Schlafly releases three new twists on the traditional lager -

Growing up in St. Louis, the beer capital of America, you can forgive me if I say out loud that years ago I got tired of lagers. If you count the 1 or 2? years of underage drinking in this town, I’ve been drinking lagers for most of my adult life. With craft beer, I was able to leave lagers behind and discover so many new styles and flavors that have excited me for decades.

But this summer, I found myself coming home to speak, coming home to lagers. The first reason was from an answer to a question that I asked Narrow Gauge head brewer Jeff Hardesty. I asked him what he was most excited about in his brewing future, and his answer was growing his portfolio of lagers. I decided it was time to get back to basics.

Apparently, I’m not alone in this thinking, because today Schlafly Beer, announced the release of Lager Fusion, a new sampler pack that features three exclusive fruited lagers along with the seasonal return of Schlafly’s White Lager, which is staple of my beer fridge.

The Lager Fusion mixed 12-pack incorporates fruit into Schlafly’s White Lager as a base to help identify what each of the fruits lend to the individual beers. The sampler pack includes three 12-ounce cans of Cranberry Lager (5.5% ABV), Lime Lager (5.5% ABV) and Tangerine Lager (5.5% ABV), and White Lager (5.5% ABV).

“Our Lager Fusion pack encourages exploration,” said Schlafly CEO Fran Caradonna. “Lagers are an introductory style to many consumers who may just be discovering craft beer, and we feel that our Lager Fusion pack offers a fun, approachable sampler that encourages trial. White Lager is a nuanced version of the overall category that lends itself well to fruit so it also appeals to the seasoned craft beer drinker who can try the base of White Lager and discover what each fruit lends to the beer.”

The Beers

White Lager (5.5% ABV): Schlalfy’s White Lager is an unfiltered take on the approachable style. By retaining its yeast, White Lager delivers a hazy hue, hint of orange zest, and silky finish. As Schlafly’s take on a German zwickelbier, the style dates back to the Middle Ages, when beer was matured in deep vaults (“lagered”) for months before emerging smooth and rich in vitamins. Because it’s unfiltered, it’s noticeably fresh with a slight tartness and sweetness.
Cranberry Lager (5.5% ABV): The addition of cranberries to the traditional German lager brings a crisp tartness to the beer, and the red berry gives this golden lager a slight red tint to know it’s brewed with real fruit.
Lime Lager (5.5% ABV): The lime has long been a fruit that finds itself alongside a crisp lager. Schlafly’s Lime Lager takes the fresh squeeze of a lime wedge and integrates it directly into the beer. There’s a subtle tartness from the lime that adds an extra layer of refreshment to the light, crisp lager.
Tangerine Lager (5.5% ABV): This fruited lager stays true to the smooth, clean and straightforward style that you’ve grown to love but with a tangerine twist. The juicy orange citrus makes this the closest thing to a beermosa without the O.J.

The Lager Fusion pack is available now at your favorite bottle shop as well as Schlafly’s four brewpubs: Schlafly Tap Room in downtown St. Louis, Schlafly Bottleworks in the Maplewood neighborhood of St. Louis, Schlafly Bankside in St. Charles, MO and Schlafly Highland Square in Highland, IL.