The Origin Story
House Lager was born out of trip that Jack took to Germany in the fall of 2014- a trip that he maintains was ‘work related,’ something that’s very loosely defined in in the world of beer. He spent this trip going from brewery to brewery and developed a strong appreciation for the “house beers” that each brewery had to offer. Each “house beer” was different from the next, but most fell within the Helles style. Meaning ‘bright’ in German, Helles beers are crisp, clean, golden lagers with balanced hop character and a trend towards mellow maltiness. When Jack got back from Germany, he and our team of brewers created a Helles beer which debuted in January 2015 with the name House Lager.
Besides becoming an immediate staff favorite (very important), we were impressed with the range of beer drinkers House Lager appealed to. One of my closest friends is a sheep farmer in Western MA. He loves to drink beer, but rarely ventures outside of the recognizable brands that would fall into the Light/Macro/Domestic segment. He loves House Lager, though I’m still not sure if he knows the name of it… he calls it “that beer.” On the other end of the spectrum- an über quality-minded bar owner in the Greater-Boston area who has a reputation for pouring some of the finest lagers, possessing a meticulous palate, and being extremely critical, but fair, in his beer tasting and he loved (I think) the House Lager.
Plans for the future
At this point, we have announced that House Lager will become a part of our core lineup of beers. We are currently putting thought into the packaging design and format, focusing on accessibility and of course, the source of inspiration- German Brewers. For the time being, House Lager is being served by a limited number of our bar/restaurant partners as we continue to introduce it to the beer drinkers of the world (or maybe just our distribution footprint).
Our House in Their House!
We view House Lager as an “everyone beer”- a beer that can be consumed by anyone (from my sheep farming friend, to the curator of craft beer), anywhere, at any time. Aligning with our perception of this beer, we are rolling out a dinner series called “Our House in Their House” (thanks to Brenda at Kirkland Tap & Trotter for help with the name). This will not be a conventional beer dinner series. This is a pairing in its truest form- lots of food and lots of beer. There will be no small pours or course introductions. There will be food, unique to the personality of each restaurant, and there will be House Lager- only House Lager- and it will be served to you in a .5l mug. *Update* The first Our House in Their House dinner is taking place at Kirkland Tap & Trotter on October 15th! Get your tickets here.
Bar and Restaurant Partners Pouring House Lager August 2015
Worcester: Armsby Abbey, Dive Bar
Metro West: Stone’s Public House
Westford: Evviva Cucina
Central Square: Miracle of Science
Kendall Square: State Park
Assembly Row: River Bar
Downtown Crossing: Stoddard’s
Fort Point: Row 34
Inman Square(ish): Trina’s Starlite Lounge, Parlor Sports, Lone Star Taco Bar, Kirkland Tap and Trotter
Plymouth: Speedwell Tavern
Harvard Square: Russell House Tavern
Fenway: The Citizen Public House
Back Bay: Bar Boloud
Charlestown: Brewer’s Fork
Allston: Deep Ellum
North End: Ward 8
Ben Warner, 2015
