Favorite lager brewery available in mid Atlantic

Boy, that is a challenging question to answer!

If the criterion was based upon volume I suppose I would have to answer Victory Brewing. They came out with a new lager brand last year: Classic Lager. I purchased four 15-packs of this beer last year and I already purchased my first 15-pack this year.

If instead the criterion was variety of lagers I would have a tough time here. Some of my favorite local craft breweries that produce a variety of high quality lagers:

· Sterling Pig

· Root Down

· Mainstay

· Sly Fox

· Tired Hands

· Workhorse

· Many more…

I am a fan of Von Trapp beers as well especially their Dunkel and Bavarian Pilsner. In fact I just purchased today a six-pack of their Kolsch (brewed with ale yeast but subsequently lagered).

Cheers to lagers!!

 

In my area, my favorite breweries that brew lagers are Port City (their lager series is phenomenal), Ocelot, and Wheatland Spring. I'm in NoVA and according to BA definitions, we're not technically Mid-Atlantic. Although I'd contest NoVA is more Mid-Atlantic than the Hudson Valley. But oh well.

 

Certainly more Mid-Atlantic than New Hampshire (Schilling) and Vermont (Von Trapp) as mentioned in the OP.

Cheers!

 

One more criterion I should have discussed in post #2: Best bang for the buck lager brewery. That is an easy answer for me: Yuengling.

I am a fan of Golden Pilsner and Lord Chesterfield and I can buy them for 7 buck a six-pack. Good beers at a great (inexpensive) price!

I think that Traditional Lager is just an OK/Good beer but needless to say there are millions of beer drinkers who likely have a differing opinion here.

Cheers!

 

As a native New Englander, I wholeheartedly agree.

 

Buffalo, my favorite Mid-Atlantic city... Arbitrary endpoints ftw!

 

Does Port City distribute their lager series? Their year-round pilsner (downright) is decent, but I am intrigued...

 

As a Suarez local, I rarely stray from Dan's offerings. Hudson Valley Brewery and Drowned Lands both put some interesting lagers, although this isn't the style that they are known for. Fox Farm puts out some high quality lagers that are worth mentioning, although they are in New England.

 

For purposes of this thread we're just gonna count New England as Mid-Atlantic so that said:

1) Schilling
2) Suarez
3) Jacks Abby
4) Threes

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Everyone else.

Grimm, Drowned Lands, Industrial Arts and some others make terrific stuff too but those are the best four. I'm sure some would include Notch, too, and I won't argue but I didn't put them there because I've only been/had their beer one time. Fox Farm I unequivocally love but I've only had literally one of their lagers.

 

They do but I don't know how widespread. I've not had Downright often but I don't remember being particularly impressed by it (which is also why I haven't revisited it). The Lager series is consistently good to great. I also love the Helles they have in the Summer.

 

I'd be curious to hear/read you impressions on their Kolsch...I've only had one East Branch beer but it was their Kolsch and it was a very very good beer. That is a brewery I'd love to get to one day, but given my experience with their Kolsch and their to go list I would bet they make some good lager as well.

 

I love Threes lagers. Bummed I missed ordering their Rauch. Suarez lagers are beloved and well made; thoroughly enjoyed the few cans I once received.

And to continue the regional deviation, I’m a Fox Farm homer. If anyone needs a taste...

 

In one word: excellent.

In more words it has a very pleasant Pilsner Malt aroma/flavor with subtle but noticeable flavors from the Kolsch yeast (flavors reminiscent of Pacific Northwest Sauvignon Blanc wine).

Even longer winded: Every year (about this time) I would homebrew a Kolsch. This will sound immodest but my homebrewed Kolsch always turned out great. Upon 'discovering' Von Trapp Kolsch I will no longer be homebrewing Kolsch beers but instead I will be buying Von Trapp Kolsch instead.

Cheers!

 

I know this isn't the trading forum so I'm happy to talk via PM, but I would absolutely love some Fox Farm again. Happy to send back anything we get in the Albany area (which includes Threes and Suarez among a preposterous amount of dope beers) in return.

 

von Trapp

 

I should add, that in terms of distro, Schilling and Von Trapp are the two that stand out in NoVA. Oxbow has certainly upped their lager game but I've had some beers that varied in quality batch to batch. The Sap Haus batch I got in October lacked the same amount of smoke of the first batch I got. Luppolo is super delicate and the hop flavor, which is the star of the show, can vary greatly as a result.

I think the beauty of Schilling and VT is that both breweries have several lagers available at once. You don't feel like a Pilsner? You can go with a dark lager. Don't feel like a Kolsch? You can go with a Helles. Other breweries might have a lager available (that might be great!) but I think that the commitment to lagers and delivering on them is why I revere Schilling and VT.

The other two breweries that stand out here but don't really distro north of the Mason-Dixie are Ardent and Bingo. Ardent - whatever lager they do - is usually great. I think the only one I didn't like is the Franconian. The Pils, Bohemian, and Helles are all fantastic. Bingo does a lot of lagers well, but their Black Lager is truly a beer all dark lagerheads should try.

 

Do you have a lot of experience with Luppolo? Is there a 'trend' here (e.g., only purchase fresh Luppolo)?

Cheers!

 

The can says it has a shelf life of 1 year, so maybe they dissagree? I will add I point this out because it seems odd to me, on imports no, we know this shelf life is common. But to my knowledge victory, troegs, VT, sly fox, bells, etc. all use a 4-6 months shelf life on their lagers.


To farther add to the brewery discussion...I'll add a not much talked about NJ brewery, Bonesaw. If I'm not mistaken, I checked yesterday they have the following lagers on tap: dunkel, german pils, helles, helles bock, bock, doppelbock, and a vienna.

They do a good job with them too. The only lagers that see semi regular distro I think are shore town, their helles, and crimson skull, their vienna.

**just one more edit for good luck: I'm excited to see that Wild East we see NJ distro, as I've read good things. Hopefully the stores order their lagers and that they are not insanely priced.