Beer Style: European Pale Lager
Includes an array of styles including Munich helles, pale kellerbiers, pale lagers, Mexican lagers, and premium lagers.
Working Draft Beer Co.’s Keep ‘Em Honest clone
A German-style helles from Working Draft Beer Co., in Madison, Wisconsin.
Cerebral Brewing Co.’s Standard Practice clone
Stouts and barleywines aren’t the only styles you should consider aging in barrels. This helles lands on the other end of the flavor intensity threshold and is perfect for any occasion. This beer received a gold medal in 2022 at the Festival of Barrel Aged Beers.
Brewing Helles
Brewing a well-made Helles is the ultimate test of skill. The recipe may be simple but the execution is challenging with no place to hide any flaws. But that end result of
Rice Lager
If you are looking for a beer with a clean and crisp character with very low bitterness, you’ve come to the right place. Gordon Strong takes us on a journey through the mechanics to brew Japanese rice lagers or simply rice lagers.
Gordon Strong’s Italian Pilsner
Compared to a German Pils, the late hops are the first thing to notice. The flavor and aroma hops are more prominent and the aroma can have a freshly dry-hopped character. The hops don’t need to be at the IPA level; just more noticeable than in a German Pils.
Kellerbier
Kellerbier is the beer of choice throughout much of Germany’s Franconia region. Yet, it is difficult to define kellerbier as there are hundreds of examples that may be pale or quite dark, and taste equally unique. Learn about the history of these young, unfiltered lagers from a brewer who spent a decade at the source, plus tips on brewing your own at home.
Bierkeller Columbia’s Kellerbier clone
An unfiltered Franconian lager with a bready malt character that is balanced by soft carbonation and clean Perle hops.
Gordon Strong’s German Helles Exportbier
This beer is bolder than your typical lawnmower beer, but it is meant to reward a hard day’s work. So go cross something off your to-do list, then grab a cold one, like life was meant to be.
Helles Exportbier: Dortmunder export, for those of you who aren’t German
Here in the U.S., it is often known as Dortmunder export beer, but in Germany a better name is helles exportbier. Learn the historical context for the style as well as possible techniques and ingredients to brew a classic interpretation.
Gordon Strong’s Leichtbier
When I first thought about giving a recipe for this style, I was going to say, “just take your favorite Pilsner or helles recipe, but use more water” – and I wouldn’t be too far from the mark. But there is a little more to it than that.
Leichtbier: Light in alcohol, not flavor
German light beer is much different than what Americans have come to expect of “lite” beer. Learn some of the keys to crafting a full-flavored and balanced leichtbier.
Kellerbier
This recipe is based on the gold-medal winner kellerbier Mut Lager from Cervecería Mut out of Quito, Ecuador. Special thanks to the Brewer Dora Durán for her help pulling this recipe together for the homebrew scale.
