United States
United Kingdom
Key takeaways
Lager can be brilliantly simple without being boring. The best lagers balance clean fermentation, refreshing carbonation and enough malt or hop character to make you reach for another glass.
For 2026, we have picked six worth knowing - and brewing. Our top four are lagers you can actually make fresh at home with Pinter, including award-winning ones. They range from an everyday golden lager to Mexican, West Coast and Oktoberfest styles. We have also added two British lagers that are definitely worth mentioning.
So, whether you want one of the best-tasting lagers for a sunny afternoon or something with a little more character, start here.
The Best Lagers for 2026 at a Glance
| Lager | style | ABV | our pick for |
|---|---|---|---|
| Sunlit | Lager | 4.7% | Best Overall |
| En Casa | Mexican Lager | 4.5% | Warm Weather |
| Hopewell West Coast Lager | West Coast Lager | 4.5% | Hop Lovers |
| Prostmeister | Oktoberfest Lager | 6.5% | Seasonal Drinking |
| Camden Hells | Lager | 4.6% | British Craft Option |
| Braybrooke Helles | Helles Lager | 4.2% | Light Lager |
How We Picked the Best Lagers
There is no single lager that wins for everyone.
We looked at crispness, balance, drinkability, flavour and how well each beer delivers what you expect from its particular lager style. That matters because a light Mexican lager and a maltier Oktoberfest lager are trying to do very different things.
The best-tasting lager is the one that gets its own job right.
6 Best Lagers for 2026 Ranked
Sunlit
If you want a classic lager without disappearing into the background, Sunlit is our starting point.
Style:: Lager
ABV:: 4.7%
It pours sunshine-gold with the clean, crisp character lager drinkers expect. Lightly spicy Czech Saaz hops add just enough lift, while smooth British malt keeps everything balanced. We call it our Ultimate Everyday Lager for good reason: straightforward enough for the fridge regular, but with enough flavour to make the glass interesting.
Sunlit has a recommended 10-day brew and 15-day conditioning time, giving the beer time to develop its rounded, crisp profile.
For barbecues, football, Friday evenings or simply because the sun has appeared in Britain, it is our most versatile pick.
En Casa
Searching for the best Mexican lagers usually means you want something light, clean and properly refreshing. En Casa gets straight to the point.
Style:: Mexican Lager
ABV:: 4.5%
This 4.5% Mexican Lager is dry and light-bodied, with low malt character, restrained bitterness and a crisp, clean finish. Add a wedge of lime if the weather calls for it.
There is some hardware behind the easy drinking, too. En Casa won Gold at the 2024 USA Beer Ratings, where it scored 90 points as an International Lager. Judges picked up bright lemon, fresh bread, light malt and a clean finish.
If someone asks, “What are the best warm weather lagers?”, this is where we would point them.
Hopewell West Coast Lager
Lager drinker meets hop lover.
Style:: West Coast Lager
ABV:: 4.5%
Hopewell West Coast Lager is our collaboration with Chicago's Hopewell Brewing. Mosaic hops bring tropical fruit, citrus and a piney backbone, while clean lager fermentation keeps everything crisp rather than heavy. A dry finish pulls it all together.
It is also now one of the most decorated beers on this list. At the 2026 World Beer Awards, Hopewell West Coast Lager won Gold and was named England Country Winner in the Hoppy Pilsener category.
Despite that competition classification, we sell and brew it as a West Coast Lager. For anyone exploring the best craft lagers but accustomed to hop-forward pale ales and IPAs, it is an easy place to cross over.
Prostmeister
Not every great lager needs to be pale, delicate and built for a deckchair.
Style:: Oktoberfest Lager
ABV:: 6.5%
Prostmeister takes lager in a richer direction. Our 6.5% Oktoberfest Lager combines a crisp, clean base with caramel and biscuit notes, balanced bitterness and a gentle sweetness.
That makes it particularly good when the weather turns cooler, the food gets heartier and steins suddenly seem like sensible glassware.
Prostmeister also took Silver with 87 points at the 2025 USA Beer Ratings.
Among the best seasonal lagers, Oktoberfest-inspired beers have a useful trick: they bring more malt and body without losing the clean finish that makes lager so drinkable.
Special mentions
Camden Hells is a 4.6% lager built from two German influences: Helles and Pilsner. Camden describes it as clean, crisp and dry, using Perle and Hallertauer Tradition hops with Pilsner malt.
It is a familiar British craft option for drinkers who like their lager refreshing, smooth and uncomplicated.
Braybrooke's 4.2% Helles takes a more traditional Bavarian route. It is malt-forward, light and easy-drinking, brewed with Pilsner and Munich malts plus Hallertau Tradition hops.
The beer is matured for 30 days and sold unfiltered and unpasteurised, giving us a useful example of how much character can sit inside a relatively light lager.
Which Lager Should You Choose?
Keep it simple:
Lager itself covers far more territory than the pale pint most people picture. Some of the best amber lagers lean towards toasted malt and caramel; the best dark lagers can bring deeper bread, toast and malt character while retaining a clean lager finish. That broad variety is one reason some of the best lagers in the world taste remarkably different from one another.
Best Lager, Made by You - Fresh
Buying a good lager is okay. But imagine making one fresh and pouring it from your own tap - isn't it considerably more satisfying?
With Pinter, brewing, conditioning and tapping happen through one system. Add your ingredients and water, brew, move the Pinter into the fridge to condition, then tap your fresh beer directly from it. One Pinter makes 10 pints.
And lager does not have to mean choosing the same style every time. Go classic with Sunlit, light and dry with En Casa, hop-forward with Hopewell, or save Prostmeister for something richer.
How to Make a Good Lager Taste Even Better
Picked your lager? A few small serving choices can make a noticeable difference.
Good lager is refreshing straight away. Served properly, you also get to taste everything that made it worth choosing.
Make Your Next Best Lager with Pinter
You have seen our picks. Now choose the one going into your fridge. With Pinter, you can make 10 pints of fresh beer at home and tap them straight from the same system once your beer has brewed and conditioned. Your next lager is yours to make.
GET YOUR PINTER TODAYFrequently asked questions
What is the best tasting lager?+
What are the best warm weather lagers?+
What are the best craft lagers?+
About the author
Charlie Howsego
Community Executive
As Pinter's Community Executive, Charlie loves nothing more than helping people discover the joy of brewing at home. Through his writing, he shares practical tips, brewing insights, and a genuine passion for fresh beer.