National Lager Day – December 10, 2013
Lager (German: storage) is a type of beer that is fermented and conditioned at low temperatures. Pale lager is the most widely consumed and commercially available style of beer in the world.Bock, Pilsner and Märzen are all styles of lager. There are also dark lagers, such as Dunkel and Schwarzbier. The term Lager is a cognate of ligrs, Gothic for “place of lying (down)”.
The average lager in worldwide production is a pale lager in the Dortmunder or Pilsner styles. The flavor of these lighter lagers is usually mild, and the producers often recommend that the beers be served refrigerated. However, the examples of lager beers produced worldwide vary greatly in flavour, colour, and composition.
On this day I will raise a pint of my favorite lager. I love the Dunkel which is a Copper to dark brown lager common in Germany and the Czech Republic but made worldwide. Medium body. Nutty toasted chocolate-like malty sweetness in aroma and flavor. Medium bitterness. Low “noble-type” hop flavor and aroma. In both Germany and Czech dark lagers span a wide range of characters from sweet to dry forming more of a category than a specific style with considerable leeway for the brewer with regards to the character of the beer. This is the biggest reason why they are grouped together despite coming from different traditions and each being made with local ingredients. (Full Sail Session Black)
