Did you know: Lagers are the most popular beer style worldwide? 

Of course, that's due in large part to the popularity of macro lagers such as Bud Light, Miller Lite, Modelo, Coors, and Corona. But today, many craft brewers have been reclaiming this historic style. 

Historically, lagers originated in Northern Europe, specifically in the area that we know today as Germany and Austria. 

Fermented with a yeast strain that enjoys cooler temperatures and works at a slower pace, lagers are typically tricky beers to brew. This was especially true back in the day. 

During the Middle Ages, brewers typically made these "bottom-fermenting" beers from September through May, when temperatures tended to be colder. Additionally, brewers stored lagers in cool environments like caves and cellars. In fact, "lager" in German actually translates to "storeroom" or "warehouse." 

In America, we can thank a Bavarian brewer named John Wagner for bringing lagers across the pond. In 1840, Wagner arrived in America with a haul of lager yeast in his back pocket. Settling in Philadelphia, Wagner quickly realized that Americans had been drinking English-style ales for the last hundred and sixty or so years. More familiar with his own German-style lagers, Wagner took his precious cargo of yeast and brewed what is historically considered the nation's first lager beer. 

And that's not the yeast of it. As a large population of German immigrants in Philadelphia immediately began drinking the style, the American people slowly caught on as well. By the late 1880s, lager had overtaken whiskey as America's favorite alcoholic beverage. 

Today, we celebrate holidays like National Lager Day… which is happening on Dec. 10th, 2021!

At Untappd, we're commemorating the annual holiday by releasing a new badge. The "National Lager Day" badge encourages you to drink your own favorite lager. 

To earn this badge: Check-in any one (1) beer in the beer style / category: lager. Including: Lager - Pale, Lager - Helles, Lager - American, Lager - American Light, Lager - Vienna, Lager - IPL (India Pale Lager), Lager - Dark, Lager - Munich Dunkel, Lager - Dortmunder / Export, Lager - Amber, Lager - American Amber / Red, Lager - Strong, Lager - Winter, Lager - Japanese Rice, Lager - Red, Lager - Euro Pale, Lager - Euro Dark.

If you're consuming, we encourage you to (responsibly) drink a lager in one of its glorious forms. Whether an underrated Vienna or helles, or one of these top craft lagers chosen by our friends at Hop Culture. 

To further help, we've compiled a list of the top eighteen highest-rated lagers on Untappd right now.

However you choose to celebrate, drinking (and checking-in!) any lager will unlock this new badge. 

Here are Untappd's 18 Highest-Rated Lagers of 2021. 

1. Marie - Hill Farmstead Brewery

2. Death & Taxes - Moonlight Brewing Company

3. Original Lager - Goldfinger Brewing Company

4. Czech 10° - Human Robot

5. Apical Dominance (2021) - Russian River Brewing Company

6. Free to Roam - Tree House Brewing Company

7. Augustin 13° - Schilling Beer Co. 

8. Box Car - Other Half Brewing Co. 

9. Zolotoy Yarlyk - Velka Morava

10. Dark - Burial Beer Co. 

11. Coffee Lager - Steel Hands Brewing

12. Side Pull - Fair State Brewing Cooperative

13. Grainshed - Trillium Brewing Company

14. Be Patient - Anchorage Brewing Company

15. Lime Snaps - Other Half Brewing Co. 

16. Red Oak - Red Oak Brewery

17. Union Lager - Schell's Brewery

18. Coolship Lager Black - OEC Brewing (Ordinem Ecentrici Coctores)

Powered by Untappd Data (minimum of 1,000 check-ins)

Let the love of lagers begin!