While there are various types of lagers (pale lagers, pilsners, Vienna lagers, helles lagers, and quite a few more), the overarching style does have a few specific parameters. In order to be referred to as a “lager,” the beer must be bottom-fermented (while ales on the other hand are top-fermented). The various versions have different aromas and flavors, but in general, lagers are known to be lower in ABV, refreshing, light, and often very crisp.
Translation: lagers just might be the perfect beer for the ever-changing weather during the Spring season. And while nobody is going to fault you for drinking a bitter, hoppy IPA on a warm spring day or a tart sour ale on a gloomy, cloudy day, lagers fit both.
To find some of the best, most spring-feeling lagers, we went to our friendly neighborhood barkeeps for help. We tasked them with telling us the best, must-drink spring lagers on the market. They definitely didn’t disappoint. Keep scrolling to see all of their seasonal picks.
Master Gao Baby Jasmine Tea Lager
Erin Birmingham, bartender Le Salon Cocktail Bar in New York City
ABV: 5.4%
Average Price: $4 for a 12-ounce bottle
The Beer:
Master Gao Baby Jasmine Tea Lager from China. It’s as light as a traditional Lager should be. The addition of the Jasmine flower is delicate and complementary to the crispness of this beer. Best served icy cold. Go get this beer.
Tasting Notes:
Herbal tea, bready malts, light citrus, and floral flavors make this crisp, refreshing lager a great choice for spring weather.
Arbor Euchre Pils
Cosimo Bruno, beverage curator at Daxton Hotel in Birmingham, Michigan
ABV: 5.5%
Average Price: $10 for a six-pack
The Beer:
A great lager to enjoy in the spring is Euchre Pils by Arbor Brewing Company. Leave the heavy-drinking beers for winter and hop into spring with this vibrant and refreshing beer.
Tasting Notes:
Noble German hops make this easy-drinking lager ideal for the end of any day. This a classic, crisp lager with bready malts, light citrus, honey, and floral hops.
The Olde Mecklenburg Brewery Captain Jack Pilsner
Danmy Nguyen, bartender at The Ballantyne in Charlotte, North Carolina
ABV: 4.8%
Average Price: $11 for a six-pack
The Beer:
The Olde Mecklenburg Brewery Captain Jack Pilsner. This golden-hued, sublimely crisp beer is named for Captain James Jack and the rest of the Mecklenburg Convention who some believe signed the now-disputed first-ever Declaration of Independence from Great Britain a year before the one we all learned about.
Tasting Notes:
We love local beer and this one is crisp and smooth, with some bready undertones. A crowd pleaser in our bar for sure.
Peroni Nastro Azzurro
Austin Jacobs, bartender at The London West Hollywood in Beverly Hills, California
ABV: 5.1%
Average Price: $10 for a six-pack
The Beer:
For some reason when the weather warms up and the sun is out, I start craving beer in green bottles. I don’t know if there’s a scientific reason for this or if I’m just weird, but my favorite green-bottle lager is the classic, crisp pilsner Peroni Nastro Azzurro.
Tasting Notes:
It’s just so light, crisp, and refreshing but still packs a piney flavor with just the right amount of that pleasant skunkiness.
Ommegang Idyll Days
Thomas Muscolino, director of beverage innovation at Landmark Hospitality in Plainfield, New Jersey
ABV: 5%
Average Price: $13 for a four-pack of 16-ounce cans
The Beer:
Ommegang Idyll Days is my favorite spring lager. It is a light-bodied, European Pale Lager made in the Belgian style by the talented brewers at Brewery Ommegang near Cooperstown, New York (home of the Baseball Hall of Fame).
Tasting Notes:
It’s full of flavor, yet extremely easy to drink. This beer has floral aromas, notes of malt, and a subtle honey flavor.
Augustiner Bräu Lagerbier Hell
Rene Votteler, food and beverage director at Wequassett Resort & Golf Club in Harwich, Massachusetts
ABV: 5.2%
Average Price: Limited availability
The Beer:
Augustiner Bräu Lagerbier Hell. For a Lager, there is nothing wrong to go back to a beer with a lot of tradition from Bavaria. Light and refreshing, yet flavorful.
Tasting Notes:
This classic German Helles lager is known for its cracker-like malts, citrus zest, and floral, herbal noble hops.
Art History Good Morning Munich
Lauren Porto, Cicerone at The Graceful Ordinary in St. Charles, Illinois
ABV: 5.2%
Average Price: $13 for a four-pack of 16-ounce cans
The Beer:
Good Morning Munich Lager is an outstanding spring lager. An ode to the everyday beer of Bavaria, where the locals prefer drinking their lager rather than talking about it. It is a phenomenal lager that stands up to the history of the production of a quality lager.
Tasting Notes:
Easy-drinking with a creamy white head, sweet cracker-like taste, and fresh, Noble hop character. It’s crisp and compliments the fresh flavors of warmer weather.
Coors Banquet Beer
Alex Barbatsis, head bartender at The Whistler in Chicago
ABV: 5%
Average Price: $9 for a six-pack
The Beer:
Coors Banquet might not seem like a trendy choice, but it certainly hits the spot on a hot spring day. You can’t mess with a classic.
Tasting Notes:
It’s a crushable, crisp, and a surprisingly flavorful, economical beer that’s great casual drinking for when you and your buds are just getting back to the park, pool, and backyard hangs. It’s perfectly paired with good times and even better weather.
Carlsberg Beer
Drew Russ, head bartender at Venteux in Chicago
ABV: 5%
Average Price: $12 for a six-pack
The Beer:
Carlsberg is my go-to spring lager. It’s balanced and refreshing, perfect for welcoming spring. This Danish pilsner is beloved in Europe and America alike for its funky, sweet, malty, thirst-quenching flavor.
Tasting Notes:
It starts a little funky, but that’s part of the appeal. It then moves into flavors of yeasty bread, citrus, light fruit, honey, and floral, earthy hops at the end.
Brooklyn Lager
Mario Flores, beverage director at Maple & Ash in Chicago
ABV: 5.2%
Average Price: $12 for a six-pack
The Beer:
Brooklyn Lager is a great option to drink during the spring. This year-round, 5.2% amber lager is known for its mix of caramel malts, bright citrus, and floral hops. It’s balanced and highly drinkable any time of year.
Tasting Notes:
I love that it has a little bit of floral hop flavor but finishes with a nice caramel malt taste. There’s also a nice kick of tangerine and grapefruit in there, making this a great choice for spring weather.
Aeronaut Robot Crush
Frederic Yarm, USBG bartender in Boston
ABV: 5.1%
Average Price: $13 for a four-pack of 16-ounce cans
The Beer:
Aeronaut’s Robot Crush has a hint of Citra hops to accent the grassy, honey, and biscuit flavors of this pilsner with citrus and peach notes.
Tasting Notes:
That hint of fruit helps to foreshadow the coming summer months without bringing us there so soon.
