Brewery – 16 Lots
Beer – The Major
Style – German Pilsner
ABV – 5.2%
IBUs – 26

We honor Major William Mason, Revolutionary War officer and purchaser of the city of Mason’s first 16 lots of land, with his own beer. To commemorate the city’s founder, our German Pilsner will proudly serve as The Major. Crafted with a regiment of German malts and hops, the pilsner has a complex aroma of mild spice, biscuit, and floral tones. This flagship beer leads with a full-bodied, smooth feel but commands a refreshingly dry and crisp finish. Salute to The Major!

This beer first made its debut when 16 Lots opened its doors in the fall of 2017. The beer then was first released in cans as part of the brewery’s first-ever packaging release on 7/24/19. It quickly became a staple of their taproom. The Major is always on tap and an ever-reliable offering for those looking for something a little lighter but still packed full of flavor.

Head brewer at 16 Lots at the time, Jeff Cosgrove, fell in love with traditional German styles while he was spending time overseas, and when the time came to open up a brewery, he knew that despite the difficulty in brewing up a lighter lager style like Pilsner, it was going to have to happen. They use all German ingredients to keep this one traditional and lager it the way that it’s supposed to be.

When the brewery rebranded in 2020 and early 2021 – they gave this one a really nice facelift – but you can bet that it still remains a big part of their core lineup (and I anticipate that it will for a long time!)

The Major was on Cincy Brewcast back in Volume 3, Episode 18 – which you can listen to here.

My Thoughts On 16 Lots The Major

Crisp, clean, and refreshing – this beer is exactly what you want to sip on when you are looking for something approachable, and refreshing. It’s easy to drink, but definitely provides a little something more than a light, bland macro lager.

In the glass, this is bright yellow, or golden with a fizzy white head on top.

Aromas range from rustic earthiness to floral breezy hoppiness. Behind it is a great bready biscuity note that reigns it all back in.

This beer holds itself together wonderfully, which is a tough task for a pilsner. Unbalanced pilsners are all around us and even slightly too much of anything lets it fall off the rails very quickly. The Major drifts around from each of its ingredients – giving each their time in the spotlight exactly how it’s supposed to.

Read more about 16 Lots by visiting their website here!