Beer of the Month: Oskar Blues Brewery’s Mama’s Little Yella Pils

With craft breweries exploring the whole world of ale styles, some people must wonder how lager beer, particularly in the Pilsener style, triumphed so completely over ale in the 19th and 20th centuries. Mama’s Little Yella Pils is a handy tutorial.

You don’t find the ale-type riot of complex floral and funky aromas here. The nose is mildly hoppy and not particularly reminiscent of pine or citrus. On the palate, it’s rich but clean, with a short hoppy finish. It even looks clean, as clear as pale yellow glass, with a moderate yellowish head.

We’ll never again think there’s only one style of beer, but when you want something bright and refreshing, a Pilsener is probably what you have in mind, and this one is richer and more emphatic than commercial lagers. As a food beer, it’s not fussy, but it goes particularly well with roast chicken and grilled sausages.

Style: Clean and easy to drink, but with more lager flavor to the mouthful than in mass-market beer

Price: $8 to $10 per six-pack

Where to find it: Wade’s Wines in Westlake Village, (818) 597-9463, https://www.wadeswines.com; Beverage Warehouse in Los Angeles, (310) 306-2822, https://www.beveragewarehouse.com; Hi-Time Wine Cellars in Costa Mesa, (949) 650-8463, https://www.hitimewine.net; Wally’s Wine & Spirits in Los Angeles, (310) 475-0606, https://www.wallywine.com; Beverages and More, https://www.bevmo.com; and Total Wine, https://www.totalwine.com.

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