Your Top 5 U.S Lager Breweries

this is IMO the reason to package in bottles/cans. and it's the main reason small franconian breweries do. i.e. to make ppl want to come to the source to drink (and eat and enjoy themselves). so, yeah, the packaged beer's still gotta be good enough to accomplish that goal.

 

Five where drinking their lagers fresh at the brewery was amazing:

Bierstadt
Suarez
Fox Farm
von Trapp
Fair State

Honorable Mentions: Live Oak, Wheatland Spring, ABGB, Metropolitan
Want to get to: Schilling, Notch, Dovetail, Jack's Abby

 

Just seeing this pop in my alerts and want to give some insight. We brewed and released our first beers from Zero Gravity this spring / summer, and while they are clean and tasting great, we are refining to match our Salem production profile. First Salem Lager was higher in IBU, and first Kolsch attenuated a bit more than we like. That's the contract reality, it takes a few iterations to refine.

As far as the clarity of the Koslch, chill haze is acceptable to us, but we don't want floaters or excessive yeast haze). The yeast we use is slightly dusty, but gives the flavor we want. Even with a month in the lagering tank, the Kolsch does not drop as bright as a lager, but the flavor and aroma are on point. We do not filter or using finings, as both of these processes can impact the aroma, flavor and head retention (all of which are more important to us than clarity). This is just our POV, not a right or wrong statement.

Seems like much of the convo here is revolving around these two beers, but happy to address anything from Salem. Salem can production focuses on the beers that require more intensive brewing and cellaring, and is more limited in the market for those reasons. Our Czech lagers only come out of Salem, as do many other styles that require our own process (multiple decoction, cereal mashing, open ferm into a spunded closed ferm, extended horizontal lagering, etc). We upped Salem production in the spring, so I would expect wholesalers out of MA may take orders soon, but that is not happening currently. Thanks all.

 

If it hadn't been for my draft Dovetail experience, I might not have ever considered their cans again.
However, there are many good reviews on their cans, but maybe from folks not as lager particular?

I'm hoping they're working the bugs out.

 

well, you've convinced me to wait until I can make it to Chicago to try them instead of having someone bring me cans....

 

The Helles vom Faß was sublime and eye-opening simultaneously.

But then, I'm a Helles geek.

 

Thanks for chiming in Chris!

I forget, is Brighton just for draft, or do you package beer from there too?

There's an outside chance I'm heading to Chicago in a couple weeks. Dovetail is a must. Oddly so is Goose Island, always wanted to visit that space (fingers cross Honkers is there).

 

Drop me a line, dude.

And no shame in the original Goose brew-pub, except that they've redone the bar area and it's not as quaint & classic as it once was (IMHO).

 

The landscape is continuously evolving, and I think for lagers in particular it's becoming more about the on site experience than packaged beer. Especially considering how they get crowded out/become stale on store shelves due to the overwhelming number of SKUs.

Look no further than the thread on Sacred Profane in the Northeast forum to see how much content it can generate. Their business will mostly be about the on-site experience, which will involve five different types of pours and beers served Tankovna style.

 

If this is happening I will for sure!

 

Can I push you toward Off Color as well? The Mousetrap is a great spot.

 

For lagers or in general?

I knew I was forgetting someone major who makes stellar lagers (and a Hefeweizen).

SILVATICUS!!!! Might be one of the best Schwarzbiers I've ever had.

 

We don't package in Brighton, and only brew Czech lager there - Tenner, Standard, Polotmavy, Tmavy currently - and it's all served directly from our lagering tanks via Lukr faucets.

 

I need to explore more lager centric breweries clearly because I always come back to Notch being a tier above for me. I like Schilling, but a lot of their stuff has been hit or miss. Same with Jack's. Fox Farm makes great lagers but I find that their use of single infusion vs utilizing decoction does make a difference in terms of the feel of the beers. I haven't had Suarez in a long time. Never had Live Oak, Dovetail, Moonlight, Burgess, or Mecklenberg, so it's a very incomplete picture.

 

You know my preferences haha.

I've had the pleasure of having Live Oak on a few occasions, including visiting them. Dovetail I had a can in the Lager Fest, but I honestly don't recall my thoughts on it.

Suarez I've had recently, got some cans shipped to NH and split with a buddy. Also had their Schwarz down in DC on tap at Churckey (thanks again for all your recommendations for DC).

Notch is a tier above, but I think in the last few years I've discovered others that have become their equal. Which is great, the more the merrier. With most lagers though I do find that it can be a bit erratic in how I perceive them. Sometimes my socks get knocked off, then I'll have the same beer or something different from that brewery and it's just ok to good. Even Notch doesn't blow me away EVERY single time (contrary to what some may think on these forums ).

I think this speaks more to what @herrburgess was saying. Lagers are so subtle and delicate. And these breweries aren't AB-InBev with this massive operation, cranking out bottle after bottle of identical Bud. It's a different beast, and these are different styles with different goals.

All that being said, Chuckanut really knocked my socks off. Everything I had when I was there. They'd be my Notch in Oregon. But, to be consistent, I took a can home of their Helles, and it wasn't the same as everything I had on draft at the source. I think I may have had their Maibock from a bottle in my hotel room too, same thing, just not the same.

The fact I have the option to "complain" about this to any degree speaks volumes about how much craft beer has matured since I joined this site in 2004.

Prost! Na zdraví!

 

The OP didn't say it had to be a lager-only brewery, so I'd say even if they only make one (great) lager, it qualifies for the list.

 

I also feel like when we have threads like this we need to stop referring to everything just as "lager". As if it's a style.

I'd prefer we talk about who brews the best German and Czech styles. Because I think finding a stellar example of say, Hefeweizen, is just as difficult as finding a good Pilsner.

 

I agree with you about narrowing down the styles of lager, but really? You can't find a good Hefeweizen or Pils?

Off the top of my head, Urban Chestnut for both and Bell's for Pils.

 

Lots of good Hefeweizens and Pilsners in SEPA, come on down.

I visited a local brewery (Workhorse) last Friday and in order I had:

• Hefeweizen
• Kolsch
• Czech Pilsner (served via a Lukr faucet)

All of those beers were very good - excellent.

Cheers to fresh German & Czech beers!!