Lager vs IPA: The world still love a cold, refreshing pint.
The craft beer world is synonymous with those bold IPAs, the hyper hazy and yellow beers, the double IPAs, the big fruit flavours and the heavy hitting hops. We've lapped these up for years now, but if we are honest, we all still love a nice cold and crisp pint of lager.
Regardless of the growth of the craft beer sector, lager remains the universal best seller, be that with smaller independent craft breweries or those heavyweight euro fizz big brands.
We have a couple of belting lagers, with Porth Pilsner and Helles Mouth Cornish lager sitting pretty in our stable, they are popular beers all year round, in the taproom, online and with our trade customers.
Because we all still love a simple and effective lager in a world of complex craft beers.
What's the difference between lager and ale?
Well, at its core, the key difference is rooted in yeast and fermentation.
At the heart of the lager vs IPA distinction is the yeast.
Most IPAs are essentially ales, fermented with a top-fermenting yeast that thrives at warmer temperatures. These warmer fermentations produce a wide range of esters and flavour compounds that contribute fruity, expressive characteristics, which are perfect for complementing big hop profiles.
Lagers, instead, use a bottom-fermenting yeast that works best at cooler temperatures. This slower, colder fermentation dramatically reduces the production of fruity esters and other by-products.
The result?
A beer that is much cleaner, far more crisp, and more delicate in flavour.
Lagering.
The word lager originates from the German word 'lagern', which means “to store.”
After fermentation, lagers traditionally undergo a cold conditioning phase, at a pretty low temperature, for a prolonged period of time, often a couple of weeks or more. This extended maturing phase allows proteins, yeast, and other compounds to settle out of the beer.
In simple terms this means:
- Improved clarity
- Smoothing of harsher flavours
- Enhancing the crispness
- Producing a stable, balanced final beer
It's slower procedure than those modern classic IPAs, which can typically go from tank to glass in a very short period of time. The key to lager is the time.
Why are lagers so refreshing?
Because lager yeast produces fewer esters and fermentation by-products, the flavours of the malt and hops can shine in a very clean way.
This is why you get:
- Crisp carbonation
- Subtle malt sweetness
- Gentle bitterness
- A dry, refreshing finish
Where an IPA might deliver intense notes of mango, pine, or grapefruit, a lager aims for balance and drinkability. The flavour profile is more modest and restrained, making each sip incredibly refreshing.
That’s why a well-poured lager can be so satisfying after a long day, especially when it's ice cold.
Lagers are universally successful because they sit in that sweet spot between flavour and accessibility.
They are easy to drink, but can also be subtle and complex too.
All brands, be that those large 'Euro fizz' brands or more craft, independent beers use the same approach. Although craft brewers tend to use higher-quality ingredients or longer lagering times, the basic appeal remains the same: refreshment and balance.
Brewers will tell you that brewing a great lager is one of the hardest things to do. Without heavy hopping or strong fermentation character to hide behind, every little detail needs to be spot on.
The modern craft brewing scene has been dominated by IPAs, like an anarchic finger to the mas produced lagers. In recent years, we have returned to the lager and pilsner, with craft breweries brewing high end lagers that hit all the right notes for refreshment and crispness. We too love a lager. Who doesn't?
