Traditional Never Tasted So Modern: Lórien, and the Case for Neo-Noble Hops in Craft Lager
In the early decades of American craft beer (1980s and 90s), “beer” for most Americans meant domestic light lager, a commodity product, differentiated by not much more than the vibe of a particular brand’s marketing. Lagers were shunned by most of the early craft breweries. What would be the point of a new small brewery adding a few more drops to an already endless ocean of lager? Brewers of that time were well aware that there was a wonderful world of more compelling lager beer outside the U.S., but most chose to draw a clear line between themselves and the dominant American macro-brewers… by brewing ales.
But in the words of Bob Dylan, the times they are a-changin’, and the age of craft lager is now upon us. Evidence of this change can be found in the fact that several notable lager-focused brands that started as either a side project or a flagship lager within a broader brewery, have now evolved into a standalone brand or company (like Garage Beer or Douglas Lager) due to that lager’s success. And while this may seem surprising to some given how pervasive American macro-lagers still remain, the reality is that lagers are the most widely consumed beer style in the world; and the potential for the craft beer industry to capture a greater market share of lager drinkers is exceedingly high, even despite the current challenges facing our industry.
Craft lagers started gaining wider popularity in America around the mid-2010s, but the roots go back further. The rise happened in distinct phases, and understanding those phases helps clarify how we got to today’s craft lager boom.
(1980s–2000s) — Most early craft breweries (Sierra Nevada, Bell’s, Deschutes, New Belguim, Dogfish Head, Stone) focused on ales, not lagers. Reasons for this were many, but primarily because lagers take longer to brew, need colder fermentation, and require more space and equipment, whereas ales are quicker and easier to produce at small scale. This resulted in craft beer becoming synonymous with hoppy, bold ales while lagers were seen as bland “macro beer.”
(2000s–2010s) — Some craft breweries quietly brewed or specialized in lagers before they were trendy: Victory Brewing (Prima Pils), Brooklyn Brewery (Brooklyn Lager), and Jack’s Abby (founded 2011). These breweries built cult followings, but lagers were still second-class in the craft scene, which was dominated by IPAs.
(2015–2019) — Several factors began shifting consumer and brewer interest, such as IPA fatigue, a desire to return to traditional European brewing styles & methods, and an embracing of sessionability & accessibility (lighter lagers appealed to a wider audience, especially in hot climates and for casual drinking). Many notable breweries, such as Bierstadt Lagerhaus and Wayfinder, helped catalyze this shift, and lagers started appearing at more beer fests and on tap lists, not just as a temporary placeholder.
(2020–Present) — Side-pull Lukr taps, foam pours, and Czech/German lager traditions have became fashionable. Lagers have started driving brand identity and business strategy, and even IPA-focused breweries like Russian River and Sierra Nevada are putting more emphasis on their lager programs, with Russian River having just won a gold medal at World Beer Cup for their STS Pils, and Sierra Nevada in the midst of rolling out their new year-round Premium Pils Lager. We’re now in the middle of a full-on craft lager movement, with lager-only breweries gaining traction and national brands focusing on light, approachable lagers with modern branding.
“We love Lórien because it seamlessly combines some of the traditional European lager aromas into the more modern American hops aromas, specifically the American Sprite-like (lemon-lime) aroma into the traditional bouquet of herbs that European lager hops are so renowned for."
JOHN MARTI , HEAD BREWER @ DOUGLAS LAGER
So here we are in 2025. Domestic macro-lager is still very much alive, but no longer supreme amongst the many beverage choices. Craft lager looms large and in order to attract more consumer decisions towards craft beer (and brew what many brewers themselves want to drink), large numbers of breweries are adding multiple styles of lager to their tap list. And while craft beer doesn’t like to be put in a box, you could say that these new craft lagers fall generally into two categories:
Traditional — Beers that have similar qualities to European lagers in which hops “carefully” add bitterness and aroma to a foundation of malt and fermentation flavor. Hops for these beers tend to be European “noble” varieties or American varieties that were bred to be US-grown substitutes for traditional European varieties (Willamette, Sterling, Mt. Hood, Crystal, or Liberty).
New School — Lagers brewed with moderated additions of popular IPA hops. Until recently, the only alternative to the older “noble” hop varieties has been to brew lagers with robustly flavored new American IPA hops. These have gone by various style names such as IPL and Hoppy Lager, or more recently, Cold IPA and West Coast Pils. Many of these beers are fantastic and quite tasty, but even when used judiciously, high alpha, high resin hops with more aggressive character can often take hostage the more delicate and nuanced aspects of great lagers.
Indie Hops would like to suggest a 3rd option — hops that are “built” like traditional lager varieties, with low alpha and resin levels to allow malt and fermentation flavors to shine, but with a new palette of floral, fruit, and spice aromas that provide an exciting finish to the beer for a shared spotlight on the magic of malted barley, fermentation and hops. The Indie Hops variety, Lórien, is an excellent example of this hop concept. Low alpha and squeaky clean, Lórien imparts smooth and balanced hop flavor in low-gravity beer. Commercially released in 2021, the seed was gathered in 2010 from a cross designed by Dr. Shaun Townsend at Oregon State University where he manages the breeding portion of the Indie Hops Flavor Project. A Sterling female pollinated with a German male, Lórien brings a classy combination of old world and new for craft brewers looking to set their lager apart with refreshing character and delicate complexity without overpowering its crisp profile.
Put simply, Lórien was designed for the lager you want to drink all day and it has a special quality that appeals to both hop-sensitive drinkers and modern craft fans alike. With a flavor profile of bright lemon/lime zest, fresh melon, wildflower honey, and a whisper of herbal cinnamon spice, Lórien is best described as a noble hop kissed by the Willamette Valley. Its aromatics are subtle but expressive, and bring character without aggression; perfect for lagers that want personality without shouting, and made for brewers who want flavor AND finesse.
Lórien’s prowess as a domestic lager hop was on full display recently, as Sunriver Brewing won a gold medal at the 2025 Oregon Beer Awards in the Hoppy Lager category for their Che Figata Italian Pilsner, that includes Lórien, and which they described with the following post on social media:
“Contemporary? Neo-classic? We can’t be sure, but we do love this delicious hoppy pilsner. Inspired by the famed Tipopils of Italy, and Pivo Pils of California. Our interpretation features European pilsner malt blended beautifully with a medley of PNW and German hops. Distinctly crisp, with elegant hoppy notes of wildflowers, citrus zest, and herbal spice.”
John Marti, Brewmaster at Douglas Lager in Seattle, Washington, has found that Lórien really delivers the best of both worlds:
“We love Lórien because it seamlessly combines some of the traditional European lager aromas into the more modern American hops aromas, specifically the American Sprite-like (lemon-lime) aroma into the traditional bouquet of herbs that European lager hops are so renowned for. We are smitten with European lager hops and when we want that flavor profile, we have historically been able to acquire them without too many issues but we see the writing on the wall, climate change is happening fast and Europe is stacking up some dry and harsh growing seasons back to back. We believe in the team at Indie in that they’ve created an ingredient that can thrive and not be so harsh on the land/farmer from which it comes…”
If you’re considering brewing a lager crafted around drinkability and sustainability, Lórien gives you a USA-grown option that was bred in Oregon and selected for the evolving craft lager landscape. Consistent year-to-year, Lórien brings a welcome twist on tradition, and tells a story that can resonate across both your brewery and customer base.
More and more brewers are discovering the magic of Lórien. Read up on their experiences here.