Couldn't disagree more...I think their Pale is exceptional with plenty of hop flavor & just enough bitterness at 4.5% ABV. Their IPA is just fine, but not great in my opinion.

That said, we've noticed quality inconsistencies in some of the cans we've bought...hope they can get to a point where they are making consistent quality beer.

I lost my taste for syrupy, wheaty microbrews over the last few years, and have switched instead to dry, crisp lagers and pilseners. I am surprised no one in the Northwest makes those.

Right now I'm enjoying a refreshing Veltins from Germany.

Since when is 6.8% "manageable"? Their Field 41 Pale @ 4.5% is the kind of beer you can drink all night without becoming the tasmanian devil.

Agree with the above poster, 6.8% is "manageable?" You'd manage to get your ass plowed after a few of those.

Agree @2 about pilsners and lagers. Maritime makes an Old Seattle Lager that I love. Off subject, but I also love Reuben's Ryes.

@2 and @5 A Pilsner is a lager. And the reason you don't see more lagers from microbreweries is mostly to do with scale and cost. It takes 3-4 times as long to, properly, make a lager than an ale. So, you need to have sufficient scale, or specialize in it, to make them worth doing. The extra cost of refrigeration during the fermentation and lagering period also makes them more costly to produce unless you do enormous batches like AB InBev.

Maritime Brewery in Ballard makes both was my point.

Rogers Pilsner from Georgetown is a great local pils.

@2 & @6 I think it's also good to have as soft a water supply as possible (at least for pilsners). I haven't checked what our water is like but if you don't have incredibly soft water it can keep you from ever being able to achieve the clean flavor of a pilsner because the mineral content leads to off flavors.

Our water here is basically rainwater; it's quite soft and perfect for light lagers. (or any beer really.) The reason you don't see a lot of craft lagers has been mentioned already, one can produce two or three batches of an ale in the time it takes to brew one lager. There are exceptions, with brewers dedicated to lagers. Chuckanut, Alpine, and Orlison for example. But a lot of local brewers produce a Kolsch to compensate for not making a Pilsner, and there's some mighty fine ones out there.

@10 I'd be interested in a Kolsch recommendation.

Two Beers also looks to have a lager selection. I've only tried their ISA in cans, but thought it was good. I guess they have growler fills at the Woods.

@11:

Bainbridge Island Kommuter Kolsh, Hales Kolsch, Standard Brewing Kolsch.

The Hales is probably the most easy to come by, and is really well done. Of course, just get the Chuckanut beers if they're available and that's your bag.

#6

"All Pilseners are lagers, but not all lagers are pilseners."

http://askville.amazon.com/difference-pi…

@13 [insert feigned shock here]

But you know, nothing Pragmatic wrote is any less general than 'proper lagers'.