American Lager Recommendations

Troeg's Sunshine, Penn Kaiser Pils, I think Trumer Pils is brewed in California for the US market, Southhampton Keller Pils, Left Hand Polestar.
While not super authentic, I'd always had a soft spot for New Belgium Blue Paddle, too.

 

I have had a few really good, traditional German lagers made by American brewers. Olde Meck's Copper is as dead on for a Duesseldorf Altbier as I have tasted; New Glarus's Two Women is a truly unique take on the Landbier "style" and could stand up to any of those from Franconia. I have not, however, found a U.S.-brewed Czech pils that tastes anything like the traditional examples I drank/drink in the Czech Republic. Can't help you there, I'm afraid. If anyone else can, I'd be very interested to hear, too.

 

Great Lakes Eliot Ness and Dortmunder Gold get my vote. Red Oak Amber is very good, but only available in North Carolina that I know of.

 

Most of my favorites have been listed but I love the lager discussion. I enjoy lagers as much as any other style of beer, its all about time and place for me. Sometimes it feels like loving a lager is like getting caught with a fat chick by one of your buddies.

 

Dan Carey from New Glarus could help -- the Bohemian Lager he brewed a few years back was dead on to Urquell of old -- right down to lagering in oak casks. Whenever NG has an election to resurrect old beers I do my best to vote for it as often as I can! Talk about your white whales.

 

Victory Hip Czech is a tasty Bohemian Pilsner brewed with Weyermann floor malted Bohemian Pilsner Malt and hopped with Czech Saaz hops.

Sly Fox also makes a very good Bohemian Pilsner they call Charles Bridge Pilsner:

“Our Bohemian Pilsner is brewed with special malt acquired from the Czech Republic and hopped exclusively with Czech-grown Saaz hops. It is named for St. Charles Bridge in Prague, "the most beautiful place to drink a pilsner in the world," says Brewer Brian O’Reilly.”

Cheers!

 

Left hand polestar pilsner is quite delicous and pretty much a tranditional German pils. I'm sure there are a myriad of others, but for the sake of time, I will leave it at that, as it is a pils I very much enjoy.

 

+1 for Urban Chestnut Zwickel

 

That's it, I'm buying it this weekend.

 

It's summertime (lager time for me) and I keep trying different lagers (the latest being Pilsner Urquell in the brown bottle) but I keep coming back to Sam Adams Boston Lager. SN's Beercamp Hoppy Lager was pretty good but I'm guessing we will only see it as a seasonal.

 

Devils Backbone Vienna Lager
Highland Lost Cove is a pale ale that's about as close to a Czech pils as anything I've tasted
Sweetwater Take Two Pils
Tons of other regional ones, I really like Creature comforts bibo pils

 

Haha, good man! I was very pleasantly surprised the first time I had it. It's simple, but that is what makes it so good I think. Simply exceptional execution.

Get yourself a nice glass mug, slightly chilled (not frosty), and you will be good to go!

 

Sadly missed by myself, i would imagine by many others too.

 

Dale,

I am only aware of Neshaminy Creek Trauger Pils. What is the other Pils that they make?

Cheers!

 

I respectfully disagree with that, with maybe the exception of Pennsylvania residents. Most American lagers are lacking to me. Especially from smaller microbrews as the larger regionals seem to have a higher percentage of success. I've had too many American micro lagers that either 1) lack the full malt profile of the better continental examples, 2) have off flavors from fermentation, or 3) just miss that "balance" that the best examples have.

 

I really miss that one. I haven't seen it in Ohio for at least 7 years.

 

Oh, man. You got me ready for the weekend!

 

That would be awesome!

 

See my Midwest list -- we're not doin' so bad.

 

Literally my new favorite.