Lager is the world's most popular beer style, but it covers far more ground than the familiar supermarket brands might suggest. Brewed with bottom-fermenting yeast at cooler temperatures, lagers are known for their clean, crisp character, allowing both the ingredients and the brewer's skill to shine through. While they're often refreshing and easy-drinking, the category includes an enormous range of styles, from delicate pilsners and malt-forward Helles to rich Dunkels, amber Märzens and stronger Bocks.

Great lager rewards patience. Longer fermentation and cold conditioning create beers with remarkable balance, subtle malt sweetness and a clean finish that's surprisingly difficult to perfect. In recent years, independent breweries have embraced traditional lager brewing alongside modern techniques, producing world-class examples that deserve every bit as much attention as the latest IPA. If you've written lager off in the past, there's never been a better time to give it another chance.