Comparison
California Common vs Vienna lager
What is the difference between California Common and Vienna lager?
The short answer
California Common and Vienna lager are closer than the comparison suggests. The measurable differences are small — herbal is the largest of them — so tradition, strength and what each is brewed for will tell you more than the flavour axes do.
Generated from the two style records. No editor has written this comparison up, so it carries no verdict beyond what the data supports.
Where they overlap
They share comparable bitterness, sweetness, body, overlapping strength ranges — the boundary between them is narrower than the comparison suggests.
Side by side
| California Common | Vienna lager | |
|---|---|---|
| Family | Hybrid & regional | Amber & dark lager |
| Fermentation — The clearest structural difference between these two — it shapes everything the yeast contributes. | Hybrid | Bottom-fermented (lager) |
| Origin | United States | Austria |
| Category status | Established | Established |
| Strength | 4.5–5.5% ABV | 4.5–5.5% ABV |
| Bitterness (IBU) — IBU measures iso-alpha acids in the lab. It does not track perceived bitterness, which residual sweetness, body and roast all alter — compare the sensory rows below for how each actually tastes. | 30–45 IBU | 18–30 IBU |
| Colour — These are the same depth in the glass; colour is not what tells them apart. | Amber to copper — 10–14 SRM, 20–28 EBC | Amber to copper — 9–15 SRM, 18–30 EBC |
| Original gravity | 1.048–1.054 | 1.048–1.055 |
| Final gravity | 1.011–1.014 | 1.010–1.014 |
| Serving temperature | 7–10°C | 6–9°C |
| Carbonation | 2–3 vol CO₂ | 2–3 vol CO₂ |
| Glassware | Nonic pint, Willi Becher | Willi Becher, Pilsner glass |
| Clarity | clear | brilliant |
How they taste different
| Character | California Common | Vienna lager |
|---|---|---|
| Herbal | Moderate | Not characteristic |
| Resin & pine | Low | Not characteristic |
| Nutty | Not characteristic | Low |
| Yeast fruitiness (esters) | Trace | Not characteristic |
| Bread & biscuit | Low | Moderate |
| Roast | Not characteristic | None–Trace |
Which should you choose?
- You want more herbal → California Common
- You want more nutty → Vienna lager
Derived from where the two actually differ. Neither is better — this is a question of which difference you want.