Summer is here and with it the chance to kick back and enjoy an ice-cold lager (or three) in the sun.
Better still, Euro 2024 is on until 14 July, which means a diary packed full of barbecues and beer with friends and family to cheer our Lions as they try to bring it home.
But what exactly is lager – so beloved by everyone from guys to gals, young and old, country to country – and how can drinkers choose between them when there are so many delicious cans and bottles to try?
By definition, all beer is either a lager or ale, the former bottom-fermented with yeast at low temperatures, the latter top-fermented with yeast at warm temperatures. Lagers are, by and large, the most popular form, and can be pale, amber or dark in colour.
- Pale lager: Aromatic on the nose with clean, crisp flavours on the palate. Golden in colour, as the name suggests. Distinctly hoppy.
- Amber lager: Amber lagers are reddish-brown characterised by toasty, caramel flavours with malty aromas. Medium-bodied.
- Dark lager: Often black, these feature chocolate-, liquorice- or toffee-like flavours and pair well with hearty or spicy foods. Commonly complex.
The way we drink our beer across the globe is changing, says Jono Tiffany, buyer at Majestic.
“One evolving trend is the growing interest in lower-alcohol options, driven by health-conscious consumers and favourable alcohol duty rates on beers below 3.4 per cent ABV.”
Tiffany adds: “Lager’s regional diversity allows customers to explore a whole host of distinct flavours from various countries, such as a crisp Czech pilsner, a smooth German helles, or a refreshing Italian lager. As a result, we’re seeing a significant shift from our customers away from lower-priced brands with less provenance, instead gravitating towards high-quality, sub-regional lagers like Estrella Damm from Barcelona.”
“Despite the proliferation of beer styles we’ve seen in recent years, lager has retained its place as the market-leading style across most countries,” she says. The wine retailer stocks 45 varieties of lager and is anticipating its biggest-ever summer of beer, with sales forecast to rise 15 per cent year-on-year.
While we can’t guarantee winning the football, we can guarantee that you’ll be able to get in some truly great international lagers for the occasion, from America to Europe and Africa.
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Red Stripe Jamaica Lager Beer 24 x 440ml
With its namesake design emblazoned across its cans and bottles (including the iconic stubby one), Red Stripe has been Jamaica’s national lager since 1928, and eschews the bitterness of many likeminded beers for a fresh taste profile that cuts through the big, bold flavours traditionally served on the Caribbean island.
Expect notes of creamy butterscotch and exotic fruit with a full body and smooth aftertaste. The amber hues of Red Stripe really do live up to its motto: ‘sunshine in a bottle’. Effortlessly refreshing.
Buy now £39.99, Amazon
1664 Blanc Premium Lager Beer
Launched by Kronenbourg – the French brewery founded in 1664, hence the name of this newbie – 1664 Blanc comes in a distinctive blue bottle with delicate flavours of citrus fruit and a luxurious ‘Champagne’ finish.
It’s a smooth and elegant wheat beer that’s gone down remarkably well with the style set since it was introduced to shelves – in fact, it debuted at London Fashion Week 2024 – and offers a lighter, brighter way to enjoy a lager. We can’t get enough.
Buy now £18.00, Tesco
Hawkstone Premium Lager
Say what you like about journalist-turned-presenter-turned-farmer Jeremy Clarkson, but everything he touches seems to turns to sold, including Hawkstone Premium Lager, the beer he launched in 2021 using ingredients grown at his Diddly Squat Farm in the Cotswolds.
Much to the dismay of his (many) critics, the tipple has gone down a storm, and we can see why. It’s bold yet balanced with a smooth body and prominent notes of light citrus paired with subtle bitterness and a malty finish. Down the hatch.
Buy now £20.00, Amazon
Athletic Brewing Alcohol-Free Lager
You’d never guess that this beer is booze-free with a crisp and refreshing taste that makes it the toast of any frat party/ insert UK equivalent.
One of many styles in the brewery’s growing portfolio, Athletic Brewing Alcohol-Free Lager contains just 25 calories, 5g of carbohydrates and absolutely no sugar, meaning you can have good times without the debilitating hangovers. Interestingly, the brewing process of this beauty echoes that of traditional beers to recreate the same depth of flavour, skilfulbalance of malt and pale colour.
Great as a mid-week thirst quencher.
Buy now £20.72, Drydrinker
Warsteiner Premium Beer
Made to the highest standards of German purity laws – which are rigorous, to say the least – Warsteiner Premium Beer is known for mild hoppy bitterness balanced with delicious hints of barley malt. It’s brewed at Warsteiner – founded in 1753 and now one of the largest privately-held breweries in Germany, no less – by combining top-quality ingredients with the particularly soft water from the on-site spring. The result? A famously crisp and refreshing lager.
Buy now £13.80, Majestic
Peroni Nastro Azzurro Stile Capri
Evoking all the splendour of its namesake island, this fresh spin on the Italian staple is less alcoholic and bitter than its stylish counterpart, featuring light notes of Sicilian lemon and olive leaf combined with a crisp and clean finish. As the epitome of easy-drinking, Peroni Azzuro Stile Capri is aromatic, uplifting and balanced.
Highly-sesssionable whether on holiday or otherwise, it has to be said – just add sun.
Buy now £14.00, Tesco
Alhambra Reserva 1925
Full-bodied and seriously smooth with a crowd-pleasing taste that’s rich and refreshing, this beer is a superstar across Spain for good reason.
Bottled within an embossed bowling pin-inspired design, the luxurious Alhambra Reserva 1925 lager is made with the purest water from the Sierra Nevada mountains in Andalucía and the best cereals from the southern coast.
Expect a golden colour, toasty aromas and deliciously creamy head. Bittersweet, in all the right ways.
Buy now £24.00, Majestic
Banks Caribbean Lager
Who wouldn’t love a beach day with an ice-cold Banks Caribbean Lager in-hand as you frolic on the sand? Combining British and Australian malt barley with native water filtered through coral stone – appearing on historic buildings across the island – it’s a crisp and refreshing beer characterised by its pilsner style, smooth taste profile and gloriously fresh aromas. No wonder over 50 million bottles are produced each year.
Buy now £44.41, Amazon
Mythos Pale Lager
If you’ve ever swanned around the Cyclades during summer – from Paros to Mykonos and Naxos – you’ll have stumbled on Mythos Pale Lager: the most popular beer in Greece.
While it’s undeniably lipsmacking teamed with seafood and sunshine by the glittering sea, it goes down just as well in an English country garden right here on home turf. Take in its blonde hues, rich foam and refreshing flavours together with a mild sweetness and enduring aftertaste. Yamas!
Buy now £36.55, Amazon
Staropramen 0.0 per cent Premium Lager
Prague’s national beer, Staropramen – simply referred to as ‘Staro’ here in the UK – is made from Czech hops to boast hoppy aromas and balanced flavours. Now, the Prague-based brewery is serving up an alcohol-free version in its 0.0 per cent offering with the same fruity taste, herbal notes and bitter finish. The perfect partner for meaty dishes.
Buy now £5.00, Ocado
Tusker Lager
You’ll have to be quick to snap up a case of Tusker Lager, brewed in Kenya since 1922 but with limited availability here in the UK, popular because of its white head, golden colours and clean aromas.
The refreshing flavours are characterised by citrus so razor-sharp they can cut through even the spiciest of curries.
Interestingly, its name is inspired by the accident that killed one of the original brewers back in the twenties during an elephant hunt. Make of that what you will.
Buy now £38.83, Amazon
Rosa Blanca Premium Lager Beer
Pretty can aside, all arty label and blue colourway, Rosa Blanca Premium Lager Beer is a Mallorcan brew that means business. Barley malt, maize, rice and lively hops come together to create a well-balanced, creamy drink with hints of lightly-roasted cereals. The secret is towards the end of the brewing process when citra hops are added cold to harness fruity aromas and citrus notes without any of the bitterness. Genius.
Buy now £5.00, Ocado
