As breweries continue to look to broaden portfolios and reach drinkers who may be wary of hop-forward or high-ABV offerings, Lagers are increasingly becoming a strategic bridge. Clean, approachable and technically demanding, Lagers have gained even more prominence and, for many breweries, awards have followed.
A panel of Ohio brewers at the 2026 Ohio Craft Brewers Conference showcased that there are three common factors for their award-winning Lagers: patience and time, ingredient quality and consistency, along with a deep familiarity with process and equipment.
Patience remains one of the most consistent themes among brewers producing standout Lagers. John Loose of Loose Ends Brewing pointed to extended lagering as a key contributor to his award-winning beer.
“For Lagers in general, my thing is just time… just time and tasting it as much as you can,” he said, noting that his silver-medal Eisbock spent months conditioning. “We let that beer lager for six months before we even tapped it… about six months is where that Eisbock tasted the best.”
That emphasis on patience was echoed by Rob Camstra of Gemüt Biergarten, who emphasized cold conditioning as a non-negotiable step.
“Once we’re through primary fermentation… we cool all the way down to 30 F, and then we hold it at 30 F for 28 days before the beer is done,” he said. “It’s pretty hard to fake that step.
“It definitely makes a huge impact on the final product.”
Even brewers operating at larger production scales see value in careful timing, though not always lengthy lagering. Brittany Frey of MadTree Brewing said her team balances production needs with process discipline.
“We go through entire fermentation, diacetyl rest, and then it lagers for two weeks at 30 degrees,” she said, noting that centrifugation helps maintain clarity and quality despite shorter timelines for the Cincincatti-based brewery.
Beyond time, ingredient quality and consistency emerged as another shared priority. Camstra highlighted contracting ingredients to reduce variability.
“We use high quality ingredients across the board… we contract our hops even as a smaller brewery, because it gives us a more consistent kind of product to use all year round,” he said.
He added that purchasing large lots of base malt has further improved consistency.
“We actually bought a whole container of malt… so we’ve got one lot of base malt for all of that beer,” he said.
Frey echoed that approach at MadTree, emphasizing ingredient selection from the start. “Using… top quality ingredients, making sure from beginning to end that you’re doing proper techniques in your brewhouse,” she said.
A third theme centered on process knowledge and continuous iteration.
Nick Gabriel of Forbidden Root stressed understanding system limitations and adjusting accordingly.
“I think it’s about knowing your equipment and its limitations, your processes… and then that kind of allows me to play with all the other variables,” he said. “There’s lots of different ways to make great beer.”
Jeff Fortney of Eudora Brewing Company similarly described Lager success as a refinement process over time.
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“I think in terms of iteration… here’s my best vanilla 1.0 version… and then refine, dial it in, and dial it in,” he said. Fortney also noted that subtle process details, like water composition, can influence outcomes.
“I try to not let the water get in the way of beer, and let those quality ingredients… shine through,” he said.
The panel, moderated by Kevin Ely of Wooly Pig Farm Brewery, also highlighted a wide range of brewhouse setups and ingredient choices, underscoring that award-winning Lagers are not limited to specific equipment or scale. From five-barrel electric systems to 100-barrel steam brewhouses, the common denominator remained discipline, patience and attention to detail.
As more breweries look to Lagers to connect with broader audiences, this shows the path to award-winning results is less about shortcuts and more about fundamentals.
Time, quality ingredients and deep process understanding continue to define Lagers that stand out. Increasingly, those ideals can help bridge the gap between a craft beer enthusiast and new consumers.
