Lagers are beers fermented with bottom-fermenting yeast at cooler temps (usually 45–55°F), then cold-conditioned for weeks. They deliver clean, crisp, refreshing flavors. Think pilsners, helles, märzens, and bocks. Lagers have fewer fruity characteristics than ales.
They’re a bit more demanding for homebrewers because they need steady cold temps and longer waits, but the payoff is that smooth, polished taste. Great once you’ve got temperature control dialed in.
European Origin Lager Styles
Czech-Style Pale Lager: Gold; soft malt, medium–high bitterness, Saaz hop character.
Vienna-Style Lager: Amber; toasted malt, moderate bitterness.
Baltic-Style Porter: Dark; rich malt, higher alcohol, clean lager character.
Czech-Style Amber Lager: Amber Czech lager.
Czech-Style Dark Lager: Dark Czech lager.
Italian-Style Pilsener: Dry-hopped take on pilsner, often with European hops.
North American Origin Lager Styles
American-Style Lager: Very pale, highly attenuated, low flavor, high carbonation.
Contemporary American-Style Lager: Modern cleaner or slightly more characterful version.
American-Style Light Lager: Lower calorie/alcohol version of American lager.
Contemporary American-Style Light Lager: Modern light lager.
American-Style Pilsener: Pre-Prohibition-style or hoppier American pils.
Contemporary American-Style Pilsener: Modern American pilsner.
American-Style India Pale Lager: IPA hop character on a lager base.
American-Style Malt Liquor: Higher-alcohol, neutral lager.
American-Style Amber Lager: Amber, malt-accented American lager.
American-Style Marzen/Oktoberfest: Amber, malty, clean.
American-Style Dark Lager: Dark, smooth, low roast.
Mexican-Style Light Lager: Very light, crisp Mexican-style.
Mexican-Style Pale Lager: Pale Mexican lager.
Mexican-Style Amber Lager: Amber Mexican lager.
Mexican-Style Dark Lager: Dark Mexican lager.
West Coast-Style Pilsener: Hop-forward West Coast interpretation of pilsner.
Rice Lager (new in 2026): Lager using rice as an adjunct for a light, crisp, clean profile.
Other Origin Lager Styles
International Light Lager: Light, clean international lager.
International-Style Pilsener: Clean pilsner with international character.
Rice Lager: (Also listed under North American in some references; light lager with rice.)
German Origin Lager Styles
German-Style Leichtbier: Light, low-alcohol German lager.
German-Style Pilsener: Straw to gold; crisp, prominent noble hop bitterness and aroma.
Munich-Style Helles: Gold; soft malt-focused, low bitterness.
Dortmunder/European-Style Export: Balanced malt and hops, medium body.
Franconian-Style Rotbier: Red lager.
German-Style Maerzen: Amber, malty, clean.
German-Style Oktoberfest/Festbier: Gold to amber, malty, festive.
Munich-Style Dunkel: Dark brown; rich Munich malt character.
European-Style Dark Lager: Dark, smooth European lager.
German-Style Schwarzbier: Very dark; mild roast, clean, dry.
Bamberg-Style Helles Rauchbier: Pale smoked lager.
Bamberg-Style Maerzen Rauchbier: Amber smoked lager.
Bamberg-Style Bock Rauchbier: Strong smoked bock.
German-Style Heller Bock/Maibock: Pale strong lager, malty.
Traditional German-Style Bock: Copper to brown, rich malt.
German-Style Doppelbock: Strong, very malty (dark or pale versions).
German-Style Eisbock: Very strong, concentrated bock (freeze-distilled character).