Let’s Hear It For Lagers! (Seriously)

Yes, it’s summertime and the livin’ is easy. Time to sit back and enjoy all the amazing things that July has to offer: baseball, beach vacations, backyard barbecues, and Independence Day – all of which are made a little bit better with one thing … beer! This article is dedicated to celebrating American adjunct lager, the staple of the American beer tradition.

That’s right, I’m turning to the dark side and I don’t care who knows it. With craft beer pulling a complete 180 recently and heading in the direction of session lagers, I can’t help but show some respect for the brands that started it all, and were able to survive through the most difficult time in the brewing business’ history – Prohibition.

Ask any brewmaster, and they will agree that producing consistent lager with lesser-quality ingredients on a nationwide scale is perhaps one of the most difficult things to do in brewing. Despite corporate greed and abundant marketing efforts, when it comes down to it, macro lager is enjoyed by millions of people and deserves a little respect from the craft community, in my opinion.

The following beers are from some of the most iconic breweries in the nation, and though their light-beer counterparts might be at the forefront of the American beer image, it is the full-flavored styles they produce that are more interesting to me. These beers are not nearly as popular as their light-beer brethren, but are decent beers on their own merit and I believe can hang with many of the modern craft lagers on the market when it comes to quality and consistency. There is a reason they became popular in the first place, and are worth a revisit from even the snobbiest of beer snobs. Hey, they are all a lot cheaper than your average craft six-pack, and you never know, you might just find one you really like.

Budweiser Discovery Reserve 5%
American Red Lager features a light hoppy aroma with toasted barley malt taste, hint of toffee, and a sharp finish. This beer was produced in honor of the 50th anniversary of the moon landing. Like the rocket’s red glare, this beer has a ruby amber sheen, and drinks exactly like what it is, a higher-quality Budweiser. Served in a stubby bottle for retro appearances, this is a cool marketing attempt from America’s biggest brewer. An added bonus is that a portion of proceeds from the sale of this beer goes to help education in military families.

Coors Banquet 5%
The pride of the American West, Coors is brewed with water from the Rocky Mountains in Golden, Colo. All of the barley malt used in brewing Coors traces its heritage to a strain of Moravian barley from the Czech Republic that had been planted in an employee’s garden back in the day. Chinook, Hallertau, Herkules and Taurus hops give it a hint of bitterness. First brewed in 1873 by German immigrant Adolph Coors. Banquet earned its name from the miners who drank the beer at the local saloons. The beer is now served in a stubby bottle that echoes the one it was served in in 1936.

Michelob Original Lager 5%
Malty, full-bodied European-style premium lager. Originally labeled “the draught beer for connoisseurs,” Michelob might have been well ahead of its time – almost 100 years before craft beer was a thing. European noble aroma hops, 100% malt blend of two-row and caramel malts. Golden in color, lightly hopped, and with a hint of toffee and caramel, this beer pairs with fish tacos, brie cheese, or grilled fish like trout or salmon.

Yuengling Lager 4.5%
Famous for its rich amber color and medium-bodied flavor with roasted caramel malt for a subtle sweetness and a combination of cluster and cascade hops, this true original delivers a balanced taste with very distinct character. Born from a historic recipe that was resurrected in 1987, Yuengling Traditional Lager is a true classic, especially in the tri-state area. Colloquially, it is the beer you get when you say, “Give me a lager.” How many other beers do you know that can make that claim?

Sam Adams Boston Lager 5%
Two-row pale malt and caramel 60. Hallertau and Tettnang Tettnanger noble hops. Sam Adams himself was a brewer but is no relation to the brewery that shares his name. But it was inspired by his revolutionary spirit just as this beer revolutionized American brewing. Boston Lager is based on a recipe Jim Koch found in his attic and has been enjoyed ever since the early 1980s. Today it is the biggest craft brewery in the nation, and Boston Lager represents the new era of American beer.

Narragansett Lager 5%
’Gansett is highly drinkable, with notes of sweet corn and a slight creaminess like that of cream soda. A heritage American lager, this beer was the top-selling brand in New England from 1930 through the 1970s. Its website notes that Capt. Quint from “Jaws” drank ’Gansett, Dr. Seuss illustrated ’Gansett, and the Sox scored with ’Gansett. As they say in Rhode Island, “Hi Neighbor! Have a ’Gansett!”

Brooklyn Lager 5.2%
Cascade, Hallertauer, and Mittelfrueh hops are used in this dry-hopped amber lager, which you might say is the New York City counterpart to Boston Lager. Founded in 1988, Brooklyn Brewery has always employed a staff as diverse as the city it is brewed in, seeking to use these influences to push the boundaries of beer. But the brewery has also stayed true to traditional brewing techniques, and its lineup of smooth-drinking lagers and ales can be found in many a bar and store across the nation.

Rolling Rock Extra Pale 4.4%
Once a landmark Pennsylvania brewery, Rolling Rock is now under the flag of AB INBEV, but the liquid in the green bottle hasn’t changed much. Because there is a horse on the label, 7-ounce bottles of Rolling Rock became known as “pony bottles” and had a heyday of popularity in the 1970s when you could get five for $1. Those days are gone, but you can still find eight-packs at most liquor stores. Pop open a Rock and let the good times Roll.