Strawberry Lager
1 log on Brewskipotatoes
Tasting Notes
The aroma leads with fresh strawberry, closer to ripe fruit than artificial candy, layered over a clean, grainy lager base. On the palate, the fruit flavor is present but restrained — it sits alongside mild malt sweetness rather than overwhelming it. The body is light to medium, with low bitterness and a smooth, dry finish that lets the strawberry fade gently rather than linger cloying. It reads as a summer seasonal built for approachability without sacrificing the lager's structural cleanliness.
About the Brewery
Abita is based in Abita Springs, Louisiana, founded in 1986, making it one of the earlier craft breweries in the American South. They're best known for Amber and Purple Haze, and their seasonal and limited lineup leans heavily on Louisiana regional ingredients and local identity. Their distribution footprint is wide across the Southeast, and they hold a strong presence in a market where craft beer took longer to gain ground than in other regions.
Food Pairings
A spinach salad with strawberry vinaigrette pulls the fruit thread in the beer into the plate without competing with it. Grilled Gulf shrimp works well because the light malt base won't overshadow delicate seafood while the fruit note cuts through any char. A mild fresh goat cheese offers creamy contrast against the beer's dryness. Lemon shortbread or a fruit tart with a buttery crust pairs cleanly because the low bitterness won't clash with dessert sweetness.
Style Guide
Fruited lagers are cold-fermented lagers — typically light in body and low in bitterness — brewed with real fruit, fruit juice, or natural flavoring added during or after fermentation. The style sits within the broader American adjunct and craft lager tradition, distinguished from a standard lager by an intentional fruit character that ranges from subtle to forward depending on the brewer's hand. ABVs generally stay low, often under 5%, keeping the beer sessionable. Where a shandy blends beer with juice post-production, a fruited lager integrates the flavor into the brewing process itself, resulting in a more unified, less jarring final product.