Sunday Night Suds - Saranac Winter Lager

This week's Sunday Night Suds looks at the Saranac Winter Lager.

Since the New York area is under a layer of white with another storm on the horizon, I decided to review a beer with snow on the label and winter at its heart.

First question - what is a winter lager? Much like other season related beers, there is no definition for a winter lager. Certain types of beer fall within the classification winter warmer - these beers are English in origin and heavy on the malt, with or without spice. None of the above are terms that you would use for a lager.

The Saranac website classifies the beer as a German Style Lager, but even this is not a true definition as there are many different kinds of German lagers including: Bock, Dopplebock, various styles of Munich Lager, Rauchbier, Schwarzbier. The common belief about the Saranac Winter Lager is that it is a Vienna Lager.

As defined by the experts at BA, a Vienna Lager is:

Named after the city in which it orginated, a traditional Vienna lager is brewed using a three step decoction boiling process. Munich, Pilsner, Vienna toasted and dextrin malts are used, as well wheat in some cases. Subtle hops, crisp, with residual sweetness.

The Saranac Winter Lager has a subtle hop flavor and is an unobtrusive accompaniment to most foods. The beer is 5.9% abv, but you really cannot taste the alcohol in the brew. If they were to sell this in six packs (I have only seen it in the 12 Beers of Winter) I could definitely go through more than one with a meal.

Saranac Winter Lager is under the Kosher Supervision of the Va'ad of Detroit, as is every other brew produced by Saranac. To see what the experts on Beer Advocate think about Saranac Winter Lager, please follow this link http://beeradvocate.com/beer/profile/99/55183.

As always, please remember to drink responsibly and to never waste good beer unless there is no designated driver.

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