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Moosehead Canadian Lager

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The brewery's flagship is a golden lager with a light body and a clean, crisp profile. The maker describes a balance between malt sweetness and hop bitterness and points to a long-kept house yeast and an extended brewing time. A Canadian retail tasting note records light hop and grain aromas, followed by citrus, cereal and cut grass on the palate. Bitterness stays moderate and the finish is dry and even. Introduced in the late 1970s, it is brewed with Canadian barley malt.

ABV
5%
Bitterness
Mild13 IBU
Citrus hop bitterness
SRM
pale gold4
PaceSession

AWARDS

Bronze · 2017
Canadian Brewing Awards
North American Style Premium Lager
Silver · 2013
Canadian Brewing Awards
North American Style Premium Lager
The Americas Best Premium Lager · 2011
World Beer Awards
Gold · 2011
Canadian Brewing Awards
North American Style Lager
Bronze · 2002
World Beer Cup
American-Style Premium Lager
★Bronze — Canadian Brewing Awards (North American Style Premium Lager)
★Silver — Canadian Brewing Awards (North American Style Premium Lager)
★The Americas Best Premium Lager — World Beer Awards
Where this beer sits
Body
lightfull-bodied
Sweetness
drysweet
Bitterness
mildbitter
Texture
crispcreamy
Balance
malt-forwardhop-forward
What makes this beer itself
cleangrassycitrusy
clean
grassy
citrusy
malty
bready
Aroma
The nose is clean and straightforward, dominated by soft malt notes with a light grain character suggesting Canadian two-row pale malts.
not found:hoppy,caramel,fruity,smoky

Tasting Notes

AI-generated sensory profile for Moosehead Canadian Lager

◎ Appearance

A bright golden hue with excellent clarity and fine carbonation visible as a steady stream of small bubbles. The white head forms quickly and holds with moderate persistence, leaving delicate lacing on the glass as the beer is consumed.

bright goldenclearfine carbonationmoderate head retention

◌ Aroma

The nose is clean and straightforward, dominated by soft malt notes with a light grain character suggesting Canadian two-row pale malts. A subtle floral and herbal hop presence provides gentle balance without assertiveness, while the fermentation profile remains neutral and unobtrusive.

soft maltgrainysubtle hopclean fermentation

◐ Taste

Entry is crisp and light-bodied, with a delicate malt sweetness that reads as slightly bready. The mid-palate remains smooth and dry, allowing the modest bittering hop character (22 IBU) to emerge without harshness, while the overall impression stays refreshingly clean throughout.

crisp entrylight bodybready maltgentle bitterness

◑ Finish

The finish is short and clean, fading to a dry, neutral aftertaste with no lingering sweetness or hop residue. The beer leaves the palate refreshed and ready for the next sip.

short finishdryrefreshing
76
hopIQ score
Aroma
74
Taste
76
Appearance
80
Finish
74
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Serve & Enjoy

How to get the most out of Moosehead Canadian Lager

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

Serve well-chilled at 4–6°C. Carbonation and crispness are the main event — cold preserves both.

Stein
Recommended for this style

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

Store cold and drink fresh. Lagers are at their crispest within 3–4 months.

Food Pairing

What to eat with Moosehead Canadian Lager

About Pale Lager

Style guide · what to expect · how to find alternatives

What is a Pale Lager?

Euro Pale Lagers are clean, refreshing lagers with 4–5.5% ABV and IBU 10–25. Soft malt sweetness, light hop bitterness and high carbonation make them supremely drinkable.

Finding a similar Pale Lager

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

Other Pale Lagers in hopIQ

FEATURED IN

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