Oskar Blues has by no means been a brewery to go together with the grain. Twenty years in the past, Oskar Blues Brewery Founder Dale Katechis bucked conference by releasing the unique craft beer in a can. And over the course of the final 20 years, Oskar Blues has continued to innovate, brewing its personal Scotch ale, Outdated Chub, and boundary-breaking Ten FIDY imperial stout (FIDY stands for “Fuck the Business, Do it Your self.”) Now, the brewery has struck gold once more in probably the most unassuming means, brewing its revolutionary tackle a craft American pale lager referred to as Oskar’s Lager.
A lawnmower beer. An on a regular basis beer. Or a beer whereas out on the path, after a motorbike experience, or following a protracted shift. Oskar’s Lager has been described as many issues. However at its core the American pale lager boils down to at least one easy answer: That is the beer Oskar Blues’ brewers at all times wished to drink however couldn’t frequently discover in cans on cabinets or on draft in taprooms.
So fairly merely, they brewed their very own, releasing Oskar’s Lager in 2021.
Will we hear echos of “Fuck the Business, Do It Your self” ringing true right here too?
It’s all part of the Oskar Blues legacy: Daring. Recent. And may we add badass.
The Creation of Oskar’s Lager
Oskar Blues has turn into most well-known for its ales: Dale’s Pale Ale, Outdated Chub, Ten FIDY, and a slew of IPAs.
What you could not know is that they’ve “at all times had an affinity for lager brewing,” says Tim Matthews, VP International Brewing at CANarchy Craft Brewery Collective and Head of Brewing Operations at Oskar Blues.
Matthews has been visiting Germany yearly since 2014, exploring not solely the standard of European hops, but additionally their lagering strategies.
With Oskar’s Lager, Matthews and his staff have mixed what he realized about conventional European lagering practices with, apparently sufficient, Oskar Blues’ IPA brewing expertise.
“Sarcastically, quite a lot of the issues we realized via the years brewing IPAs to hit advanced profiles and totally different ABV ranges gave us a leg up on what to do,” says Ryan Dunnavant, Vice President of Operations at CANarchy Craft Brewery Collective. “I believe our expertise brewing quite a few beer kinds and lately sure sorts of IPAs elevated our broader understanding of yeast administration, enzymatic exercise throughout brewing, and fermentation.”
For instance, take Oskar Blues’ expertise brewing Pinner. “Wrapping our heads round hop creep and the way yeast behaves underneath irritating situations gave us a deeper understanding of comparable points we needed to take care of after we developed Oskar’s Lager,” says Dunnavant. “It’s a tough fermentation to handle and there’s no approach to conceal off flavors, so having that data baseline gave us a head begin.”
And whereas the general recipe took about six months to hone, Dunnavant says the brewing staff nailed Oskar’s Lager’s carb and calorie stage on the primary go-around.
“This was a fairly cool growth as a result of within the first trial we hit all our specs,” says Dunnavant.
Clocking in at solely 95 energy, 2.5 grams of carbs, and a 4.2% ABV, Oskar’s Lager provides that traditional gentle lager consuming expertise, however with an enormous punch of taste.
From the surface, Oskar’s Lager could appear to be a easy beer. However dig a bit deeper and also you’ll discover that brewing this American pale lager is definitely very advanced, requiring a deft hand and refined contact.
Precision and a Mild Contact Are Key
Spoiler alert: Mild lagers are literally among the hardest beers to brew. Not hazy IPAs, not barrel-aged imperial stouts. However moderately, the common-or-garden gentle lager.
Why?
Effectively herein, because the barter says, lies the rub.
Finally, if you decrease the variety of substances together with the carb, calorie, and ABV ranges—similar to with Oskar’s Lager—”there may be not a lot to cover behind, so we now have to be actually cautious,” says Sara Laurienti, Director of Brewery Operations for Oskar Blues at Oskar Blues.
It’s worthwhile to dial in your recipe and be meticulous in your brewing strategies.
“Your entire course of is about being mild,” says Matthews. “We needed to be very exact in how we mash, lauter, boil, and chill the wort together with your entire temperature schedule for fermentation.”
In accordance with Laurienti, even when they modified the fermentation schedule by a few hours, the beer wouldn’t prove precisely how they wished as a result of the yeast could be too pressured or there could be points with the carbonation stage.
It additionally signifies that the substances, whereas once more easy, every serve a exact function.
The Important Substances in Oskar’s Lager
The malt invoice is fairly clear: Pilsner, 2-Row Pale malt, and just a little little bit of brown rice to construct that good crisp platform. Plus tiny quantities of vitamins and enzymes to maintain the yeast glad.
On the hop aspect, Oskar Blues provides each French Aramis and Saphir on the recent aspect with none dry hopping.
Saphir options prominently in Oskar’s Lager; it’s a hop Matthews, Dunnavant, Laurienti, and the remainder of the brewing staff fell in love with throughout hop choice.
“We really feel just like the Saphir actually shines, which is considerably ironic given that is basically an American gentle lager,” says Dunnavant. “However Saphir helps set Oskar’s Lager aside from others within the class.”
The concept right here is for all these humble substances to mix harmoniously.
“We wish individuals to expertise malt, hops, and yeast…in a means that may be a little bit extra approachable and multidimensional,” says Matthews.
Effectively, think about their mission completed.
Tasting Oskar’s Lager
We drink with our eyes first, proper?
The very first thing you’ll discover about Oskar’s Lager is the golden hue and light-weight, wispy foam.
“We do take quite a lot of delight within the foam retention you get in case you pour [Oskar’s Lager] into a correct glass as a result of foam is the provider for aroma,” says Matthews. “That’s the place all our work with Saphir and fermentation is exhibited.”
Proper off the bat, you’ll be hit with notes from that Saphir hop together with a lightweight malt biscuit.
“As quickly as you open the are you able to get a whiff of the beer and Saphir hops,” says Laurienti. “It’s your first introduction to the beer that makes you retain going again for extra.”
And extra…
…and extra.
“Each single time you sip and exhale, you get that aroma time and again.” says Matthews. “Each single sip nonetheless has all these flavors.”
It’s one of many highlights of Oskar’s Lager. “You’ve acquired the need to proceed sipping,” says Dunnavant, who used a Japanese time period kire, which accurately interprets to the verb “to chop,” however within the beerworld means a crisp aftertaste and good clear end. “That refreshing crispness was crucial to us… We wish you to have the ability to have [Oskar’s Lager] proper out of the can, proper off the path, or have a pint on a sunny day at a taproom.”
Oskar’s Lager is actually a beer for any state of affairs, whether or not you’re merely hanging out after work, kicking it across the pool, jamming within the studio, hitting the path, or [insert whatever verb you’d like here].
What’s the Verdict on Oskar Blues New American Pale Lager?
Irony abounds with Oskar’s Lager. This seems to be a easy beer, however the brewing on the again finish may be very advanced. For that motive, it’s a beer that has appealed to the gamut of customers from the informal drinker to the craft beer fanatic.
“For those who look particularly at beer geeks, those that have a deep understanding of the method, they understand how arduous one thing like that is to make and pull off and to maintain balanced and subtly advanced,” says Dunnavant.
Accordingly, whereas Oskar’s Lager pours out gentle, the beer within the glass bursts with aroma and taste.
“With beers like this you suppose “crushable,” “easy,” “easy-drinking,” however even inside that sphere we current quite a lot of complexity,” says Dunnavant.
Dunnavant likes to explain Oskar’s Lager as “subtly advanced.”
“It’s an on a regular basis beer,” says Dunnavant. “It’s there on a scorching day; it’s thirst-quenching, but additionally has a ton of taste that received’t overwhelm you. You’ll be able to have it with dinner or after a exercise. Once I go on a motorbike experience, that’s the very first thing I attain for… It’s good for what ails you.”
Laurienti—and in reality many on the Oskar Blues’ staff—agree. “After work most individuals go to the bar to have a shift beer and these previous few years it has been a hazy IPA or a heavier beer,” says Laurienti. “It’s fairly cool to see that recently if you go there ninety % of the staff is sitting on the bar, hanging out after work with their Oskar’s Lager.”
A staff favourite, Oskar’s Lager has shortly caught on with Oskar Blues’ fanbase as effectively.
“They’ll drink a pair pints whereas sitting on the bar hanging out for a pair hours and never really feel weighed down by heavy ABV or a heavy mouthfeel,” says Laurienti. “One of many issues we hear within the taproom from our native clients is it’s about time we made this beer.”
The place Can I Discover Oskar’s Lager?
You will get your fingers on this crushable, but subtly advanced lager throughout Oskar Blues’ whole footprint, which incorporates all fifty states.
Moreover, yow will discover this American pale ale in The Works Mixpack, which incorporates: Dales, Double Dales, and Oskar’s Lager.
Try Oskar Blues’ Beer Finder to seek out an Oskar’s Lager or The Works Mixpack close to you.
