Why does everybody hate lagers?

I'm guessing this is partly because I'm lucky enough to live near Jack's Abby who make a lager version of pretty much every popular ale, but I don't tend to think of the lager/ale divide per se as being very informative about what a beer's going to taste like and I don't give the distinction much (if any) thought either. It would never occur to me, for instance, to specifically crave a stout vs. a Baltic porter, a barley wine vs. a lager wine, or even an IPL vs. an IPA.

I'm not saying they're equivalent, just that they can fill each other's shoes in a way that isn't going to leave me regretful of my options. If there's a sale on Hoponious Union I'm never going to stop and think "it's a good deal, but geez I was really in the mood for an IPA."

 

Plenty of people loving Lager at the Urban Chestnut Historic lager Festival in St. Louis a couple of months back.

 

Not a bad idea, that.

 

Or, a "Barrel Aged Stout, Sour, & Hazy IPA Top 250" and an "Everything Else Top 250."

 

The thing is, beer is generally classified as either an ale or lager. So having those two wouldn't be such a bad idea, honestly! I'd love a Lager Top 250. (Or at least a top 25 or top 50 would be cool, too!)

 

I know others have said it already, but I must join them in their proclamations...

I LOVE LAGERS!

 

Any plans for a sequel?

 

But my suggestion leaves the current top 250 pretty much as it is, and creates another top 250 for those who actually go by their individual tastes rather than following the fads.

 

In the renowned lager loving area of SEPA?

@patto1ro

Cheers!

 

Rebel.

 

Make me an offer.

 

If you've been chasing beer for a decade or more, however seriously, Lagers are not ignored.

I chased white whales like M, Wooden Hell, Blauw, Rose, Don Q, ETC, drank multiple cases of batch 1 Goose Island Rare and King Henry, etc, and now 50% of what I drink are well made Pilsners and the like.

You young fuckers will get there.

 

I am a lager fan. They are great for when I just feel like a beer. I will even drink a good NA just because I enjoy the taste. Old Milwaukee is the best NA in my opinion.

 

My offer is that I will attend!

Cheers!

 

"Maturity" certainly has a great deal to do with a real appreciation of lagers, IMO. Not that I ever disliked them, but it did take me a while to appreciate them to the level that I do today.

 

OP, try a better state or a better beer store? MA has plenty of great lagers, here and close by. Jacks Abby and Notch just to name 2. Pilsner, it's whats for breakfast.

 

Yeah, living in MA, "why does everyone hate lagers" seems like a really weird question to me. They still don't get the glowing ratings that IPAs/etc get, but everyone is making them, which would not be the case if people didn't drink them. Just about everyone has a pils, and there's quietly a bit of a renaissance going on with some of the lesser known styles like viennas, zwickles and helles.

My pet theory is that it has to do with the rise of the taproom. As they grow in popularity, there's probably more people coming in not because they're huge beer nerds, but because it's the cool thing to do, they have friends or a spouse that wants to go, there's a band playing there, there's yoga happening, the cool food truck is there, whatever. In my experience these people rarely go for a super hoppy beer or a crazy pastry stout, they go for a basic, drinkable lager, a "beer flavored beer" so to speak.

Weirdly, I think a lot of these people are better customers than obsessive beer geeks. You make some crazy super-hopped IPA, you get those people in, they buy a pint or a four pack, give it a 4.5/5, and they move onto the next crazy IPA. Whereas people who enjoy an occasional beer but don't really get into it as a hobby are probably much more likely to find their brand and stick with it. If you can bring those people in for trivia night and move them off of Dos Equis with your finely crafted Vienna lager, there's a good chance they'll just keep buying your beer forever.

 

Excellent point!!!

 

I wouldn't go as far to say that everyone "hates" lagers. In my experience, most people don't actively pursue them. I think this has to do with their prior experiences with the Macros marketing less than stellar lagers. And let's be honest, when most people are introduced to "craft beer" it is rarely a lager. We've been on an IPA craze for years now, and as of recent, a sour craze. More importantly, when it comes to brewing, lagers aren't as forgiving as styles like Pale Ales, IPA's etc - thus there is always the potential for off-flavors that could taint the flavor, which in turn, ruins the beer, and worse, the style. When a lager is done right it is quite a refreshing beer. While they aren't as flavorful as most other styles, there are breweries making excellent lagers. People just need to get out of the frame of mind that lagers are "tasteless", "stale" "boring", etc. There's more than a time and place for lagers, and anyone who considers themselves a true beer advocate already knows this.