Stefan Zehendner at Brauerei Zehendner shares a recipe for this strong, seasonal bock that he releases every December. As with his Maibock, the target is a full-flavored yet addictively drinkable strong lager with deep, bready malt flavor and surprising bitterness, complemented by herbal-minty Perle hop flavors.

Baltic porter survived the 20th century in Poland, and it stayed strong. Now a new generation of Polish brewers is pushing the envelope.

Brilliant lasting head. Crisp, spicy hop character out front, with floral, citrus, and raw grain notes. Pronounced malt flavor throughout—clear, dry toasted notes with subtle, layered sweetness. The bitter-and-sweet balance of hops and grain flourishes on the tastebuds. Finish is fairly aggressively bitter, with a grassy lingering aftertaste. Bright throughout, trends toward bitter, but that works.

“Subdued aroma—orange, pine, herbal, bit of sulfur; lemon bass note, with papaya-guava harmonies. Flavor is mostly citrus—lemon, grapefruit—with a bit of onion. Not quite hop burn, but a slightly rough mouthfeel; pithy bite comes on too strong. Finish ends quickly. Harsh edge, not as crisp as I’d prefer.”

**Aroma:** Complex, strong hop profile with grapefruit, grass, pine, and citrus. Pils malt adds fullness. Some minerals. If aroma had a color, this would be dark green. **Flavor:** Moderate bready malt sweetness followed by intense, resinous hop profile. Bitterness is high for the style but finishes clean and dry. Moderate malt sweetness with nice pils malt flavor. Needs more malt to balance. Crisp, with a carbonic bite and lingering astringency. **Overall:** A nice, different, complex take on a pils that leans in the direction of India Pale Lager. Hops shine but aren’t overpowering. A bit unbalanced but interesting and very tasty. Like drinking pine needles. You may need to scrape your tongue! Hop lovers, rejoice!

__Aroma:__ “Lemon and orange notes dominate the aroma with a touch of lemongrass in the background. Some tropical fruit notes, and some toasted malt.” __Flavor:__ “Clean base malt with a touch of honey sweetness and complexity. Notes of lemon, pine, a bit of orange, some grassy notes. The citrus and lemongrass hops cut through the light sweetness and carry the moderate bitterness through to the finish.” __Overall:__ “Nice combination of toasted malt and tropical hops that feels very delicate. Well balanced and complex on all fronts. Finishes a touch sweet, but otherwise a very nice IPA.”

**Aroma:** “Strong citrus hop aroma with slight perfume-like notes and little-to-no malt aroma. Some ripe peach, floral notes, subtle peppercorn spice. Piney, citrus, and a touch catty (Simcoe hops?). Nice complexity.” **Flavor:** “Citrus grapefruit hops dominate and linger throughout. Hops at the forefront with notes of over-ripened grapefruit and pine. Bitterness and sweetness balance well together, though bitterness definitely dominates and lingers.” **Overall:** “Clean IPA with good citrus notes that showcase well. The bitterness lasts a bit too long into the aftertaste to make this a “re-order” beer. Thin body doesn’t help the cause, but still very drinkable and showcases different hop varieties.”

**Aroma:** “Sweet malty aroma. Light citrus herbal hop aroma, with a subtle pils malt background and some sulfur notes. Malty, sweet, and bready. Moderately strong diacetyl and a hint of grassy hops.” **Flavor:** “Light, bready malt with crisp lemon notes that finishes tart. Thin body, verging on watery and noticeable diacetyl. There’s a bit of pils malt underneath the butter, but I have to look for it. Finishes sweet.” **Overall:** “Refreshing, but the tart finish detracts from the expected bready malt characteristics. This is a neutral light lager that’s easy to drink—slightly bitter for the style, but good flavor.”

Laffler has a reputation for strong opinions, and in true form he pulls no punches in this episode with honest, bombastic takes on brewing philosophy and techniques.

**Aroma:** “Strong Pilsner character with low sulfur that disappears as it warms. Light orange, lemon, and black pepper hops, followed by some floral notes. Bready sweet malt background, with some honey sweetness.” **Flavor:** “Smooth, light, soft Pilsner malt throughout, with a medium-sweet malt cracker background. The hops profile adds some floral notes, with a medium bitterness that carries through the finish, and some citrus character in the back. The beer finishes dry on the tongue.” **Overall:** “A pretty solid Pilsner that’s refreshing and flavorful. The citrusy hops bitterness is assertive, but is balanced by the sweet malt. Has some pronounced flavors as you drink, but when you put it down, you almost forgot you just took a sip because of the dry finish.”

When most people hear “bock,” they think malt—and there’s no question that maibock is a malt-forward style. However, you can lean into hops and other flavor elements to add interest, and—done well—the result is much more than a “strong helles.”

You don’t need an industrial Japanese brewery—nor even an all-grain homebrew system—to make a clean, light-bodied, refreshing rice lager ideal for sushi and summertime.

Some people look at the style description of American lagers with their “strong flavors are a fault” language and simply decide not to make them. You should, though. Despite their limited range of flavor, these are still great beers!

In Munich in 1872, the famous Schottenhamel tent needed more beer. Josef Sedlmayer had beer to sell ... but it was a stronger lager brewed in the Viennese style. Thanks to beer historian Andreas Krennmair, we have an educated guess about the recipe.

From founder Matthew Smith at Wandering Soul in Beverly, Massachusetts, comes this Czech-inspired pale lager that gets a generous late addition of Saaz hops. “The result is a crystal-clear, crisp pilsner that will have you contemplating who you will be in a future life.”

First brewed for Notch’s 10th anniversary in 2020, this is a 10°P pale lager in the Czech tradition—low in strength yet full of flavor. The beer is triple-decocted, open-fermented, naturally carbonated, and “lagered forever.”

Maplewood founder Adam Cieslak and brewers Roger Cuzelis and Adam Smith get under the hood of stouts ranging from session-strength to big and barrel-aged, discussing the mechanics of layering in flavor while keeping them balanced and drinkable.

Since adjunct lagers are cool again, it may be time to give American malt liquor a fresh look. Lean and strong, this adjunct-laden product of the post-Prohibition era has the power to evoke simpler times.

From Kölsch to cold IPA, American brewers, scientists, and aficionados are viewing the old ale-lager dichotomy as increasingly misleading—and what matters, in the end, is what we taste in the glass.

For years, Notch Brewing in Salem and Brighton, Massachusetts, has been spreading the lager gospel through refined yet characterful iterations of Czech- and German-inspired beers. His challenge to American brewers who want to follow that path: Ditch the 34/70, rethink your mash and fermentation schedules, decoct with intention, and embrace concise flavor over “crispness.”