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lager

a type of pale, cold-fermented beer

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Where does the word "lager" come from? It comes from German Lagerbier, and was adopted directly into English (1850s).

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Where does the word "lager" come from? It comes from German Lagerbier, and was adopted directly into English (1850s).

Lager’s story begins in German: Lagerbier meant “beer that is stored and aged.” Literally "storage beer", brewed to be aged in cool cellars. It reached English by 1850s as lager. Popularized in America by German immigrant brewers. Today, lager means a type of pale, cold-fermented beer.

  1. Stage 1 · German · 1500s Lagerbier "beer that is stored and aged", literally "storage beer", brewed to be aged in cool cellars.
  2. Stage 2 · English · 1850s lager "a light, cold-fermented beer", popularized in America by German immigrant brewers.

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