Founders Brewing Company | Solid Gold Premium Lager
Trends and tastes are cyclical. And as we’ve detailed on this site before, such is the case with beer. Sure hazy IPAs and pastry stouts are all the rave right now, but it certainly won’t always be the case. And just as American craft beer lovers currently crave innovative over-the-top ingredients, it’s likely the trend will eventually shift back toward sessionable, traditional styles.
That said, for the past several decades, what most American beer consumers think of when they hear the word lager, typically drifts to the watered down macro lagers that have dominated sales for so long. For years American Lagers have been associated with the blue collar, no-nonsense, no taste domestics that rule the beer industry. Founders Brewing is seeking to change that with their latest release of Solid Gold Premium Lager.
According to Founders, Solid Gold is meant to challenge what a lager can be, not by over-complicating it, but by using the highest quality ingredients possible. However, it does come with a little bit of a twist. In addition to lager yeast and high-quality corn, the use Lemondrop hops add a subtle citrus tinge to the mix. The result is a high-quality lager with a bit of lemon-y zest.
Solid Gold has actually been part of the Founders portfolio since 2008, when it was first created as an Ale, by brewmaster Jeremy Kosmicki. But after seeing consumer trends shifting back toward easier drinking, more sessionable beers, the Founders team decided to re-tool this taproom favorite to take on the big boys.
ABV: 4.4% | IBU: 20
“Over the course of the last 3-5 years we’ve seen things shift and change a bit in the craft beer industry,” noted Mike Stevens, co-founder of Founders Brewing in a recent Facebook Live interview. “We cut our teeth making really crazy and extreme beers and it still what we do, and we’re proud to be part of that pioneering beer movement that took place in the late 90’s.”
Stevens also continued to explain that the release of Solid Gold was also aimed at taking on the vast market share currently dominated by macro lagers. “There’s 85% of beer drinkers out there that don’t drink craft beer,” said Stevens. “We’ve looked at it and said why in the hell don’t we look at the other side of the fence. Let’s look to bust through the ceiling and start to reach out to the other 85%.”
Co-Founder DaveMike Engbers also insists that Solid Gold is a great starting point for the craft curious, or even for craft lovers who may wish to convert their Bud Light loving pals into drinking craft. In addition to the low 4.4 percent ABV, Solid Gold, much like New Belgium’s Dayblazer and Firestone Walker’s recently released craft lager, will be contending with Big Beer in price-point, with a suggested retail price of $7.99 for a six-pack and $14.99 a 15 pack. So if macro beer wasn’t already shaking in their boots, they likely are now.
“There comes to a point when craft needs to think about stop selling only to craft,” said Stevens. “We’re taking a different approach, just because we live in the craft segment it doesn’t mean we have to charge craft prices.”
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