Meer over Lager
Which lager are you looking for?
- Helles: golden yellow, softly malty, little bitterness and a soft, dry finish. 'Hell' refers to the colour, not to low alcohol: according to the BJCP 4.7–5.4%.
- German pilsner: malt first, then quickly floral, spicy hop and a bitterness that lingers. Dry and fresh, according to the BJCP 4.4–5.2%.
- Czech pilsner: richer, bready malt and a strong but soft, round bitterness, with more colour and body than German pilsner. More in the Beer School on pilsner.
- Münchner Dunkel: malty brown lager with bread crust notes, without burnt or roasted bitterness.
Stronger and maltier: the German bock and doppelbock are lagers too.
Helles or pilsner?
Helles has more body and malt, and less hop and bitterness than German pilsner. Pilsner is drier and hoppier. Helles is younger than pilsner: according to the BJCP it originated in Munich in 1894, as an answer to the pale pilsner beers. In Germany, pilsner is the most popular beer with almost half of the market, with helles beers in second place, according to the Deutscher Brauer-Bund.
What you'll find at Hoptimaal
Mostly German lagers, from Kundmüller, Rittmayer, Keesmann, Graser, Gasthof Grasser, Zur Sonne Bischberg and Schlenkerla. Budějovický Budvar comes from the Czech Republic. You'll also find lagers from Ārpus in Latvia, Omnipollo in Sweden, Mikkeller in Denmark, Garage Beer Co. in Spain and Dutch brewers such as Gooische Bierbrouwerij, Baxbier and Rolo1977. Each beer shows its current Untappd score.
Serving and storing
A good starting point is 4–7 °C for pilsner and 7–10 °C for helles, in a tall, narrow glass (CraftBeer.com by the Brewers Association). Drink them as fresh as possible, because malt and hop fade over time. If a lager smells of skunk, that is a fault caused by light, not a characteristic of the style.
Buy lager and pilsner at Hoptimaal
At Hoptimaal you buy lager and pilsner online or in our shop at Leeghwater 5 in Amersfoort. Fitting, because according to historian Roel Mulder, the first pilsner brewed in the Netherlands came from Amersfoort in 1879. You order per item. Order before 3 pm on working days and we ship the same day. Shipping within the Netherlands is free from €75.
Looking for German pilsner or helles? Filter by country and choose Germany: then you only see the German breweries.
Frequently asked questions
Is pilsner the same as lager?
No. Lager is the family of bottom-fermented, cold-matured beers. Pilsner is one style within it, just like helles, märzen, dunkel, schwarzbier and the German bock.
When may a beer be called pilsner in the Netherlands?
According to the Warenwetbesluit, a pilsner must be light in colour, with an original extract content of the wort of 11 to 13.5%. That is not an alcohol percentage. Fruit, fruit juice and flavourings are not allowed in it.
Why do these lagers taste different from an ordinary pilsner?
The BJCP mostly classes the big brand pilsners as international pale lager: highly attenuated, without pronounced flavours and with a lot of carbonation. 'Dutch lager' falls under that as well. A helles, Czech pilsner or dunkel is all about malt or hop. More in the Beer School on lager and pilsner.
