Nearly sweeping an all-new category at the World Beer Cup
At the recently concluded World Beer Cup, Rice Lager made its debut as an official category. Brewers from around the world submitted entries, but the Pacific Northwest wasted no time making itself at home on the podium. Cloudburst Brewing (Seattle, WA) secured the inaugural gold medal for Exquisite Taste, its rice lager, while pFriem Family Brewers (Hood River, OR) earned the bronze for its Japanese Lager. California’s Brewyard Beer Co. sandwiched itself between them for the silver.
Rice lager is having a moment. Back in 2024, I published a story about what was then an emerging trend. Cloudburst and pFriem are far from alone — craft breweries across the Pacific Northwest and beyond have embraced the style enthusiastically, and what once hid in a rather obscure corner of the beer world has become much more visible in just a few years. Around Seattle, for instance, publicans tell me that beer drinkers, especially younger ones, are clamoring for it.
So why rice lager?
One of craft beer’s greatest superpowers is agility. Compared to the big beer companies, small breweries can pivot quickly and respond to consumer trends. The surge in rice lager is a perfect example—and it fits neatly into the broader health and wellness conversation reverberating across the beverage industry.
- It’s hip to be light and crisp. The past few years have seen a surge in demand for light-bodied, lower-ABV beers. Rice lager checks all those boxes.
- The Budweiser stigma is dead. For older consumers, “rice beer” once meant Bud — a shortcut, a cheat, a sin against barley. Rice beer is no longer the butt of a joke. Thankfully!
- Lower carbs and gluten. Rice lager can be lower in both than an all-barley beer. The difference isn’t dramatic, but in some cases it’s real.
- Fewer calories. Same story — modest but measurable.
- Easier on the uric acid. This is a newer finding, but rice lagers are generally lower in purines than traditional beers, which is good news for anyone keeping an eye on that particular number. IYKYK.
- Potential digestive benefits. Fermented rice beverages, especially those made with a lot of rice, can contain probiotics and other beneficial microorganisms. Of course, they’re also alcoholic, so let’s not oversell it.
Why all the buts?
Maybe the sudden spike in popularity is just because people like the way rice lagers taste, but I suspect there’s a bit more to it. There’s an old adage that perception is reality, and rice lagers dwell in that realm. If people perceive them as a healthier choice, huzzah! If they think that’s because rice replaces the barley, huzzah huzzah! In practice, rice replaces only a portion of the malted barley in the grain bill — typically somewhere between 15 and 25 percent, though it can range from as little as 10 to as much as 40. (Those figures come from conversations with brewers rather than published data, for full transparency.)
In terms of measurable wellness benefits, a lot depends on the process, which varies from brewery to brewery. Some brewers use Minute Rice or a pre-cooked equivalent. Others use rice syrup solids. Some brewers use rice malt, flaked rice, and other rice products. Some opt to take the long way around, starting with raw rice, which undergoes a complete cereal cook before being combined with the main mash.
For its gold medal winner, Cloudburst Brewing used rice syrup solids alongside the lightest pilsner malt it could find. pFriem Family Brewers’ bronze medal winner is made using raw rice converted through a traditional cereal-cook process in the brewhouse, with the rice then being used alongside a light pilsner malt as well as a darker malt variety.
The point is, there is no wrong way to do it if you do it well. At the same time, the range of approaches makes broad dietary claims tricky. That’s why it is reasonable to pad any such claims with qualifiers and buts.
Here’s the bottom line: the most meaningful thing that separates rice lagers from other craft beers is that they are almost always light, crisp, sessionable, and less filling. Fewer calories? Probably. Fewer carbs? Perhaps. But the most compelling reason to drink one is simple — you enjoy it. If it also feels like a better fit for a health-conscious lifestyle, great. As long as you’re reaching for a craft beer, that’s a win.
Want to know more about this style of beer, including its history? See this story.
