Differance between beer and lager?

Is there one? I was discussing this with hubby & BIL, I tried googling it but couldn't come up with anything

I think lager is just a pale beer (closest to the weasel pee we have in America). I'm no expert, though, and I have a funny feeling there may be people more knowledgable than me about 

According to kegworld.com, a lager is a type of beer.

LAGER - BOTTOM-FERMENTED BEER THAT HAS BEEN "LAGERED" (STORED OR AGED) AT NEAR FREEZING FOR A FEW DAYS TO SEVERAL WEEKS, DEPENDING UPON THE BREWER. MOST AMERICAN AND IMPORTED BEERS ARE LAGERS. LAGERING IMPROVES BOTH THE TASTE AND STABILITY OF BEER

weasel pee! LOL

I'm a bit of a beer boffin, have done home-brewing, etc, so i know far more about beer than is healthy for one person to know!

I wont bore you with technical stuff, but in the most basic terms... see if you're in the pub and see people drinking 'yellow' beer... that's lager.  If you see people drinking 'brown' beer, that's beer/bitter/ale.

Lager is pi$$ and ale/bitter is God's water!   

Ditto what QG and bvmin said...

I'd have to disagree with kegworld about it improving the taste!

It's kind of like strong cheddar... once you have aquired a taste for the real stuff you won't go back to the fake orange one...

Hey - some of us like lager as well as beer!  Depends on the mood and what I'm eating!     (plus bitter makes you fart more! and stinky farts)

(plus bitter makes you fart more! and stinky farts)

LOL! I never knew that!

I was nearly too ashamed to admit here that I'm a lager drinker. But now I'll hold my head high and proclaim: I DRINK LAGER AND I DON'T HAVE STINKY FARTS!!!

 

I DRINK LAGER AND I DON'T HAVE STINKY FARTS!!! 

So you say...

What about stout?  Or is that technically not beer?  And wasn't ale originally something else -- not necessarily bitter?  I'm not an expert either -- I don't even drink it at all!  Blech!  But DH has been trying to edumacate me on these important distinctions, as he thinks Americans don't know nuttin' 'bout beer.  And I say - at least we know enough to drink it cold!

'Beer' is a term which covers lagers, stouts, milds and bitters.

Have a look here for more infor

http://www.camra.co.uk/SHWebClass.ASP?WCI=ShowCat&CatID=1


Victoria (lager and bitter drinker, usually to excess!)

And I say - at least we know enough to drink it cold!

ain't that the truth!!  i've only had beer/lager at the proper temperature in this country once...in four months.  and i go out once a week or so to the pub for a pint.  it's not worth it to me if it's not the right temperature!!

Oooh, no.....lager should be cold, but proper Real Ale should be room temperature or slightly below, definitely not cold, yuck!

That's why I drink lager in the summer and proper beer in the winter.

Victoria

Lager at US temps positively kills the taste.  I don't want it at perfect room temp, but I certainly don't want it with icicles hanging off it either.  BLAH!

Oooh, no.....lager should be cold, but proper Real Ale should be room temperature or slightly below, definitely not cold, yuck!

great...maybe i am confused then.  how about someone list some popular beers and some popular lagers so i can understand the difference?  

in the US i would consider Buttwiper (Budweiser....sorry...i don't care for it) a beer and maybe something like Guinness as a lager?  or would Guinness be a stout?  or is that the same?  

here....i really don't know the difference between a beer and a lager.  in my mind they all should be at the proper temperature...nearest 37F as possible is perfect for me.  but what do i know?

Oooh, no.....lager should be cold, but proper Real Ale should be room temperature or slightly below, definitely not cold, yuck!

That's why I drink lager in the summer and proper beer in the winter.

Victoria

exactly, real ale cold is a defnite no, no!!  All real ales should be served at cellar temperature.  That is ideal.  I could go for a couple of pints right now.