Beerista: The best in craft lagers

Lagers are a bit uncool – or certainly have been since the whole craft beer thing started. Now, that’s starting to change with Irish microbreweries widening their offerings beyond the usual core beers such as big IPAs, red ales and stouts. It’s okay, finally, to like something that doesn’t blast your palette to pieces or put you to sleep with its high alcohol.

Tricky to get right, lagers are all about balance and subtlety – something that craft beers initially railed against, instead piling in the hops, alcohol and experimenting with spices and herbs and everything in between. Lagers, on the other hand, are a little like making a simple pasta dish – minor errors have nowhere to hide.

With craft lagers the style lines can be a bit blurred, however. Often you'll get microbreweries adding their own twists to traditional lagers, or finding more offbeat styles like Marzens or Vienna lagers. There is also a small offshoot of craft lagers that use big American hops, moving away from the basic lager profile and tasting more like a pale ale or IPA, like the IPL (India Pale Lager).

Traditional pilsner

Long Arm Dortmunder Export 4.8 per cent is made by the Boyne Brewhouse. It's crisp and dry with a bready, yeasty profile, the hallmarks of a traditional pilsner. London brewery Fourpure also do a very tasty pils made with Saaz and Mittelfruh German hops.

Pink Freud by Wexford’s Yellow Belly brewery is a based on the classic Vienna lager. It’s got a toasted malt aroma, an amber hue, and is a clean, elegant and very drinkable beer.

Metalman's Blaager, made with Waterford Blaas, pours with a lovely pillowy head; it's got a bready, spicy hop aroma and it's refreshing, crisp and balanced – just the way a lager should be.

@ITbeerista beerista@irishtimes.com