The Best Lager Beers in the World

By Hristina Byrnes Published Aug 2, 7:00AM EDT

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The Best Lager Beers in the World — © piola666 / E+ via Getty Images

There is no doubt beer is one of the most popular drinks in the world – especially in the summer — and lager is the most common type of beer in the world.

The technical difference between the beer categories is in how they are brewed. Lager, which literally means “storage” in German, is a type of beer that ferments slowly at low temperatures. Lagers also ferment from the bottom up, differentiating them from ales, for example, which ferment quickly and from the top down.

To compile a list of the best lager beers in the world, 24/7 Tempo reviewed the 2020 World Beer Awards, presented by TheDrinksReport.com, an online resource for drinks professionals.

Lager beers tend to be characterized by their light and refreshing taste with a smooth finish. The alcohol levels of the beers on this list vary from zero alcohol to more than 7%.

The country with the most entries on the list of best lager beers in the world, perhaps unsurprisingly to some, is Germany with a total of 18 different beers winning awards in various lager categories. Japan is second with five entries.

Though the U.S. did not make the cut here, the country does have several winners in the world’s best IPA category. These are the best Indian Pale Ale Beers in the world.

Click here to see the best lager beers in the world

To compile a list of the best lager beers in the world, 24/7 Tempo reviewed the 2020 World Beer Awards, presented by TheDrinksReport.com, an online resource for drinks professionals. We looked at the results and the awards distributed. We selected the beers that were awarded a gold medal or won the title of the world’s best lager in each of several types of beer included in the awards. Information on alcohol by volume and international bitterness units, a gauge of beer’s bitterness, came from Untappd, a beer rating app. IBUs measure the parts per million of isohumulone found in a beer. IBU is a scale that goes from 1 to 100, with 100 being the most bitter.

akita bijin no beer, akita, to... by Yuichi Kosio

akita bijin no beer, akita, to... (CC BY 2.0) by Yuichi Kosio

Akita-Bijin Beer
> Medal(s): Gold
> Beer type: Helles/Münchner
> Brewery: Aqula Brauhaus Akita
> Country of origin: Japan
> Alcohol by volume (ABV): 5.5%
> International bittering units (IBU): 18

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Bamberger Hofbräu Exquisator
> Medal(s): Gold
> Beer type: Strong
> Brewery: Weyermann Braumanufaktur
> Country of origin: Germany
> Alcohol by volume (ABV): 7.2%
> International bittering units (IBU): No IBU

[recirclink id=911767]

Braumeister Zwickl
> Medal(s): Gold
> Beer type: Zwickl / Pale Kellerbier
> Brewery: Hofmark
> Country of origin: Germany
> Alcohol by volume (ABV): 5.1%
> International bittering units (IBU): 12

Ayinger Celebrator Doppelbock by Bernt Rostad

Ayinger Celebrator Doppelbock (CC BY 2.0) by Bernt Rostad

Celebrator
> Medal(s): World’s Best Lager Strong
> Beer type: Strong
> Brewery: Ayinger
> Country of origin: Germany
> Alcohol by volume (ABV): 6.7%
> International bittering units (IBU): 24

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Diplom Pils
> Medal(s): World’s Best Lager Classic
> Beer type: Classic Pilsener
> Brewery: Waldhaus
> Country of origin: Germany
> Alcohol by volume (ABV): 4.9%
> International bittering units (IBU): 35

Dunkel
> Medal(s): Gold
> Beer type: Dark
> Brewery: Reichenbrander
> Country of origin: Germany
> Alcohol by volume (ABV): 4.8%
> International bittering units (IBU): No IBU

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Dunkles
> Medal(s): World’s Best Lager Dark
> Beer type: Dark
> Brewery: Ottakringer
> Country of origin: Austria
> Alcohol by volume (ABV): 4.9%
> International bittering units (IBU): No IBU

[recirclink id=890685]

Festbier
> Medal(s): Gold
> Beer type: Seasonal: Oktoberfestbier/Maerzen
> Brewery: Falter
> Country of origin: Germany
> Alcohol by volume (ABV): 5.6%
> International bittering units (IBU): No IBU

Ganzberg
> Medal(s): Gold
> Beer type: Helles/Münchner
> Brewery: German Brew Masters
> Country of origin: Cambodia
> Alcohol by volume (ABV): 5.0%
> International bittering units (IBU): No IBU

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Helle Freude
> Medal(s): Gold
> Beer type: Helles/Münchner
> Brewery: Reckendorfer
> Country of origin: Germany
> Alcohol by volume (ABV): 5.2%
> International bittering units (IBU): No IBU

Imperial Pilsner
> Medal(s): World’s Best Lager Hoppy
> Beer type: Hoppy Pilsener
> Brewery: Fujizakura Heights Beer
> Country of origin: Japan
> Alcohol by volume (ABV): 6.0%
> International bittering units (IBU): 50

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Josefi Bock
> Medal(s): Gold
> Beer type: Bock
> Brewery: Flötzinger Bräu
> Country of origin: Germany
> Alcohol by volume (ABV): 7.5%
> International bittering units (IBU): 19

[recirclink id=853742]

Karhu 0,0
> Medal(s): World’s Best Lager Light
> Beer type: Light
> Brewery: Sinebrychoff Ab
> Country of origin: Finland
> Alcohol by volume (ABV): 0.0%
> International bittering units (IBU): 24

Kloster Starkbier
> Medal(s): Gold and World’s Best Lager
> Beer type: Seasonal: Maibock/Helles Bock
> Brewery: Alpirsbacher Klosterbräu
> Country of origin: Germany
> Alcohol by volume (ABV): 7.3%
> International bittering units (IBU): 30

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Kloster Zwickel
> Medal(s): World’s Best Lager German-
> Beer type: German-style Pale
> Brewery: Alpirsbacher Klosterbräu
> Country of origin: Germany
> Alcohol by volume (ABV): 5.4%
> International bittering units (IBU): 21

Lager Hell
> Medal(s): Gold
> Beer type: Helles/Münchner
> Brewery: Ayinger
> Country of origin: Germany
> Alcohol by volume (ABV): 4.9%
> International bittering units (IBU): No IBU

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Märzen
> Medal(s): Gold and World’s Best Lager Seasonal: Oktoberfestbier/Maerzen
> Beer type: Seasonal: Oktoberfestbier/Maerzen
> Brewery: Hofmark
> Country of origin: Germany
> Alcohol by volume (ABV): 5.6%
> International bittering units (IBU): 29

[recirclink id=863449]

No. 26 Sissi’s Wiener Lager
> Medal(s): World’s Best Lager Vienna
> Beer type: Vienna
> Brewery: Weyermann Braumanufaktur
> Country of origin: Germany
> Alcohol by volume (ABV): 5.2%
> International bittering units (IBU): No IBU

Organic Pilsner
> Medal(s): Gold
> Beer type: Classic Pilsener
> Brewery: Mill Street Brewery
> Country of origin: Canada
> Alcohol by volume (ABV): 5.0%
> International bittering units (IBU): 34

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Premium Pils
> Medal(s): Gold
> Beer type: Classic Pilsener
> Brewery: Altenburger
> Country of origin: Germany
> Alcohol by volume (ABV): 4.9%
> International bittering units (IBU): 30

Sakura Bock
> Medal(s): Gold
> Beer type: Bock
> Brewery: Fujizakura Heights Beer
> Country of origin: Japan
> Alcohol by volume (ABV): 8.0%
> International bittering units (IBU): 28

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San Miguel Premium Especial
> Medal(s): Gold
> Beer type: International Lager
> Brewery: Grupo Mahou-San Miguel
> Country of origin: Spain
> Alcohol by volume (ABV): 5.4%
> International bittering units (IBU): 18

[recirclink id=900088]

Schwarzwald Michel
> Medal(s): Gold
> Beer type: Helles/Münchner
> Brewery: Alpirsbacher Klosterbräu
> Country of origin: Germany
> Alcohol by volume (ABV): 4.8%
> International bittering units (IBU): 13

Touch Down ROCK Bock
> Medal(s): World’s Best Lager Bock
> Beer type: Bock
> Brewery: Yatsugatake Brewery
> Country of origin: Japan
> Alcohol by volume (ABV): 7.0%
> International bittering units (IBU): No IBU

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Touch Shirakaba BEAT
> Medal(s): World’s Best International
> Beer type: International Lager
> Brewery: Yatsugatake Brewery
> Country of origin: Japan
> Alcohol by volume (ABV): 5.0%
> International bittering units (IBU): No IBU

Ulmer Pilsener
> Medal(s): Gold
> Beer type: Classic Pilsener
> Brewery: Familienbrauerei Bauhöfer Renchen
> Country of origin: Germany
> Alcohol by volume (ABV): 5.2%
> International bittering units (IBU): No IBU

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Vienna
> Medal(s): Gold
> Beer type: Vienna
> Brewery: Hausen Bier
> Country of origin: Brazil
> Alcohol by volume (ABV): 5.0%
> International bittering units (IBU): No IBU

[recirclink id=922735]

Waldhaus Spezial Gold
> Medal(s): Gold
> Beer type: Dortmunder
> Brewery: Privatbrauerei Waldhaus
> Country of origin: Germany
> Alcohol by volume (ABV): 5.6%
> International bittering units (IBU): 20

Zwickl
> Medal(s): Gold
> Beer type: Zwickl / Pale Kellerbier
> Brewery: Hirsch
> Country of origin: Germany
> Alcohol by volume (ABV): 5.2%
> International bittering units (IBU): No IBU

About the Author Hristina Byrnes →

Hristina Byrnes is the editor of 247Tempo.com, where she handles the site's assignments and editing. She holds a master's degree in journalism from Columbia University, which she earned in 2012, and she specializes in translating complex health data research into engaging, accessible stories for a general audience.

When she's not poring over the latest data sets or brainstorming story ideas, you can find Hristina watching tennis, playing tennis with her son, or trying to get her daughter into tennis.