When it comes to crushable, crisp spring beers your first thought might be to crack open a refreshing pilsner. And while that idea isn’t wrong, we implore you to give helles-style lagers a chance this spring as well. For those unaware, this traditional German lager’s name translates to “pale in color” and that’s exactly what it is. Like a pilsner, it’s also sweet, floral, and gently bitter at the back end.
The difference between a helles-style lager and a pilsner is quite simple. Helles-style lagers originated in Germany while pilsners came from what’s now referred to as Czechia. Helles-style lagers are also known for their malt backbone and floral Noble hops, while pilsners are known for their crisp, lightly bitter, spicier flavor notes. Both are perfect for spring, but today Helles gets its due.
To help you get into that spring feeling, we found eight of the best Helles-style lagers and ranked them based on overall flavor and crushability. Since this is a classic Bavarian beer style, we picked a few classic German lagers and some popular American takes on the style. Keep reading to see how everything turned out.
ABV: 4.8%
Average Price: $11 for a six-pack
The Beer:
With a name like Classic Lager, you should have a pretty good idea about what’s inside this can. This sessionable lager has a classic recipe as it’s made with a base of Pilsner malts and gets its hop aroma and flavor from the liberal use of German Hallertau hops.
Tasting Notes:
You’ll find traditional lager aromas of pilsner malts, floral, earthy noble hops, cracked black pepper, honey, and citrus peels on the nose. The palate is centered on biscuit-like malts, white pepper, cereal grains, and floral, earthy, noble hops. It’s crisp, light, and very refreshing.
Bottom Line:
This is a straightforward, no-frills, crushable lager for any time of year. It’s just a solid beer that belongs in your refrigerator.
ABV: 4.9%
Average Price: $13 for a six-pack
The Beer:
This American craft version of the traditional Helles-style lager is brewed with a Pilsner malt base and Saaz and Hallertau hops. The result is a floral, fruity, flavorful, crisp beer you’ll drink all spring and into the summer months.
Tasting Notes:
A nose of freshly baked bread, cereal grains, honey, citrus fruit, and floral, earthy hops starts everything on the right foot. The palate is filled with flavors like peach, honey, grass, freshly baked bread, cereal grains, citrus peels, and floral noble hops. It’s crisp, refreshing, and memorable.
Bottom Line:
This beer is loaded with classic Helles-style lager flavors. Bready malts, honey, fruit, and noble hops. What’s not to love?
ABV: 5.2%
Average Price: $11 for a four-pack of 16-ounce cans
The Beer:
When you see that beer is called “House Lager” you should assume that it’s crisp, refreshing, no-frills beer. That’s exactly what this beer from the folks at Jack’s Abby is. Brewed with imported German malts and hops, this golden lager is available year-round.
Tasting Notes:
On the nose, you’ll find yeasty bread, cereal grains, lemon peels, honey, and grassy, floral, earthy hops. There’s more of the same on the palate with notes of fresh baked bread, honey, lemongrass, cracker malts, and floral, earthy hops. Crisp, light, and very easy to drink.
Bottom Line:
This is the kind of beer you’ll drink after a long day of work. It’s crushable, light, and surprisingly flavorful.
ABV: 4.9%
Average Price: $11 for a six-pack
The Beer:
If you’ve ever seen the movie The Sound of Music, you might be wondering what ever happened to the von Trapp family. Well, they moved to Vermont and opened a brewery (and a farm and hotel). They brew authentic European-style beers. One of their best is von Trapp Helles which gets its traditional flavor from the use of Pilsnt malt and Perle and Tettnanger hops.
Tasting Notes:
A complex nose of yeasty bread, biscuit-like malts, lemon peels, caramel, pears, and floral hops greet you before your first sip. Drinking it reveals notes of bread, cracker malts, cereal grains, honey, citrus zest, ripe fruits, and snappy, floral hops. The finish is clean, crisp, and loaded with floral hops.
Bottom Line:
This Helles-style lager is as traditional as you get with American craft beers. It’s a perfect balance of malt and hops.
ABV: 5.1%
Average Price: $11 for a six-pack
The Beer:
When it comes to classic Helles-style lagers, it’s difficult to beat the appeal of Hofbräu Original. Brewed with Munich and light barley malts, it gets its classic, clean, floral aroma and flavor from the use of Herkules, Perle, and Select hops,
Tasting Notes:
Classic aromas of grass, yeast, bready malts, ripe fruit, and floral, noble hops make for a memorable start to this beer. Sipping it brings forth notes of pilsner malts, cereal grains, grass, honey, light fruit, lemon peels, and a nice kick of floral, earthy, snappy hop flavor at the finish.
Bottom Line:
This beer is all about balance. There is a lot of malt flavor up front and then a ton of grassy, floral aroma and flavor at the finish.
ABV: 4.9%
Average Price: $10 for a six-pack
The Beer:
This wildly popular beer is well-known for its crisp, refreshing, balanced flavor profile. It’s brewed simply with water, malted barley, and hops. If you want to take a deep dive, its ingredients include Munich and Pilsner malt as well as Hallertauer Tradition hops.
Tasting Notes:
Biscuit malts, caramel, honey, lemongrass, ripe fruit, and floral, earthy, noble hops make for a memorable nose. The palate is filled with bready malts, cereal grains, honey, orchard fruits, toffee, and floral hops. The finish is a nice mix of malt sweetness and floral hops.
Bottom Line:
As helles-style lagers go, Paulaner skews a little sweeter, but its’ perfectly tempered by the addition of floral, noble hops.
ABV: 5%
Average Price: $13 for a four-pack of 16-ounce cans
The Beer:
Minnesota’s Surly is the type of brewery that makes nothing but bangers. One of its best is Surly Hell. This classic, German-style helles lager is brewed with Pilsner and Carahell malt as well as Sterling hops.
Tasting Notes:
Before your first sip, you’ll be greeted with aromas of yeasty bread, ripe fruits, crisp apples, lemon peels, honey, cracker malts, and floral hops. Drinking it brings you notes of yeasty bread, hay, cracked black pepper, honey, light fruitiness, and a nice finish of floral hops.
Bottom Line:
Crisp, dry, lightly spicy, and very flavorful, this is the kind of Helles-style lager you’ll want to have on hand for the warm spring days ahead.
ABV: 5.1%
Average Price: $12 for a six-pack
The Beer:
Weihenstephaner is the oldest brewery in the world with a genesis of 1040. During almost 1,000 years of brewing, it’s safe to say the brewers have come as close to perfecting recipes as possible. One of its best beers is its classic Weihenstephaner Helles. Following the German purity laws, this iconic beer is brewed simply with water, hops, malts, and yeast.
Tasting Notes:
A lot is going on with this beer’s nose. This includes notes of cracked black pepper, grass, fresh bread, cereal grains, and floral hops. The palate continues this great trend. There are flavors of cracker malts, cereal grains, white pepper, lemon peels, caramel, orchard fruits, and floral, lightly bitter, earthy hops.
Bottom Line:
Weihenstephaner’s version is as perfect as helles-style lagers get. It’s aromatic, flavorful, and still surprisingly crushable.
