American Lager Recommendations

The midwest makes great lagers with their German heritage. Great Lakes, New Glarus, Lakefront, Metropolitan etc..

 

Delicious, as was the Schnickelfritz.

 

Straubs if you can get it. Still a small town owned legacy brewer…And they make some great lagers!

 

Hey @steveh.....Urban Chesnut just hit MA. The Zwickel and the mix pack!

 

Purchase. Immediately. lol.

But seriously.

 

I'm a huge fan of Lux from Ninkasi. A rare example of a true American helles

 

Not a Pils , but Churchville lager, my brother brought some down for beach week. My bad I lumped them together which is very close.

 

What's in the mix pack? We have the Zwickel, Weizen, and IPA -- anything else in MA?

 

Lagers in general:
Lots of Jack's Abby beers
Great Lakes Elliot Ness, Dortmunder, Oktoberfest
Sierra Nevada Summerfest, Vienna, Oktoberfest
Schlitz (60's formula)
FFF Jinx Proof
Boston Lager
Brooklyn Lager

Pilsners:
Fat Heads Jack Straw
Sierra Nevada Nooner

 

Not sure, just received a tweet from my local that Urban Chestnut is in. Pictures of the Zwickel in six packs, and then cans of a mix pack. I can't tell which though. I'm going to at least pick up the Zwickel tonight....it'll be stiff competition I'm sure, as I think the Oktoberfest beers have hit the shelves as well...

Any other recommendations from them?

 

If you ever get down to Minnesota, Summit Pilsner is really good (though I'm am FAR from an expert on this style). Maybe summit distro's into Canada but somehow I doubt it (I really have no idea). A small local brewery called Lake Monster also makes a really good pils called Calhoun Claw.

 

I thoroughly enjoyed Euchre from Arbor Brewing - it is a German Pils but comes across a little more like a Czech in that the hop bite is a bit stronger than what I'd expect from a German. Really liked it. Given that it's a Michigan beer, perhaps it's available in Ontario? If not, I'm sure that if you are near Windsor (Detroit) you could pop over and grab some pretty easily.

 

Keep checking them from time to time. Not sure how it is in other states, but here in Missouri, they release a different variety pack every couple of months. Basically whatever they happen to be brewing at the time, has the potential of being bottled and put in a mix pack. I have seen over a dozen different mix pack varieties in about the last year or so. They try out a lot of random stuff for these packs as well.

 

Only had the Weizen besides the Zwickel -- and it's a spot-on Bavarian Weizen.

 

FIFY!

But I do really like Great Lakes Dortmunder Gold.

 

Actually, GLBC just stopped bottling Wright Pils for 2015. You can find it on draft right now, if you look hard enough. It may all be gone in a couple of weeks. It is a whale of sorts for me; I know one bar in town that has it, but I just can't seem to make the time.

I'd also second all the votes for Sierra Nevada's lagers this summer, any lager by Great Lakes (Eliot Ness is a serious contender for my favorite beer of all time), and Columbus Dark Force (Dark Horse) which is a black lager. Also, what ever happened to Stoudt's? I have always loved their lagers, but they are overpriced in my opinion. I almost never see them around anymore...

 

I want to second Urban Chestnut, Metropolitan, New Glarus, Schell's, Great Lakes for the usual suspects and add Lazy Monk out of Eau Claire. Their pilsner tastes extremely close to Urquell, and their others beers were no slouch either.

I'm very much looking forward to a lager resurgence.

 

Upslope Craft Lager is one of my favorites if you're in Denver or around the front range.
Yuengling's Amber Lager was a mini-whale for me that I recently got my hands on and totally did not disappoint.
Great Lakes Dortmunder is also really solid.
Sierra Nevada Beer Camp Hoppy Lager is really cool.
5 Rabbit Gringolandia Super Pils is a really freaking cool take on a Pilsner (and is 7.2%).
Anchor Steam is a must try.
Avery's Joe's Pils is really solid. I have a friend that lives on the stuff.
Ska's Mexican Logger reminds me of homemade tortillas.
Batch 19 is probably the best thing Coors actually makes.

I'm probably forgetting a few others.

 

New Glarus Yokel was really good this year.

 

Anything from stoudts

Southampton keller pils

Anything from victory

Berkshire czech pils