A Lighter Beer With Character and History

I'll readily admit I love beers that are bold and robust. I've gravitated in this direction for a number of years. But recently, I've gained a newfound appreciation for more approachable beer styles. Through tasting a broader variety of beers and learning more about their history and origins, a couple of things are clear. One is that great beers don't always have to be stronger, richer, or very assertive. The other is that a lighter lager or ale doesn't have to taste like a low-grade American light adjunct lager.

There really is more to European lighter-bodied beers than meets the eye. Beers like the delicious Czech pilsner, German pilsner, Kölsch, or Munich Helles have so much history and culture behind them, and are crafted with high quality ingredients using centuries-old brewing methods. Fortunately for us, many American craft breweries include such beer styles in their line-ups, going the extra mile to ensure the quality and authenticity of these beers. Such styles are primarily lagers, so the production process takes longer than for ales. If done right, the end result is definitely worth the effort.

One Colorado brewery that features a lighter German style lager as one of its flagship beers is Lone Tree Brewing Company. The beer, Mountain Mama Helles, is a traditional Munich Helles lager. Lone Tree recently began canning Mountain Mama, along with its Peach Pale Ale, for sale in the taproom and Denver area liquor stores. In addition to the two canned beers, Lone Tree has several beers for sale in 22-ounce bombers. Customers can also purchase 64-ounce and 32-ounce growlers to be filled with any beer from the taproom. It's great to own a couple of the 32-ounce growlers, pictured below, for more variety of fresh beer.

The Helles lager was first brewed in 1895 at the Spaten Brewery in Munich, Germany. Lone Tree's version is a great example of this traditional style that's similar to, but more malt-focused than, a German pilsner. When pouring a glass of Mountain Mama Helles, it's clear that the Lone Tree brewers know how to craft an authentic German style lager. The beer pours a crystal clear golden color with moderate carbonation. Upon taking a drink, flavors of sweet, bready malts come through, with low hop bitterness. It's an extremely easy drinking beer that's flavorful and refreshing. While it's a very approachable beer that lacks aggressive characteristics, there are a lot of nuances in the flavors and mouthfeel, making it very interesting.

Mountain Mama Helles is a great summer beer, but luckily it's available year-round. Other lighter European beers seem to be very popular lately, especially Kölsch style beers. Seek these beers out, savor the intricacies and flavors, and maybe learn a bit about how they originated. More knowledge can only lead to more craft beer appreciation and enjoyment.