Above all, the rise of dark lager is tied into a broader lager renaissance in craft beer. The boom began about five years ago with breweries such as Firestone Walker and Sierra Nevada sending pilsners into broad distribution. It hit overdrive during the past two years with craft breweries embracing the light lagers they once shunned. With a diversity of lagers emerging — yes, including dark lagers — they appear to be cemented as core elements of most brewery lineups. (Even companies hyper-focused on IPAs, such as Hop Butcher for the World and Phase Three Brewing, have begun wading into lagers in recent weeks.)