Moosehead Makes a Legit Canadian Lager 

Moosehead is hot right now. After their ad poking fun at Trump and the amount of beer required to tolerate him, many Canadians (myself included) got a chuckle and felt a swell of patriotism. I also got a hankering for a beer I had not had in a long time — Moosehead Canadian Lager.

Not to brag, but I was drinking Moosehead before it was cool. In fact, it’s the first beer I ever tried — at a family friend gathering, I asked for a sip of my Dad’s. Given I was 10, he thought it would be funny to see my disgusted reaction when I tried the bitter (for a kid) brew. Much to his surprise, I loved it and wanted more — he had to pry it from my hands.

As I’ve grown up, I’ve kind of drifted away from domestic lagers. They tend to be a bit boring and oversweet for my tastes. But they have their place — a hang at the local dive, a sporting event, a popular style of beer to stock a party-ready fridge. And I’m pleased to report that Moosehead isn’t just Independent, Canadian, and union-made — it’s also pretty damn good. Here’s what I thought:

Moosehead Canadian Lager Review

I am going to frame this review within the genre of Macro-Domestic Lagers. I’m not going to compare Moosehead to the best beers I’ve ever had, I’m going to compare it to its peers like Bud and Coors, and rate appropriately.

Like any beer sold in a green bottle, Moosehead is best on tap or from a can — minimizing any chance of UV-induced skunking (I’d really rather great Canadian lager producers like Moosehead and Steamwhistle went with a UV-proof bottle, but alas.) I poured mine from the can, and it had a loose, lacey head. On the nose, Moosehead smells of sweet malt, corn, and a surprising floral hoppiness that I usually associate with up-market brews.

Tastes pretty darn good too. The first sip is all classic domestic lager sweetness. But behind that was a decent bitterness that kept it from getting syrupy. Moosehead has a nice light body, which makes it an incredibly refreshing beer, with the floral hop notes adding enough intrigue to keep you sipping. It’s not much of a thinker, nor is it trying to be — it hits all the notes you want from a lager, with a bit of class on the finish.

There’s not much else to say — Moosehead is a damn enjoyable lager, full stop. But it is also independent and not part of the Macro beer cabal. It’s also 100% Canadian-owned and operated. And to top it off, it’s also made with union labour. And taken in totality I can’t help but feeling like a lager guy every time I’m drinking Moosehead. Sip it slow or sip it fast — these days — a Moosehead is worth cracking.