QandAs: Food

What is a Lager?

Answer:
Lager is a light form of beer created through

a cold fermentation process. Brewers use a bottom-fermenting yeast which naturally sinks to the bottom of the vat and creates a significant amount of natural carbonation and a crisper-tasting finished beer compared to an ale. The majority of beers sold commercially in the world are considered some form of lager, including the popular and mass produced American labels such as Budweiser and Coors.

The term lager comes from the German lagern, meaning to store. Brewers in certain parts of central Europe were required by law to create their product during colder months in order to guarantee availablity during the warmer months. Standard ale brewing used top-fermenting yeast and a high temperature fermentation stage. Ales also tended to develop esters and other by-products which affected their flavor. To make a lager, on the other hand, required a much cooler fermentation temperature, rarely above 40 or 50 degrees Fahrenheit, with a longer aging process at near-freezing temperatures. This longer aging process and cold fermentation period gave lagers a cleaner taste, clearer appearance and little if any ester development.

Under the large umbrella of "lager beers" are products ranging from very pale to moderately dark in color and density. A beer promoted as cold brewed, frost brewed or ice brewed is most likely going to be a lager. A good lager is served very cold to preserve its crisp, sweet barley flavor and mild finish. Although many beer afficianados consider most commercial lager beers to be watered-down versions of real beer, a good lager can also be a safe introduction to the larger world of microbrewed or gourmet beers.


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