Athletic Lager isn't trying to be anything other than a solid American lager. Pale straw in the glass, bright carbonation, thin white head. The aroma is restrained: light grain, a faint floral hop note, not much else. That's exactly what the style asks for. On the palate the malt base is clean with a subtle sweetness. The hops register as background bitterness rather than a flavour, and there are no off-notes or the watery thinness that tends to give NA lagers away. It stays crisp and even throughout. The finish is short and clean, gone quickly and without fuss. This is the beer for occasions where something cold and uncomplicated is the right call: alongside food, at a social gathering, or anywhere a lager is just the obvious choice.