Lager Series - Part 1
When I was a kid, one of my favorite things to look at was taxonomic hierarchy charts. It was a way of organizing information and relating to the world that my mind could really understand.
Beer can’t simply be organized in the same top-down arrangement of increasingly specific styles the way the animal kingdom can, but some things are best understood when broken down into their most elemental scientific components. The periodic table of beer is thankfully much easier to understand and memorize than Chemistry 101, as there are only four foundational elements to consider. Three of them are common across all beers of all styles.
While the chemistry of the water used in a beer will certainly contribute to the final product, the two other elements of beer, malt and hops, can be utilized across their spectra regardless of style. Only one dictates the overriding production method in which the beer is produced - yeast.
A common denominator among some of our favorite adult beverages, yeast simply converts sugars, whether from grains or grapes, into alcohol and carbon dioxide (aka fermentation!) The conditions needed for these processes to take place and the yeasts that favor them create our two primary taxonomic categories of beer: Ales and Lagers.
While the past twenty years or so have been very kind to ales (specifically the India Pale variety), lagers have been the stars of the post-prohibition show here in the US and are back on the come-up. Blame the hop fatigue that followed the bitterness arms race or simply the pendulum of time beginning to swing back in the opposite direction, there is desire for beer to ditch the gimmicks and simplify.
But what is a lager and what makes it different from your favorite IPA? How did it get here and why aren’t your friends offering you their latest homebrewed pils?
The answer of course is yeast.
Brewing was once a localized and seasonal endeavor, mostly due to the necessity to regulate the temperature of fermentation. Ales, which dominate beer history until at least the 15th century, ferment quickly at higher temperatures (60-70 degrees) and were made during the cooler months (also ideal for homebrewers in an un-air conditioned apartment). While it is said to have started with monasteries potentially as far back as the 11th century, those afforded more resources such as royal estate homes were able to create cellar space that could be cooled. In the process, a new kind of yeast that could be used to brew year-round in these environments was being cultivated.
Industrialization brought forth three major developments that directly impacted the way beer was bought, sold, and consumed. Refrigeration allowed for increased local production and distribution across international supply routes. While the IPA has its roots in overcoming the limitations by necessity, utilizing the preservative quality of hops to transport beer far and wide to climates where it was generally too hot to brew; the lager is a pragmatic product of its time, taking advantage of these new technologies. Brewing methods and techniques also travelled across these supply chains and with the advent of the microscope and the ability to observe organisms previously invisible to the naked eye, yeast was studied and better understood.
The lager and particularly the pilsner, were growing in popularity across Europe and more people had the know-how and resources to brew their own. This popularity carried over to the United States through Prohibition and world war. Since that time, the lager has remained the most consumed style of beer in the world.
These are the beers I find myself reaching for more than any other these days - so we’re showcasing some packs of local favorites that will allow you to dive deep into the signature drinkability of the lager.
-Colin
