Beer Style: American Lager
Gordon Strong’s Pre-Prohibition Lager
I’m presenting a modern homebrew version of this recipe that uses flaked maize rather than a cereal mash, and has some upgraded malt and hops.
American-Style Lager
American-Style Lager (5 gallons/19 L, all-grain)OG = 1.046 FG = 1.008IBU = 15 SRM = 2–4 ABV = 4.9% Ingredients7 lbs. (3.2 kg) 2-row pale malt2.5 lbs. (1.1 kg) raw rice or
Gordon Strong’s California Common
California Common (5 gallons/19 L, all-grain)OG = 1.050 FG = 1.013IBU = 35 SRM = 11 ABV = 5% Ingredients7.7 lbs. (3.5 kg) North American pale ale malt1.25 lbs. (567 g) Vienna
Dixie Brewing Co.’s Dixie clone
Dixie is an American Pilsner style beer, with adjunct levels a bit lower than most of “Grandpa’s beers.” This extra maltiness gives a bit more robust flavor to it, and a slightly darker color. Its yeast flavor leans more toward the Pilsner style, but uses American hops so that their characteristic citrus flavor comes through.
Olympia Premium Lager Beer clone
Olympia has a very clean flavor, a little malt flavor, a little corn flavor and a little rice flavor, with just a bit of citrus from American hops. There is debate whether the “new” version brewed in California is as good as the original version brewed in Olympia, WA. Afterall, supposedly: “It’s the water.”
Theodore Hamm’s Brewing Company’s Hamm’s clone
Hamm’s is crisp, refreshing and very light in color and body. It typically has very high carbonation levels that cover any sweetness that might be present. This beer is brewed with a double mash and is diluted upon packaging as all American-style Pilsners are.
Latrobe Brewing Company: Rolling Rock Extra Pale clone
Rolling Rock Extra Pale is the United States leader in a beer using an “off-flavor” to differentiate itself from all of the other American pale lagers. Rolling Rock has made a name for itself by brewing a pale lager with a significant amount of DMS (Dimethyl Sulfide) in its flavor profile.
Heileman’s: Old Style Light clone
Old Style Light has been around for over 100 years, featuring a crisp freshness of a classic American lager. Still a mainstay in the Midwest and at Chicago Cubs games.
Anchor Brewing Company: Anchor California Lager clone
California Lager is Anchor’s re-creation of a lager brewed in California way back in 1876 at a brewey named Boca. It features a golden color, creamy head, and a smooth finish.
Labatt Brewing Company: Labatt Blue clone
The world’s best selling Canadian Beer, with a distinct hop aroma, delicate fruit flavor, and slightly sweet aftertaste.
Creemore Springs Premium Lager clone
“A big taste from a tiny place” is Creemore Springs creed. This Ontario-based brewery focuses on producing German-style beers. Here is a recipe for their Premium Lager, made using a North American lager yeast.
Doughboy Draught
American Pilsners were bigger and hoppier in the past, right? Well, not always. In 1917 — near the end of World War I — Congress passed the Food and Fuel Control Act (also known as the Lever Act), which gave President Wilson the power to set prices on and direct the distribution of food and coal. Wilson shut distilleries, limited the amount of coal breweries could use and capped the alcohol percentage in beer to 2.75% by weight (about 3.4% by volume). Here is a classic American Pilsner an American infantryman (or doughboy) might have drank during training, before being shipped off to the trenches in Europe.
