European Origin Lager Styles
Lager · Light pale to gold
Malt character is prominent with malt aromas suggesting lightly toasted sweet, malted barley.
Reading guide · The complete guideline attributes below preserve the source’s qualifications.4–5.5
Light pale to gold · Illustrative colors on the shared, uneven SRM scale.
Explore styles overlapping this color range4.8–5.6%
Reference scale, not a limit on official guideline values.
18–25
Measured bitterness; perceived bitterness is described in the guideline below.
Brewers Association 2026 · Printed guideline page 38 · PDF page 47. Color graphics are illustrative.
Official style attributes, including what may be present and what should be absent.
Malt character is prominent with malt aromas suggesting lightly toasted sweet, malted barley. Smoke beechwood character ranges from very low to medium. Smoky aroma should be not harshly phenolic. Sulfur may be present at low levels. There should be no caramel character. Smoke flavor may create a perception of mild sweetness.
Hop aroma and flavor is very low to low, derived from noble-type hops.
Medium
Medium
Appearance should be clear. Chill haze should not be present
Light pale to gold
Fruity esters and diacetyl should not be present. Very low levels of sulfur-related compounds are acceptable.
Original Gravity (°Plato) 1.044-1.050 (11-12.4 °Plato) • Apparent Extract/Final Gravity (°Plato) 1.008- 1.012 (2.1-3.1 °Plato) • Alcohol by Weight (Volume) 3.8%-4.4% (4.8%-5.6%) • Hop Bitterness (IBU) 18-25 • Color SRM (EBC) 4-5.5 (8-11 EBC)