Perfect Patio Beer! Helles Lager from Red Racer.

I have discovered the beer of the summer! It's the perfect patio beer, goes down smooth, and has just enough flavour to satisfy your taste buds. Serve this baby ice cold, or head down to Central City Brew Pub in Surrey to grab one on tap! Okay okay, I won't spoil it. I went to White Rock with my girlfriend, and decided to stop over on our way home at the Central City Brew Pub for a beer. I hadn't seen the Helles Lager (ABV and IBU unavailable) there before, so I decided to give it a try.

I received my beer, and it looked pretty standard to me. Honestly, when I smelled it, it kind of just smelled like a normal lager, so I wasn't too excited to dive into it. Then I took my first sip. I looked up at my girlfriend and said "This is one you'll actually like."

She took a sip and was quite pleased with the taste. This, my friends, is my Summer 2013 patio beer of choice. It has lower carbonation, and a slightly different taste to it. By different, I mean it has an almost indescribable difference. The words that come to mind are "crustiness" and "rough". Not in a bad way, though. Serve this baby ice cold, sit on a patio in that perfect lawn chair, and enjoy the company of friends!

Red Racer Helles Lager @ Central City Brew Pub, Surrey B.C.

As you can see in the picture, it looks just like a normal lager. However, taste the difference and you'll be surprised just how enjoyable this brew really is.

What's the difference between a Helles Lager and a normal lager? Well, there was a point in time where German brewers were worried that new lagers that were being brewed by other countries of Europe (like the Czechs), would lure their German customers to drink the new brews. So they came up with the Munich Helles Lager, and saved themselves! Bet you didn't know that. Thank goodness they came up with this beer! Now we can all enjoy it. I hope this stays on tap for the rest of the summer.

The Red Racer Helles Lager gets a refreshing, "get-out-the-lawn-chairs" 8.5 / 10