Beer and Wine Weekly Update, June 29, 2015

By Brian Wendt, Beer and Wine Department

Ales vs. Lagers

Hello all, I wanted to take this opportunity to talk about a common question I get regarding the differences between ales and lagers.  Ale is a very broad category that includes styles such as IPA’s, Stouts, Porters, Hefeweizen, Belgian beers, and more. Types of lagers include American Light Lagers (ex. Budweiser), Pilsners, Bocks, Dunkel, California Common/Steam (ex. Anchor Steam), and more.

So what’s the difference between an ale and a lager? Basically, the difference is in the yeast used and how long the beer is conditioned by the brewer.  Ales are fermented usually between 65 and 75 degrees Fahrenheit, and produce much more fruity and complex flavors.  Lagers, on the other hand, are fermented much cooler (45-55 degrees F) and take longer to mature and condition. This slow conditioning process allows lagers to have a much cleaner, crisper taste than most ales.

Most craft beers that we drink are ales. This however does not mean ales are better than lagers! If you’re looking for some good local lagers, I highly recommend Von Trapp Brewing.  We currently have their Helles lager, a light golden German lager that’s perfect for summer, their Vienna lager, a bit darker and full of great malty flavors, and their Pilsner, a bit hoppier than the Helles and nice and crisp as well.

Zero Gravity arrives

In other news, we’re very excited to be getting Zero Gravity six pack cans in this week! Zero Gravity recently opened their new production facility on Pine Street and are currently canning two of their beers:  Conehead IPA and Green State Lager.

Conehead IPA is an extremely easy drinking wheat IPA (only 5.7% ABV) and is single-hopped with Citra hops. It has a great, hazy golden color and goes well with pizza. 

Green State Lager is a clear, crisp, golden Pilsner made entirely of German Pilsner malt and Hallertau Mittelfruh hops.  This is a great, full-flavored Pilsner and at 4.9% ABV is very sessionable.  Perfect on a hot day, Green State Lager goes well with Thai and Mexican dishes, BBQ, and Buffalo wings.

These are great beers and are sure to sell fast!