Your Top 5 U.S Lager Breweries

OK. Wonder why they still print this on the cans. Cheers!

 

Jess addresses that in his post -- refers to the current owners, not necessarily a brewery.

 

OP asks for breweries.

 

I think what Jess is saying is there is no true Hamm's Brewery, but I'll wait for his clarification.

 

Hill
Suarez
Human Robot
Heater Allen - need more
Schilling

 

Live Oak (Texas) and Moonlight (Califas) are the first two lager-focused breweries that spring to my mind. I’ve managed to try quite a few lagers from Texas over the past year, and I still find myself reaching for something from Live Oak more than anywhere else. (Real Ale’s Hans Pils is another perennial favorite, but I don’t think their lager game overall is at the same level.)

Moonlight and Brian Hunt are icons who deserve some recognition for their almost iconoclastic devotion to unsung styles, as with their Death and Taxes. To me, this is the definition of the style, and worth seeking out.

I don’t think Firestone Walker is known for their lagers, but fresh pivo is a real treat. (Keyword: fresh!)

Thanks to a recommendation from @FBarber, I was turned on to Dovetail in Chicago and had a good time working my way through their distro’d lineup earlier this summer. (That helles! I grabbed two 4-packs thinking it would last me more than a few days.) Easily the best of the handful of lagers I tried on that visit.

Finally, I’ll throw in a good word for Transient, in SW Michigan. Locals can weigh in further, but over the past year and change I’ve had a chance to try a range of their offerings and on name alone they’re one I now look for.

Edit:
Heater Allen & pFriem are two more that I’ll grab just about anything from, I just don’t come across their stuff often enough.

 

It's called a 'dba' ("doing business as") name. Lots of brewers (and other companies), especially large ones with multiple brands, many of which originated with other companies, follow the practice. Here's an older application for label approval for a Hamm's beer from then MillerCoors. On the left you can see all the MC breweries listed.

Pabst does it for many of their beers (there are no Stroh, Schlitz, Heileman, etc. brewing companies), AB uses "Latrobe Brewing Co." for their Rolling Rock brand, etc.

 

Haven't looked for some top notch lagers (that I remember) from outside of Minnesota. Except New Glarus. It's either they aren't here, or I just don't see them/or don't look for whatever reason.

I did try Jack's Abby House Lager and honestly wasn't impressed at all. But that's only 1 beer of course.

So my top 5 MN only for right now. No order......

Schell's
Summit
Fair State
Utepils
Hoops

 

Next thing you're going to tell me is that there's no Oil Can Brewing.

 

I haven't had any of their beers in several years, since they withdrew from eastern NY, but I'd say Great Lakes is it for me. The several Great Lakes lagers that I tried were first rate. To me, they stood out from other domestic lagers I've sampled, and many imports.

 

Don't they brew Foster's?

 

Suarez although been few years since I've bought any due to location/price
JackAbbey
VonTrapp

 

The same is true for the Brooklyn Brewery. Their flagship beer is a lager and they brew a fine Pilsner. Otherwise mostly IPAs

 

Love you through Halfway Crooks in there. Hardly anyone knows about them except in Atlanta but definitely a hidden gem.

 

I know i had a 4 Roses BBA mperial stout from them and don't they make Black Chocolate Stout or something?
I am a fan of their Lager. Can be found here at most places

 

My five would be:

Summit (MN) - Keller/Twin Pils, Dakota Soul. Top of the top.
Urban Chesnut (MO) - Zwickel
Fair State (MN) - Fair State Pils, SuperClear
Surly Hell (MN) - Hell, First Ave
KC Bier Co (MO) - I haven't found their beers to be among the top, but the German styles they brew are spot on. I respect that. Always enjoy trying them.

 

we go in with them now to get our fresh hops from seitz hop farm in the hallertau. got to test the results in their beers recently and was mighty impressed. that metric is absolutely magical.

 

Have you had the current version of the Brooklyn "Crisp" Pilsner? Big change from the retired Pilsner I liked much better.

 

Probably in this order, though I haven't really decided on that.

Notch
Schilling
Jack's Abby
OEC Brewing
Fox Farm

The fact that I can get stuff from all of these is mind-blowing. Five years ago I was the biggest Jack's Abby fanboy (still kinda am) partially because they were the only game in town when it came to nailing lagers. But with Notch and Schilling in the mix, it's an embarrassment of riches in my neck of the woods.

It's an amazing time to be a craft beer fan. Yeah 90% of what's on shelves and taps are high octane hazy IPAs, pastry stouts, and sours, but the other 10% is fucking outrageously good lagers. For all my annoyances with the 90%, I really can't complain (though I wouldn't mind seeing a bit more English Ale representation, but I digress).

 

Too right!