Standard American Lager 1B

Next up is 1B Standard American Lager

Aroma:  Little or no malt aroma, may be grainy, sweet or corn like.  Hop aroma non to light , spicy or floral.  Low level yeast characteristic is optional.  No diacetyl.

Appearance: Pale straw to medium yellow color.  White head that does not persist.  Crystal clear.

Flavor: Crisp and dry with barely perceptible grain or corn.  Hop is low to non-existent.  High carbonation provides some acidity.  No diacetyl or fruitiness.  Balanced between malt and hops, does not lean to far either way.

Mouthfeel:  Light bodied from the high percentage use of adjuncts such as rice and corn.  Very highly carbonated with a slight carbonic bite.

Comments:  This is the middle brother of the American Lagers.  It has a bit more aroma, flavor and is a bit more substantial than the Light American Lager.  Strong flavors are not acceptable in this beer.  This is the standard bearer for the mass-market brewers.  Base malt is two or six row malt with up to 40% adjuncts corn or rice.  This is the lawnmower beer your dad drank, before the introduction of the Light American Lager.

Numbers:  IBUs(bitterness) 8-15, SRM (color) 2-4, OG (potential) 1.040- 1.050, FG(finished) 1.004- 1.010, ABV(alcohol by volume) 4.2-5.3%

Examples:  Pabst Blue Ribbon, Miller High Life, Budweiser, Kirin Lager, Molson Golden, Labatt Blue, Coors Original.


As I mentioned this is the middle brother of the American Lagers, in between the Light and Premium American Lagers.  This is the style of beer perfected by the influx of German brewers in the 1800's and became a favorite of the American public.  The rise of this beer can be attributed to the repeal of Prohibition and the return of the GI's from WWII.  Also this is the beer that your grandfather and father drank, probably also the first beer you drank.  This is a difficult beer to brew cleanly and consistently, so the brewers that work at Bud, Miller, Coors are actually very adept at their craft.  Also in a way it can be attributed to the rise of craft beer, the many people that drank this started  looking for something more.  So thank you Standard American Lager.

QC Beerguy