Chicagoist's Beer Of The Week: Baderbrau's Lawnmower Lager

By Jason Baldacci in Food on Apr 25, 2014 9:30PM

If you are fortunate enough to have an actual yard in Chicago, you may have to start maintaining that yard soon. Luckily, one of our local breweries has come up with a beer to make things a little easier.

Lawnmower Lager is the newest release from Baderbrau, and it's their most hop-forward brew yet. We caught a burst of citrus on the nose along with a nice whiff of floral perfume. On the palate, those citrus notes really pop in the form of juicy naval orange and lemon peel, but we also picked up a touch of bitter lemongrass which we found extremely pleasant, and those floral tones really linger on the backend. There's a hint of biscuity malt to lend a backbone and a bit of creaminess to the mouthfeel, but overall this beer is bright, brisk and pretty vibrant. At 5.5 percent alcohol content, Lawnmower Lager might be a bit stronger than it needs to be but we're not complaining, especially if we're drinking it after a day of manual labor.

"Lawnmower Beer" is a term that craft beer drinkers usually use to describe something light, yellow and fizzy. It typically refers to something that's easy to drink or brainless to consume, a beer that you'd drink if you were out in the sun all day and found yourself in need of something quenching. With their new release, Baderbrau has rejected the notion that all yard work and outdoor chores should be accompanied by a flavorless macrobeer, and we're inclined to agree with them. We've been enjoying hefeweizens, saisons and lighter IPAs in this manner for years, so we welcome a new addition to the category.

Look for Lawnmower Lager around town in the coming weeks.