#commercial-brewing

Does craft lager need to exist? Tasting notes: a macro versus micro taste test

Forgive the clickbait title, of course it does. Some of my favorite craft beers and breweries are lagers or lager-focused. What I am asking specifically is does craft American lager need to exist? Pedantically speaking, I am referring to styles 1A American Light Lager and 1B American Lager in the BCJP style-Guidelines.  More and more craft brewers are making American-style lager. It used to be that craft beer was positioned as an alternative to bland, yellow beer. Other than responding to consumer tastes, what does craft American-style lager have to offer? Are craft brewers making better lagers than the largest lager brewers in the world? If so, is the quality difference significant enough to justify a higher price? Let’s put it to the test. I had been thinking about this for awhile when I purchased the beers for this tasting. After I purchased the beers, but before I conducted the tasting, Tree House attempted to answer this very question on their YouTube channel.  Nate’s co