5-on-5: Pale Lagers
craft brewers, as savvy drinkers moment with America’s
Lagers are enjoying their beer” and discover derision aimed at “fizzy yellow overcome the longstanding which ones do brewers of well-brewed lager. But the subtlety and nuance
We asked five for their faves. themselves gravitate toward?
Victory Prima Pils
Escondido,
CEO, Stone Brewing in
Greg Koch, cofounder and California first pils love it because it was the
“Prima Pils all the way. I style, I could really enjoy the that taught me, one, that yet to me. I love its unabashed and two, didn’t pander me the It’s the pilsner that taught appropriate bitterness. beer bland and simple. It’s the style doesn’t have to be to and refined’ doesn’t have that taught me that ‘delicate for ‘bland and simple.’” be a pandering euphemism
Weltenburger Kloster Barock Dunkel
and Brewmaster at Urban Florian Kuplent, Cofounder
St. Louis, Missouri
Chestnut Brewing Co. in in Bavaria is always a “Enjoying a ‘Halbe Dunkles’
Monastery Biergarten treat—sitting in the Weltenburg makes this an extra and drinking a Barock Dunkel beer is perfectly balanced, special experience. The a very profile combined with showcasing a clean lager
A perfect session beer that complex malt backbone. to ever only just have one.” almost makes it impossible
Threes In Limbo
Evil Twin Brewing in at
Jeppe Jarnit-bjergsø, Founder
New York City, New York at an dared to go their own ways
“Threes is a brewery that on else was putting their focus early stage. Where everyone When the lager brewery of NYC. hazy IPAS, Threes became blown away by the balance I had In Limbo, I was honestly of this beer. We since and drinkability yet complexity a lot from on a pilsner and learned collaborated with Threes them!”
Pfaffenheck Night Shift Pilsner
at DESTIHL
Matt Potts, CEO and brewmaster
Brewery in Normal, Illinois relationship with “DESTIHL has a great, collaborative a great team and they
Night Shift because they’re is a fine example of that, know their craft. Pfaffenheck pilsner—a looking for in a traditional and is exactly what I’m maltiness, clean biscuit and bready great balance of spicy hops for a brilliant, as well as floral and has a such a light beer, it still easy-drinking beer. For
I’d expect from Night Shift.” lot of character—just as
Firestone Walker Pivo Pils
brewer at Branch & Bone
Brett Smith, co-owner/head
Ohio
Artisan Ales in Dayton, in get Firestone Walker beers
“We unfortunately don’t a lot so I get to drink it pretty Ohio but I’m lucky to travel pilsner, with an incredible often. I think it’s the perfect single and aroma. It drink it every balance of hops flavors have a Pivo tin tacker hanging chance I get, and we even in our brewhouse!”