Brooklyn Lager 12Pk

Brooklyn Lager 12Pk is a dry-hopped Vienna-style amber lager from Brooklyn Brewery, brewed at 5.2% ABV and packaged as a twelve-pack of 12 oz bottles. This flagship beer earned a Gold Medal in the Amber Lager category at the 2018 World Beer Cup, one of the most competitive international beer competitions.

Quick Facts: ABV: 5.2%  |  IBUs: 33  |  Origin: Brooklyn, New York, United States  |  Style: Vienna-Style Amber Lager  |  Brewery: Brooklyn Brewery

Production & Heritage

Brooklyn Brewery was founded in 1988 by Steve Hindy and Tom Potter, with Brooklyn Lager's recipe developed by legendary brewmaster Garrett Oliver. The beer is built on a base of American two-row malt and hopped with a transatlantic combination of Hallertauer Mittelfrueh, Vanguard, and Cascade varieties. What truly distinguishes this lager is its use of dry-hopping — a centuries-old British technique applied here to a Viennese-style recipe — in which fresh hops are steeped in the beer during a long, cold maturation period, amplifying the floral and citrus aromatics without adding harsh bitterness.

Tasting Notes

Aroma: The dry-hopping delivers an immediate burst of grapefruit zest and pine resin, followed by softer floral notes and a subtle bready sweetness from the malt backbone. It reads bright and inviting without overwhelming hop intensity.

Taste: The entry is led by toffee and toasted caramel malt, giving the beer a firm, substantial body. At mid-palate, the Cascade hops push through with grapefruit and orange peel flavors balanced against a bready, almost bran cereal-like grain character. The 33 IBUs provide measured bitterness that supports rather than dominates the malt.

Finish: Medium in length with a dry, crisp close marked by lingering caramel and pine-resin bitterness. The aftertaste is clean and refreshing, encouraging another sip without any cloying sweetness.

How to Drink Brooklyn Lager

Brooklyn Lager is highly versatile straight from the bottle or poured into a tulip glass at around 45°F, where its hop aromatics open up fully. It also holds its own in beer-forward mixed drinks: try it in a Michelada, where its caramel malt and citrus hops complement tomato juice and hot sauce; a Beer Shandy with fresh lemonade, which plays off the grapefruit notes; or a Boilermaker alongside a pour of rye whiskey, where the toffee malt bridges the gap between beer and spirit.

Best For

• Stocking a home fridge for weeknight dinners and casual entertaining
• Bringing to a summer barbecue or cookout as a crowd-pleasing craft option
• Introducing someone to craft lager beyond mass-market pale lagers
• Game day gatherings where drinkability and flavor both matter

Frequently Asked Questions

What does Brooklyn Lager taste like? Brooklyn Lager features toffee and toasted caramel malt flavors balanced by grapefruit, pine, and floral hop character, finishing dry and crisp with moderate bitterness at 33 IBUs.

How does Brooklyn Lager compare to Samuel Adams Boston Lager? Both are iconic American amber lagers with caramel malt profiles, but Brooklyn Lager leans more toward floral and citrus aromatics thanks to its dry-hopping with Cascade hops, while Boston Lager emphasizes noble hop spice and a slightly sweeter malt body. Brooklyn Lager also registers marginally lower bitterness, giving it a somewhat more approachable finish.

Is Brooklyn Lager good for craft beer beginners? Yes — its balanced malt sweetness and restrained hop bitterness make it an excellent gateway from mainstream lagers into more flavorful craft options. The familiar lager drinkability paired with added complexity rewards new drinkers without overwhelming them.

Where is Brooklyn Lager made? Brooklyn Lager is brewed by Brooklyn Brewery, which was founded in 1988 in Brooklyn, New York. The brewery remains one of the most recognized craft producers in the United States.

What foods pair well with Brooklyn Lager? Grilled burgers and sausages benefit from the caramel malt's ability to match charred, savory flavors. Sharp cheddar cheese highlights the beer's toffee notes. Roasted chicken works with the toasty grain backbone. Spicy Mexican dishes like tacos al pastor are tempered by the lager's crisp carbonation and moderate bitterness. Pizza — especially with caramelized onions or pepperoni — mirrors the malt sweetness while the hops cut through the richness.

What sizes does Brooklyn Lager come in? Brooklyn Lager is widely available in 12-packs of 12 oz bottles, as well as six-packs, individual 12 oz bottles and cans, and draft.

Is Brooklyn Lager worth the price? Brooklyn Lager positions as an accessible, everyday craft beer — priced in line with other flagship craft lagers. The dry-hopping technique and World Beer Cup Gold Medal pedigree deliver notable complexity for its price tier, representing strong value within the American craft lager category.

Why Brooklyn Lager?

Brooklyn Lager stands apart by applying a traditionally British dry-hopping method to a Vienna-style lager template — a combination that was genuinely novel when Garrett Oliver developed the recipe and remains relatively uncommon today. The 2018 World Beer Cup Gold Medal in the Amber Lager category confirms the beer competes at the highest international level. At 5.2% ABV with balanced malt depth and aromatic hop character, it occupies a sweet spot between sessionable drinkability and genuine craft complexity. Few American amber lagers have maintained this level of recognition and consistency over more than three decades of continuous production.