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Cold Rush

Great Lakes Brewing Company
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🌍 United States · Light Lager · One of 78 Light Lagers in hopIQ

The brewery's first packaged light lager, introduced in August 2024 and sold mainly in Northeast Ohio. The grist pairs two-row base malt with a share of rye, and Mt. Hood is the only hop. It pours pale and translucent. Light bread, apple and ripe pear sit on the nose, the palate adds a sweet grain base with a faint peppery spice from the rye, and a delicate, almost wafer-thin body leads to a dry, crisp finish. Bitterness stays in the background throughout.

ABV
4%
Bitterness
Mild
Malt-forward bitterness
SRM
pale gold4
How it drinks· Its pace, balance and relationship to the style.
Pace
sessionsipper
Balance
malt-ledhop-led
Where this beer sits· Four axes, the same for every beer in hopIQ.
Body
Lean body.
lightfull-bodied
Sweetness
Off-dry finish.
drysweet
Bitterness
Soft bitterness.
mildbitter
Texture
Crisp mouthfeel.
crispcreamy

Crisp and light-bodied.

Nimble on its feet with a clean close — the kind of beer that earns the next glass.

Character· What makes this beer itself — not just another Light Lager.
Malt character
bready
malty
Fermentation & yeast
fruity
clean
Distinctive notes
spicy
peach

Tasting Notes

AI-generated sensory profile for Cold Rush

◎ Appearance

Cold Rush presents a pale, translucent golden hue with excellent clarity and a fine, delicate head that settles to a thin collar. The carbonation is lively and well-integrated, creating a gentle effervescence throughout. The beer's light body is evident in its visual presentation, conveying the crisp character to follow.

pale goldentranslucentfine carbonation

◌ Aroma

The nose opens with soft bread notes and green fruit aromas—light apple and ripe pear dominate without assertion. A subtle herbal quality from the Mt. Hood hop emerges on closer inspection, while the rye grain base adds a whisper of spice without overwhelming the delicate balance. The overall impression is restrained and inviting rather than aromatic-forward.

light breadgreen applepearherbal subtlety

◐ Taste

The palate enters with a clean, sweet grain foundation that speaks to the two-row Malz base, quickly joined by a faint peppery spice from the rye component. Bitterness remains decidedly in the background, allowing the malt sweetness to carry the mid-palate. The body is notably light and wafer-thin, providing minimal textural weight.

sweet grainpeppery ryelow bitternessdelicate body

◑ Finish

The finish is dry and crisp, shedding the brief sweetness cleanly without lingering aftertaste. The final impression is one of refreshing dryness and simplicity, true to the light lager category.

drycrispclean
76
hopIQ score
Aroma
75
Taste
77
Appearance
80
Finish
78
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Serve & Enjoy

How to get the most out of Cold Rush

Serve at 4–7°C
Refrigerate, then rest 2 min

Serve at 4–7°C for the best flavour balance and aroma expression.

Stein
Recommended for this style

The sturdy German stein maintains temperature and keeps carbonation intact. Built for long, convivial drinking.

Store in a cool, dark place. Check the best-before date on the label for guidance.

Food Pairing

What to eat with Cold Rush

About Light Lager

Style guide · what to expect · how to find alternatives

What is a Light Lager?

Light Lager is a distinctive beer style with its own characteristic flavour, aroma and colour. Discover what makes it unique and find similar beers on hopIQ.

Finding a similar Light Lager

hopIQ matches by flavor profile — not just style label. A beer with the same dry, crisp, sweet character as Cold Rush will score highly even if brewed in a different country or under a different sub-style name.

Other Light Lagers in hopIQ

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