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(North) American lagers, as defined by the Association of Brewers, are a family of very pale to golden colored beers with light body and low to medium bitterness. They should be very clean tasting, crisp and aggressively carbonated. Flavors should be subtle, with no traditional beer ingredient dominating the others. Hop character (bitterness, flavor and aroma) should be negligible to very light. Mild fruitiness due to esters is acceptable, distinguishing it from most lagers, which should exhibit no perceivable fruitiness. There should also be no taste due to diacetyl, which imparts a butterscotch flavor, and no haze when chilled.
There are several types of American lager, including:
- American-style Light Lager: Mass-produced, thirst-quenching beverages, meant to be drunk very cold, which came to dominate US tastes after the end of Prohibition are usually made by large breweries such as Anheuser-Busch. Lightness of body is a cardinal virtue, both by design, and since it allows the use of a high percentage of less-expensive adjuncts such as rice or corn. Indeed, light versions of American lagers are very popular in the United States, lower in calories and even lighter in body and taste. This style defines beer for many US beer drinkers - the proverbial 'cold one'. Prominent examples include Budweiser, Miller High Life, Coors, and Molson Golden.
- American-style Premium Lager: The rise of homebrewing and microbreweries in the North American market has also led to the production of beers more flavorful than typical mass-market versions. The AOB Premium American lager standard strives for a medium-bodied beer, with a low percentage of adjuncts. The alcohol content and bitterness can (but need not) be greater than the standard American lager. It varies from the standard American lager definition in the same way as the light version, but in the opposite direction. This style more closely approaches the lager styles of other brewing traditions. This type of lager can be drunk very cold, but it does not suffer from being consumed at temperatures somewhat closer to room temperature.
American lagers are not especially popular with non-North American beer drinkers, since Prohibition did not cause the unique disruption of brewing traditions in other countries that led to the rise and then the dominance of the American lager style.
External links
References
- Gregory J. Noonan, Mikel Redman and Scott Russell; Seven Barrel Brewery Brewers' Handbook; G.W. Kent, Inc; ISBN 1-887167-00-5 (paperback, 1996)
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