Lager is the German word for “storage” and it is named so as the beer is stored for at least three weeks before being served and is most often served chilled. For this reason and due to lagers’ colder and longer fermentation process, ales had long been more available and widely consumed than lagers. But in 1953, lagers became very popular due to a newly invented way to ferment lagers called “continuous fermentation”. The process allowed for the production of lager beer at a much faster pace and made possible the mass production of lager beer at a rate competitive with ales. As quick as it may be to brew lagers these days, we’ll slow it down a bit and cover a few of the more popular American style lagers out there. Hopefully we can give some insight to their design, characteristics and of course, flavors.