An amber-colored American lager — more malt-expressive than American Standard Lager, closer in profile to Vienna Lager but typically with some American adjunct and a slightly more hop-forward character. Typically 4.8–5.5% ABV, amber to light copper. Uses Vienna or Munich malt (or crystal malts) to produce the amber color and the characteristic toasted-malt character; hops are usually American or noble, bitterness moderate. Yuengling Traditional Lager, the flagship product of D.G. Yuengling & Son — America’s oldest operating brewery, founded 1829 in Pottsville, Pennsylvania — is the canonical commercial example.
In the glass
Origin
American Amber Lager descends from 19th-century German-immigrant Vienna-lager brewing in the United States. D.G. Yuengling & Son, founded in 1829 in Pottsville, Pennsylvania, is America’s oldest operating brewery and the most visible commercial continuation of this tradition; its flagship Traditional Lager is functionally an American interpretation of the Vienna Lager style. Many craft American Amber Lagers reference this lineage, though exact formulations vary substantially from brewer to brewer.
Notes
The 2021 Beer Judge Certification Program guidelines have no separate American Amber Lager code; beers in this territory are evaluated under 7A Vienna Lager or specialty categories. The 2026 Brewers Association guidelines recognize American-Style Amber Lager as a distinct entry. The style is adjacent to Vienna Lager (traditional European version, historical entry covered separately) and to Märzen/Oktoberfest (stronger, maltier, more residual sweetness). Mexican Vienna Lager (e.g., Negra Modelo) is another historical offshoot of the same Vienna-lager lineage.
Defining examples
Yuengling Traditional Lager·Brooklyn Lager (adjacent)·Great Lakes Eliot Ness (adjacent, Vienna-style)·Leinenkugel’s Red Lager·Full Sail Amber