03-07-2025
Best lagers in the US revealed ahead of 4th of July... and lower alcoholic beers are taking the top spots
There's nothing better than a crisp, refreshing lager on a hot summer's day - and now there's a definitive list of the best after the International Beer and Cider Awards released their official winners.
The competition is run by the North American Brewers Association, a nonprofit that promotes craft beer and culture. While beer entries are accepted from all around the world, most of the lager gold medal categories were won by US breweries.
Judges assessed 1,426 entries in Idaho Falls for this year's competition, breaking them down into different categories.
The results found lower alcoholic and lighter beers have increased in popularity.
According to Harvey Hembree, the competition coordinator, Latin American or Tropical-Style Lagers were stand-out categories for lager this year.
'We have noticed an overall trend towards lighter, more sessionable [low alcoholic content] beers across all categories and particularly lagers,' he told Forbes.
He added that this year there was more dark lager and Asian lager submissions to the competition.
'The dark lager categories were very competitive, indicating to us that the market for sessionable dark beer is on the rise,' he said.
Recently, scientists revealed why some people love beer - and say it starts when you're still in the womb.
As part of a recent study, scientists at Swansea University quizzed more than 250 people on their drinking habits while measuring the length of their fingers.
Finger length is thought to be a metric for how much testosterone we were exposed to in the womb – and therefore how 'masculine' we are.
According to the findings, the more testosterone we're exposed to in the womb, the more alcohol we drink as an adult – although it's unclear why.
'Alcohol consumption is a major social and economic problem,' said study author John Manning, professor of evolutionary biology at Swansea University.
'Therefore, it is important to understand why alcohol use shows considerable differences across individuals.
'It is possible that differences in alcohol consumption are set in the womb.'
And so, if you are someone who is planning to enjoy a beer on Fourth of July, take a look below at the award winners.
The World's Best Lagers
American-Style Light (Low-Calorie) Lager: Gold Clubhaus Lager, Von Ebert Brewing Portland, Oregon
American-Style Standard or Premium Lager: 307, Black Tooth Brewing Co., Sheridan, Wyoming
Latin American or Tropical-Style Lager or Ale: Helper Beer, Mexican Lager from Helper Beer, Helper, Utah
Asian-Style Lager Saru Zen Japanese-style Rice Lager: Bozeman Brewing Co., Bozeman, Montana
Helles Lager: Helles Good, Boxing Bear Brewing Co. Albuquerque, New Mexico
American Black Lager: Templin Family Capenfluegan Templin Family Brewing Salt Lake City, Utah
American-Style Amber Lager California Common Vienna Lager: Cardinal Craft Brewing, Burlington, Washington
Vienna-Style Lager Prost Vienna Lager: Prost Brewing Co. Northglenn, Colorado
Marzen Oktoberfest Oktoberfest: Idaho Brewing Co., Idaho Falls, Idaho
Schwarzbier (Black Beer) Oh Black Lager: Discretion Brewing, Soquel, California
Czech Dark Lager Stacks & Towers Czech Dark Lager: Wild Ride Brewing, Redmond, Oregon
Helles Bock Maibock Traditional Bock Ammo Bocks: Bear Island Brewing, Boise, Idaho
