New England Lagers

The Zero Gravity Green State Lager also gets a vote from me here. It was actually second choice to the Von Trapp mixed 12 pack I bought last week. I really like that GSL. I believe it's listed as a helles.

 

Coincidentally, I was going to mention SA's alpine lager, though hesitantly given the stature of breweries mentioned in this threat. But for anyone who's had it this year, what do you think? I know it’s not technically made in new England, but of course Sam’s based here. I have to admit I’m really enjoying it.


Otherwise, outside of Jacks Abby, ZG Green State and VT helles probably see the most time in my fridge for NE lagers.

I like Schilling's lagers but the selection is random and there isn't the consistent availability of specific beers at the store like the other breweries I mentioned.

 

Agree with much of the above!

some lesser known upper NE lagers I've loved over the past couple of years:

Northwoods out of NH makes a fantastic Kellerbier, at least to my taste.
The Shed's Hellsbrook Pils was a gem, but I'm not sure that they're making that one anymore.
Black Flannel does a Marzen that I really liked as well.

 

I much more agree with ZG’s own classification of it as a pilsner, and prefer it to VT’s pilsner, which I think is their weakest beer in the lineup (but still like it).

 

Echo the recommendations above. I’d throw in Shaidzon, from RI but also distributes a bit to MA. Their lagers are all fantastic.

I aim to have some combination of Shaidzon, Schilling, Von Trapp and JA in my fridge at all times.

 

I'm always intrigued by the Von Trapp love in New England. I recall them not getting a lot of love in the Germany forum, and I know a very experienced amateur home brewer and even a professional brewer if I recall correctly were not impressed with their offerings, particularly their pale lagers.

They've admittedly never been high on my list, but they do have a couple offerings I enjoy. Particularly the Trosten.

 

I speak of Von Trapp less as an enthusiastic and strong advocate of their stuff as exceptional, and more of a fan when it comes to the desire to purchase something light and inoffensive at a good price. Their beers are good. I bought a mixed 12 for, I think, $14.

And so while I’d hardly call them on par with a place like Notch, I’d definitely recommend them to someone seeking out accessible lagers.

 

No offense but I think this is a silly trap to fall into. There’s going to be people everywhere – pro brewer or not – who won’t be fans of any beer you like. Your own palate is all that matters.

 

Trying to expand into lagers more this year and picked up a 4 pack of schilling palmova 12. Really enjoying the first can

 

*silly trapp

 

Nothing really to add to the New England recommendations thus far. Notch/Schilling/Idle Hands/Jack's Abby/Zero Gravity/Von Trapp (generally in order of my preference).

It's certainly not local, but I'm reguarly able to pick up relatively fresh (<90 days) 6-ers of Bell's Lager of the Lakes. That one makes routine visits to my fridge.

 

None taken, but I should have prefaced it by saying I felt that way before learning of their preferences.

I always thought I was crazy and that I was missing something with Von Trapp’s lagers. I find that my palate for the most part lines up with theirs overall (there’s always differences here and there).

I learned most of what I know about lagers (which I still think is relatively little) from spending time in that forum, and I don’t think anything can influence you more than visiting the mother country itself. It’s where I probably truly first tasted what Pils malt can and should be.

But as you said, we each have our own preferences and palates. If it’s good to you, who cares? And for what it’s worth, I don’t necessarily dislike Von Trapp’s beers, I just think their overall portfolio isn’t in the top tier in New England. There’s also a lot of competition now...good for us!

 

I'd love to revisit all of Shaidzon's lagers. Their early lagers were hit or miss, but I've heard nothing but great things since bringing in their new brewer Julia who got her Brew and Malt Master in Munich and worked at Paulaner a few years. Never seemed to get down there except for buying a few benefit beers during the pandemic which leaned towards hoppy ales. However we made it down for one of the Oktoberfest weekends and their Marzen was MF-ing on point!

 

Personally I love VT, whenever I see the mix 12 it's a must-buy for me. Their Helles is spot-on, and love the Vienna Lager too. The Dunkel is kinda meh though, and the Pils is pretty good.

Hard pass on their IPL unfortunately - though my measuring stick for that style is Jacks Abby.

 

I know they've been mentioned, but I'm surprised Idle Hands hasn't had a more enthusiastic response. I've always considered them to sit comfortably just below the top tier of places like HF and Notch. Their German Pilsner Gretel that's out now is fantastic as far as my mouth parts.

As to the Von Trapp conversation, I always find it a little unfair to compare them directly to anyone other than breweries like Jack's Abby or Green Street. Many of the darlings mentioned here are priced like DIPA four packs and I just view that sector differently than I do the bargain 12 pack market (for all beer, not just lagers). I don't hold it against Conehead ($15 a 12 packs) that it isn't as good as, say, Chinookered ($15 a four pack).

Just as a general observation it's sort of dissapointing that the gravitational pull of the $15+ IPA four pack seems to have claimed lagers as well. I don't hold it against breweries for charging what they can or what they need to, I just wish things had played out a little differently.

 

Which beers from their portfolio do you reccomend?

I had the Octoberfest back in the fall and thought it was good.

 

Just dropping in to say I think Idle Hands is probably the "underdog brewery" of this thread. It helps that their non-lagers are generally very good too, but Gretel, Heide, Klara, Adelais, Emelyn, Helga, and Edgeworth are/were all very worthy.

 

Pricing is a huge factor for me with regards to lagers. The way my beer budget works is basically a cost-per-night thing. I want to drink multiple lagers in a night. But I may only have one IPA or whatever as my one drink for the evening. If lagers are priced the same as IPAs and other boozier styles, lagers end up being even more expensive to my budget than anything else. I know brewers might say “but lagers are most costly to produce” or whatever, but the fact is, I want to drink them more in bulk than I do anything else so I look for value price, and value packaged lagers first and foremost. Just the way it is. Pricier 4-packs of lagers are really of no interest to me. This is why Von Trapp mixed packs are a great buy, Jacks core stuff… and that’s kind of it.

 

The Vienna, the lager, the Pilsner, etc. Pretty much every lager they make is really good.