Brooklyn Lager 6Pk

Brooklyn Lager 6Pk is a dry-hopped Vienna-style lager brewed by Brooklyn Brewery in New York City at 5.2% ABV, available in a 6-pack of 12 oz bottles. This flagship amber lager took Gold in the Amber Lager category at the 2018 World Beer Cup, cementing its reputation as one of America's defining craft lagers.

Quick Facts: ABV: 5.2%  |  Origin: Brooklyn, New York, USA  |  Style: Vienna Lager  |  IBU: 33  |  Brewery: Brooklyn Brewery

Production & Heritage

Brooklyn Brewery was founded in 1988 in Brooklyn, New York, and Brooklyn Lager has been the brewery's flagship since inception. Brewed with American two-row malt and a trio of hops — Hallertauer Mittelfrueh, Vanguard, and Cascade — the beer follows the Vienna lager tradition of malt-forward balance. What distinguishes it from typical Vienna lagers is the use of dry-hopping, a centuries-old British technique in which fresh hops are steeped into the beer during an extended cold maturation. This crossover of British brewing practice and Viennese lager style is central to the beer's identity and results in a noticeably more aromatic profile than its continental counterparts.

Tasting Notes

Aroma: Floral hop character leads, followed by bready malt sweetness and hints of citrus. The dry-hopping process amplifies the hop aromatics without adding harsh bitterness.

Taste: The entry is smooth with toasty caramel and toffee malt, giving way to a firm mid-palate where grapefruit and floral hop notes assert themselves. The 33 IBU bitterness is measured but present, keeping the malt sweetness in check and lending structure through the peak.

Finish: Medium-length and notably dry, with lingering caramel malt and a clean, slightly nutty character. A subtle charred grain note fades alongside the residual hop bitterness.

How to Drink Brooklyn Lager

Serve chilled at around 45°F in a tulip pint or standard pint glass to let the dry-hopped aromatics open up. Brooklyn Lager is straightforward and sessionable, best enjoyed without much fuss — cold from the bottle or freshly poured.

For cocktail-adjacent serves: use it in a Beer-a-Rita where the caramel malt adds depth against lime and salt; try a Michelada where the malt backbone stands up well to tomato, hot sauce, and Worcestershire; or build a Shandy with fresh lemonade, where the floral hop character blends naturally with citrus.

Best For

• Stocking a home fridge for weeknight dinners and casual hosting
• Introducing craft beer drinkers to the Vienna lager style
• Backyard grilling sessions where a malt-forward lager complements charred food
• Bringing to a gathering as a crowd-pleasing, widely accessible craft beer

Frequently Asked Questions

What does Brooklyn Lager taste like? Brooklyn Lager delivers toasty caramel and toffee malt up front, balanced by floral hop aroma and moderate grapefruit bitterness, finishing clean and dry. It drinks like a malt-forward amber lager with more hop aromatics than a traditional Vienna lager.

How does Brooklyn Lager compare to Sam Adams Boston Lager? Both are American-brewed Vienna-style lagers with comparable ABV and malt-driven profiles, but Brooklyn Lager uses dry-hopping during cold maturation, which gives it a more pronounced floral and citrus hop aroma. Sam Adams Boston Lager tends to lean slightly more toward caramel sweetness with a spicier, more traditional noble hop character.

Is Brooklyn Lager good for beginners? Brooklyn Lager is an excellent entry point into craft beer — its balanced malt sweetness and restrained bitterness at 33 IBUs make it approachable without being bland. The dry-hopped aromatics also introduce newcomers to hop character in a gentle way.

Where is Brooklyn Lager made? Brooklyn Lager is brewed by Brooklyn Brewery, founded in 1988 and based in the Williamsburg neighborhood of Brooklyn, New York City.

What foods pair well with Brooklyn Lager? Grilled burgers and sausages benefit from the malt sweetness cutting through charred fat. Sharp cheddar cheese mirrors the toasty, nutty grain notes. Roasted chicken works well as the beer's moderate bitterness refreshes the palate between bites. Fish tacos with citrus slaw echo the lager's grapefruit and floral hop character. Pizza — particularly with caramelized onions or roasted peppers — finds a natural companion in the toffee malt backbone.

What sizes does Brooklyn Lager come in? Brooklyn Lager is widely available in 6-packs of 12 oz bottles and cans, as well as individual 12 oz units, 12-packs, and draft.

Is Brooklyn Lager worth the price? Brooklyn Lager positions as an accessible, everyday craft beer priced competitively within the craft lager segment. For a 2018 World Beer Cup Gold medalist with a distinctive dry-hopped production method, it represents strong value among amber and Vienna-style lagers.

Why Brooklyn Lager?

The defining move here is dry-hopping a Vienna-style lager — a deliberate fusion of British technique and continental tradition that Brooklyn Brewery has built its identity around since 1988. That production choice creates an amber lager with noticeably more aromatic complexity than the style typically delivers, validated by Gold at the 2018 World Beer Cup. The combination of American two-row malt, Hallertauer Mittelfrueh, Vanguard, and Cascade hops produces a beer that balances Old World malt character with New World hop expression. Among widely distributed American craft lagers, few have maintained this level of consistency and recognition for over three decades.