This National Lager Day, Dec. 10, St. Louis-based Anheuser-Busch will raise a toast to the popular beer style — and with good reason. A new survey conducted by the brewer and KRC Research found that many adults still say that lager is their favorite type of beer, despite the ever-increasing interest in different styles of beers and brewing.

American lagers make up 75 percent of today’s overall beer category, and Anheuser-Busch’s sales represent 63 percent of the category, the company says citing data from Chicago-based Information Resources Inc. Two of the company’s flagship lagers, Budweiser and Bud Light, are consistently among the world’s leading brands, Anheuser-Busch says.

The National Lager Day survey of more than 600 beer-drinking Americans of legal drinking age shows a preference for lager by a wide margin over ales with the majority citing lager’s crisp flavor as the reason. Specifically, it found that beer drinkers prefer lagers two-to-one compared with pale ales and three-to-one compared with India Pale Ales and stouts. It also found that two-thirds of beer drinkers like the crisp flavor of lager more than beers with bitter, sweet or fruity flavors. When it comes to serving style, 38 percent of respondents say enjoying beer in a glass bottle is best, while 32 percent prefer beer on draught.

“It’s great to see excitement for lagers reaffirmed through the survey results,” said Pete Kraemer, head brewmaster of Anheuser-Busch, in a statement. “They are the most challenging beers to brew but also the most rewarding … Lagers have a crisper, cleaner taste than traditional ales and require an immense amount of attention during the brewing process. For our brewmasters, the ultimate measure of quality is taste, which is why we taste every batch of beer at every step in the process. The consistent quality of Budweiser and Bud Light are a testament to the talent and training of our brewmasters.

“There is nothing I enjoy more than the light, refined flavor complexity of an American lager,” Kraemer continued, “I encourage everyone to raise a toast to America’s favorite beer style on National Lager Day.”

Anheuser-Busch kicked off its National Lager Day celebrations Dec. 9 in New York when the mobile Budweiser Brewmaster Tour stopped at Pier 86 at the Intrepid Sea, Air & Space Museum from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Eastern Time. Launched this fall, the Budweiser Brewmaster Tour brings brewmasters behind every bottle, can and keg of the company’s American lagers to cities across the country. The mobile brewing experience provides consumers their own taste of the art, science and passion that goes into making Budweiser, it says.