbrewing.com

Oklahoma is another state that’s lagged a bit behind when it comes to joining in on America’s craft brewery explosion. Though there are a handful of fantastic brewers, the state is near dead last when it comes to breweries per capita. Still, since 2009, Tulsa’s Marshall Brewing Company has been making their Old Pavilion Pilsner—a German-style lager brewed with a mix of American and German hops. It’s an enjoyable in-state alternative to the mass-marketed brews of a similar style. marshallbrewing.com

McMinnville’s Heater Allen is another brewery that has built its reputation by focusing on lagers. Despite a relatively small 15-barrel brewhouse, many of their beers are rated by beer lovers as some of America’s best in their style, affording them status that approaches legendary. Their Pils in particular can stand up to any iteration of the style you’re likely to find. heaterallen.com