{"title":"Norfolk Lager","description":"\u003cp class=\"isSelectedEnd\"\u003e\u003cspan\u003eDiscover lager brewed in Norfolk by some of the county's independent breweries – from crisp, refreshing craft lagers to modern interpretations of one of the world's most popular beer styles.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"isSelectedEnd\"\u003e\u003cspan\u003eThere's an especially strong connection between beer and Norfolk. Look across the county's fields and you're looking at one of Britain's great malting-barley growing regions. Some of that barley ultimately becomes the malt at the heart of beers brewed here in Norfolk and much further afield.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"isSelectedEnd\"\u003e\u003cspan\u003eSo when you choose a Norfolk lager, there's often an agricultural story behind the beer as well as a brewery.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003ch3\u003e\u003cspan\u003eWhat makes a lager a lager?\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/h3\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"isSelectedEnd\"\u003e\u003cspan\u003eThe difference between lager and ale isn't simply that one is light and the other dark.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"isSelectedEnd\"\u003e\u003cspan\u003eLagers are generally made using \u003c\/span\u003e\u003cstrong\u003e\u003cspan\u003ebottom-fermenting lager yeast and fermented at cooler temperatures\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003cspan\u003e, followed by a period of conditioning. In fact, the word \u003c\/span\u003e\u003cem\u003e\u003cspan\u003elager\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/em\u003e\u003cspan\u003e comes from the German word associated with storing.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"isSelectedEnd\"\u003e\u003cspan\u003eThat slower, cooler process helps produce the \u003c\/span\u003e\u003cstrong\u003e\u003cspan\u003eclean, crisp and refreshing character\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003cspan\u003e we tend to associate with lager.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"isSelectedEnd\"\u003e\u003cspan\u003eBut lager is a family of beers rather than one flavour. Norfolk brewers are increasingly demonstrating just how much variety can exist within it.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003ch3\u003e\u003cspan\u003eWhat does Norfolk lager taste like?\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/h3\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"isSelectedEnd\"\u003e\u003cspan\u003eThat depends very much on the brewer and the particular lager.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"isSelectedEnd\"\u003e\u003cspan\u003eYou'll find \u003c\/span\u003e\u003cstrong\u003e\u003cspan\u003eclean, crisp and refreshing lagers\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003cspan\u003e with gentle malt character and a dry or hoppy finish alongside fuller, more malt-driven styles and contemporary interpretations using different grains, hops and brewing techniques.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"isSelectedEnd\"\u003e\u003cspan\u003eIf your idea of lager has largely been shaped by mass-produced international brands, Norfolk craft lager is an opportunity to discover just how much flavour and individuality the style can have.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003ch3\u003e\u003cspan\u003eFrom Norfolk fields to Norfolk beer\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/h3\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"isSelectedEnd\"\u003e\u003cspan\u003eOne of the things that makes Norfolk particularly well suited to brewing is what happens before anybody switches on the brewing equipment.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"isSelectedEnd\"\u003e\u003cspan\u003eThe county is renowned for growing \u003c\/span\u003e\u003cstrong\u003e\u003cspan\u003emalting barley\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003cspan\u003e, including the celebrated \u003c\/span\u003e\u003cstrong\u003e\u003cspan\u003eMaris Otter\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003cspan\u003e variety, prized by brewers for generations.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"isSelectedEnd\"\u003e\u003cspan\u003eMaris Otter has particularly strong Norfolk connections. It is grown in the county, malted here and used by brewers both locally and around the world.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"isSelectedEnd\"\u003e\u003cspan\u003eThat means the connection between Norfolk's farmers and its brewers can be remarkably short: \u003c\/span\u003e\u003cstrong\u003e\u003cspan\u003ebarley grown in Norfolk can become malt in Norfolk before finding its way into beer brewed in Norfolk.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"isSelectedEnd\"\u003e\u003cspan\u003eNot every ingredient in every Norfolk beer will necessarily have been grown here – hops and other ingredients may come from elsewhere – but barley gives Norfolk beer a particularly strong connection to the county's agricultural landscape.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003ch3\u003e\u003cspan\u003eCraft lager versus mass-produced lager – what's the difference?\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/h3\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"isSelectedEnd\"\u003e\u003cspan\u003eThe basic brewing principles may be similar, but scale, ingredients, recipes and time can produce very different results.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"isSelectedEnd\"\u003e\u003cspan\u003eIndependent brewers can use particular malts, distinctive hop varieties, longer conditioning periods and their own recipes to create lagers with considerably more individual character.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"isSelectedEnd\"\u003e\u003cspan\u003eThat doesn't necessarily mean stronger or more challenging beer. A well-made craft lager can still be beautifully straightforward: \u003c\/span\u003e\u003cstrong\u003e\u003cspan\u003ecold, crisp, balanced and extremely drinkable\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003cspan\u003e.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"isSelectedEnd\"\u003e\u003cspan\u003eThe difference is that there's a brewer, a recipe and often a sense of place behind it.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003ch3\u003e\u003cspan\u003eNorfolk breweries making lager\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/h3\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"isSelectedEnd\"\u003e\u003cspan\u003eOur Norfolk Lager collection brings together beers from independent breweries around the county, including producers such as \u003c\/span\u003e\u003cstrong\u003e\u003cspan\u003eDuration, Moon Gazer and Stump Rat\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003cspan\u003e, with the selection changing as breweries release new beers and seasonal brews.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"isSelectedEnd\"\u003e\u003cspan\u003eSome take inspiration from classic European lager traditions; others put a distinctly modern Norfolk interpretation on the style.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"isSelectedEnd\"\u003e\u003cspan\u003eAnd that's really the point of this collection. Norfolk lager isn't one beer or one flavour. It's another way of discovering what happens when a county famous for growing brewing ingredients also develops a thriving community of independent brewers.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cspan\u003eExplore our current selection of Norfolk lagers below.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e","products":[],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0523\/5870\/9434\/collections\/stump-rat-brewing-umai-rice-lager-stump-rat-brewery-3448433.jpg?v=1790087858","url":"https:\/\/norfolk-deli.co.uk\/collections\/norfolk-lager.oembed","provider":"Norfolk Deli","version":"1.0","type":"link"}