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Lagers Beer for Delivery or Pickup
The Instacart guide to lagers
Whether you enjoy drinking pale lagers, pilsners, or amber lagers, enjoy the convenience of having your favorite beverage delivered to your home when you use Instacart! To learn more about lagers, use this handy Instacart guide to lagers.
When it comes to buying beer, you have two main styles to choose from: lagers and ales. Lagers are known for their crisp profile and refreshing palate and generally have a golden color. Ales, on the other hand, are generally dark-colored and often have a slightly bitter palate. Lagers often have a bit more carbonation than ales, resulting in a refreshing beverage. A few common lagers include Budweiser, Coors, Samuel Adams, Heineken, Sapporo, and Tecate.
About lagers
All beers are made with yeast. The main differences between ales and lagers are the yeast a brewmaster uses and how the beer goes through fermentation. Lager is a bottom-fermented beer, and ales are top-fermented beers. Lagers are fermented at low temperatures, ranging from 45 to 55 degrees Fahrenheit. Ales go through fermentation at a range between 60 and 78 degrees Fahrenheit.
Lagers are made with slow-acting yeast, such as Saccharomyces pastorianus, that thrive in cooler environments. Once the lager has gone through fermentation, it gets stored, or lagered, for 2-3 weeks to smooth out its flavor profile. Lagers have an alcohol content that ranges from 3% to about 6%.
Types of lagers
The color ranges of lagers come from the type of grain used in the fermentation process. Pale lagers and pilsners are made from non-roasted barley and grains, while darker lagers use roasted grains. The bitterness range comes from the type of hops used in the making of the lager. Common lager styles include:
- Pale Lagers. Pale lagers are widely produced worldwide and are among the most consumed of all beers. Generally, pale lagers have a pure golden color with a foamy white head. Pale lagers have a clean, crisp flavor.
- Czech Lagers. Czech lagers range in flavors and styles, with the most common varieties having a pale-golden color and a full-bodied flavor.
- Pilsner Lagers. Brewers use light, floral-scented hops to create pilsners. This style of lager has a light golden color with low alcohol content. Pilsners have a clean taste with a hint of bitterness.
- Amber Lagers. Sometimes called Vienna lagers or Marzen lagers, this dark lager style has a crisp, almost sweet flavor due to the blend of particular varieties of hops. Amber lagers have a stronger flavor profile than pilsners, with an alcohol content of around 5%.
- Bock Lagers. Bock lagers are made with roasted grains that give this style of lager its dark chocolate and sweet malty flavor. Specific hops give bock lagers a slight bitterness.
Choosing the right lager for the occasion
When it's hot out, and you want a cold light beer to drink, choose a pale lager or a pilsner lager. Light lagers go great with chips and salsa, fish tacos, or a grilled chicken salad. On a cool evening or afternoon, choose a rich bock or amber lager to sip on. Dark lagers go great with grilled sausages, hamburgers, or stuffed portobello mushrooms.
Lagers Near Me
Buy your favorite Lagers online with Instacart. Order American All-Malt Lager, Amber/Red Lager, American Double/Imperial Pilsner, and more from local and national retailers near you and enjoy on-demand, contactless delivery or pickup within 2 hours.
FAQs about lagers
Except for dark lagers and bock lagers, all others are best when served very cold, between 42 and 48 degrees Fahrenheit. Pour the lighter lagers into pilsner-style glasses or glass beer mugs, or drink them straight from bottles pulled from a bucket or cooler of ice. Dark lagers and bock lagers have a full-bodied flavor and taste better when they're served between 50 and 55 degrees Fahrenheit. Serve dark lagers and bock lagers in beer steins or thick pint glasses.
Pouring your lager properly helps bring out the flavor and carbonation. Always start with clean glassware, as any kind of dirt or residue can make the lager go flat. Follow these steps to get the perfect pour of lager and head of foam:
- Remove the top carefully, so you don't damage the bottle's lip, and try not to shake the beer.
- Place a clean glass on a flat surface. Instead of pouring the lager down the side of the glass, you want to raise the bottom of the bottle quickly and pour the beer straight down the center of the glass. This helps to release the natural carbonation.
- Slowly raise the bottle out of the glass at a slight angle, and finish pouring the lager to create a nice foamy head.
Save time and make your day a little easier when you shop for your favorite lager using Instacart. Simply go to the Instacart website and pick the lagers you want, or download the Instacart app and shop for your lagers. An Instacart shopper will deliver your items to your home.