Pale lager

International Pale Lager

BJCP 2A

The global export lager: a touch more malt and bitterness than the American version, made everywhere from Mexico to the Philippines, and usually the beer on the menu when there is only one.

Vital statistics

Each bar is drawn against the full range of all 98 styles

Original gravity

1.042 - 1.050

Final gravity

1.008 - 1.012

Bitterness

18 IBU - 25 IBU

Colour

2 SRM - 6 SRM

Alcohol

4.6% - 6%

Colour also 4-12 EBC

What goes wrong

Light-struck flavour. This is the style most often sold in green or clear glass, and if you bottle it in anything but brown it will smell of skunk within days.

Commercial examples

Asahi Super DryBirra MorettiCorona ExtraHeinekenRed StripeSingha

Reference examples of the style, as listed in the BJCP 2021 Style Guidelines. Availability varies by market and year.

Vital statistics as published in the BJCP 2021 Style Guidelines. Not yet checked against the published guidelines: treat these ranges as a planning aid and read the source at bjcp.org before entering a competition.

The rest of the pale lager family

American Light Lager

2.8-4.2% · 8-12 IBU

American Lager

4.2-5.3% · 8-18 IBU

Cream Ale

4.2-5.6% · 8-20 IBU

Czech Pale Lager

3-4.1% · 20-35 IBU

Czech Premium Pale Lager

4.2-5.8% · 30-45 IBU

Munich Helles

4.7-5.4% · 16-22 IBU

Festbier

5.8-6.3% · 18-25 IBU

German Leichtbier

2.4-3.6% · 15-28 IBU

Kolsch

4.4-5.2% · 18-30 IBU

German Helles Exportbier

4.8-6% · 20-30 IBU

German Pils

4.4-5.2% · 22-40 IBU

Plan a batch to these numbers.

Bitterness Colour Alcohol