Lager Suggestions

A schwarzbier fo sho. You need to tell the wife you need your own chest freezer.

 

If you are a hophead, brew an IPL with your favorite hops. My favorite lager style is Maibock, so that would be my other recommendation.

 

Classic American Pilsner.

Cheers!

 

What style does your wife like the most? Maybe you can keep a lager on for her that keeps that freezer a fermenter.

 

I'm brewing an Oktoberfest tomorrow, so that's my vote! Second pick/s, I also truly love pilsners. In order from favorite to least: Czech, German, and American. Vienna gets honorary mention.

 

It's a bit late for a marzen, or maibock, my personal favorites. Maybe a doppelbock or even a baltic porter for this winter.

 

It's *never* too late for a Marzen!... I mean come on... If you are someone who can drink stouts, porters, amber ales or any other malt-forwardish beer year round and complain about Marzen, there is something wrong there!

Year round, I would love have Marzen's easily available. I hate the thought that they are only September/October beers. That is downright silly... I actually wish more commercial breweries would make them year-round, but for some reason, people treat them like christmas ales or pumpkin ales in terms of seasonality! Got to break out of that!

As far as my vote, if you couldn't guess, is Marzen or Czech Pils.

 

I'm surprised by the comments that it is too late to do a marzen or festbier. I can usually turn one around in 6 weeks, which means if I brewed it today it would be ready Labor Day weekend.

But as to suggestions, if I wanted to convince my wife I would go with what she likes best, so in your case a Vienna. If you're not comfortable with water adjustments (I'm not saying you aren't, I don't know) best to go with an amber or dark lager anyhow. Personally, all of the suggestions above sound good to me! But I'm a lager lover, and don't need any convincing.

 

I brew Marzens year round, though I obviously plan on some for fall intentionally. I usually do drink with the weather, but a Marzen is one of those styles I can go to all year. Not too light in winter, not too heavy in summer. Sure, in the summer I will go with a Pilsner 8 times out of 10, but I still like having a Marzen around for a change of pace.

 

I always recommend brewing what you like. For me, that's a challenge because I like most styles of beer. But lately I am pretty appreciative of the drinkability of simple, well-crafted beers. If my next beer were a lager, I would aim for a Munich Helles.