Pilsner

• Pilsners are crisp, light and palate-cleansing, the perfect match for burgers of all types. Most mass-produced American beers are made in the pilsner style, but it's worth seeking out small breweries and imports from the Czech Republic and Germany (where it's spelled Pilsener) for a quality take on this beer.

Brown Ale

• Brown ale is made from brown malt. It's typically a British style, brewed in England and the United States. The style is sweet, fruity and nutty, with little bitterness or hoppiness. Its full flavor particularly complements spicy food, so if your lamb burgers are dressed with harissa or spiced with cayenne, go with this style of beer.

Porter

• Porter is an extra-dark style of beer that balances sweet notes and smoky flavors with a hoppy finish. The smokiness of porter matches well with grilled foods, and the sweet notes enhance the sweetness of ground lamb. Porter is another British style produced mostly in England and the United States.

Wheat Beer

• The spicy notes of a wheat beer complement the assertive seasoning of many lamb burger recipes, especially if you've used aromatics such as allspice, coriander or cumin. Look for imports from Belgium and Germany labeled witbier, Weissbier and Hefeweizen. In fact, any style of beer with "weizen" in the name will be a wheat beer.