LCBO Food & Drink Summer 2025

LAGER HEADS

Lagers to Pair with Summer Fare Historically, the Helles style is one of the most recent types of German lager. It means “bright” or “pale,” attributes that helped its popularity. With a beer this simple, balance becomes crucial. Light, bready malts and gently grassy, herbal and spicy hops work together to create a perfectly thirst-quenching hot weather beer style. The Helles style is ideal for low-key summer get-togethers involving food or snacks, since it goes with everything—whether it’s fried appetizers, crudités or just some potato chips and dip.

Burdock Brewery Deluxe (LCBO 37113, 473 mL, $4.50) is a premium version of the Helles style, using herbal German Hallertauer and Tettnanger hops to balance a profoundly rich, bready body with a bitter backbone.

Just for fun, you may want to compare Ontario’s excellent craft beers against an import. Germany’s Paulaner Munich Helles (LCBO 17513, 500 mL, $2.90) is an excellent—and delicious—benchmark of this style.

Hamilton’s Collective Arts Lager (LCBO 31512, 473 mL, $3.25) is a recent addition to the brewery’s portfolio. It’s a stripped-down lager that showcases balance and a crisp finish, from a brewery that often releases more esoteric fare.

Muddy York Gaslight Helles (LCBO 570176, 473 mL, $3.95) uses classic ingredients, including Bohemian Pilsner malt, to create a lightly bready lager that is remark ably soft on the palate.

From their estate in Oro-Medonte, Quayle’s Brewery makes full use of its one hop yard in its Line 12 Helles Lager (LCBO 38572, 473 mL, $3.45), with Triple Pearl hops lending a soft floral charac ter to this sweetly malty beer.

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———————— SUMMER 2025