A lager is a type of beer that is recognized by its high carbonation level and light color, though some modern lager beers are darker in color and may even be black. The lager beer was originally developed in the 19th century. During this time, brewers in Bavaria commonly stored their beer in cool places to allow the beer to mature. In order to aid in the brewing process, the brewers created a type of yeast that was cable of helping cold beer mature properly. This yeast is still used today to make lager beer and is referred to as bottom-fermenting yeast.

The term lager is derived from the German word lagern, which means “to store.” This name hearkens back to the early methods of creating lager by storing it in places such as caves. Unlike the modern lager, however, the early lager was dark in color because the water used to make it was quite hard. Today, softer water is used to make lager. This has resulted in the beer's distinctively light color.

The process of storing lager beer in a cool area results in a clean taste, because certain flavors and particles are removed during the process. The most common type of lager is the pale lager, and there are many types of beer that fall into this category, including pilsner, helles, and dortmunder export. Most pale lager beers are very light in color and tend to be bland in taste, though modern examples can have a bitter or sweet taste. This difference depends on the water used, the storing process, and other ingredients added to the lager.

The pilsner was the first pale lager beer to be created. With its hint of bitter taste, the pilsner was an instant success when it was developed in 1842. Modern examples include Dommelsch and Heineken.

The dortmunder export type of pale lager was not introduced until 31 years later. Helles is very similar to pilsner, except it has more malt and less hops. Examples of helles pale lager include Lowenbrau and Augustinerbrau.