Lagers are brewed throughout the world for their famously clean, crisp, and easy-drinking style, which makes them incredibly popular and the most consumed type of beer today.
Though not typically as diverse in their range of colours, tastes, and aromas as ales, the many styles of lager that do exist offer up a variety of unique drinking experiences.
In this guide to the world of lagers we explore some of the most popular and prominent styles of the category, examining their specific flavour profiles and the best food pairing options with each.
Although there are fewer prominent styles of lager than what is true of the ale category, exploring the various important styles that do exist makes for a world of new tasting experiences.
When looking to delve into the world of lagers, the most important styles to consider are explored in detail below.
To discover more about the less common sub-styles that exist, consider this useful guide.
First brewed in America, the steam beer, called the California common in America when produced by companies other than Anchor Brewing Company, is a very unique style of lager. Follow through to our comprehensive guide to steam beers to learn more about them, in particular their flavour profile and pertinent food pairing options.
Named after the German town from where they originate, Bock lagers are malt-forward styles of lager that are wonderfully complex in their flavour profile. To get a full understanding of the taste of this style of lager, including some of the best food pairing choices, follow through to our complete guide to Bock lagers.
Dunkel lagers, meaning “dark” in German, are famous for their light to dark brown appearance and rich layers of malt flavour that are highly reminiscent of caramel, chocolate, and toasted bread. For a complete review of this style, including their specific flavour profile and food pairing notes, consider our thorough guide to dunkel lagers.
Helles lagers are some of the most enjoyable styles of beer to drink thanks to their extremely refreshing flavour profile and smooth drinking nature. In our complete guide to helles lager we explain what makes them so special, including their specific flavour profile and best food pairing options.
Although very German in both their origins and names, Oktoberfestbiers and Märzen lagers are now enjoyed the world over due to their creamy texture and subtle layers of complexity. In our thorough guide to Oktoberfestbiers and Märzen lagers, we discuss the flavour profiles of these two sub-styles of lager and the best food items to pair with each.
Sitting as perhaps one of the most famous styles of lager to ever be produced, pilsners are consumed the world over due in large part to their wonderfully balanced flavour profile and crisp and refreshing taste. Follow through to our guide to pilsners to explore the specific flavours and food pairing options of the two main sub-styles.
Existing as the darkest, richest, and maltiest styles of lager available, schwarzbiers are wonderfully smooth, creamy, and complex, and yet still very easy-drinking. Our complete guide to schwarzbiers showcases the specific flavours commonly found in these darkly coloured brews and promotes some of the best food pairing options.
A style of lager that is spectacular when accompanied with food, Vienna lagers are characteristically malty, smooth drinking, and refreshingly crisp. Review our thorough guide to Vienna lagers in order to understand more about this popular style of lager, including its specific flavour profile and food pairing options.
