Simple is beautiful. Drink a schooner of Resch's Draught and try to tell me that it's not beautiful in its brevity of flavour.

Sometimes, however, the mere mention of the word lager around some ardent independent craft beer geeks will get you castigated, if not castrated, from the niche cultural alcove of a few small batch brewing fun boys and girls. If you don't mention malt-alternate sugar source substitutes, you should be fine.

"In the early days, lagers were seen as the beer style craft beers were rebelling against," says Sean Costigan, Murray's head brewer.

"Lagers are the domain of the big brands. They're the ones who make clean, crisp and relatively flavourless beers. Typically brewed as cheaply as possible often with the addition of adjuncts, sugar sources other than malt, like corn syrup or dextrose," says Hope Brewery head brewer Matt Hogan.

We all have that one adjunct lager uncle around during summer holidays who loves and only ever will love big name beer brands with bigger marketing departments than brewing crews. And that's OK. It's their loss.

Maybe, though, just maybe there is a way to get them to enjoy an ice cold beer made by a member of the Independent Brewers Association. Because, most of these brewers are starting to brew lagers now...

"As the craft beer scene has progressed and matured, we have nearly come around full circle, where the stigma of lager being the domain of the big brands has worn off enough for it to be nearly cool to be making one. Even a self-proclaimed beer aficionado would have to admit that a very well made lager is every bit as delicious as any other great beer style," Costigan says.

Sydney Brewery's 'Lovedale Lager' has been one of the Hunter's stalwart standard bearers for the much maligned craft lager lover of late.

Recently, other Hunter Valley craft brewers have been getting back on the blonde bandwagon. Hope Estate's pure and pristine Newy Pacific Lager and Murray's own thirst-crushing East Coast Lager have been slaking palates by winning hearts and minds over to the light side of indie brewing in Australia for a while now.

Even the local ale kings, FogHorn Brewhouse have been flirting with the perennially simple but beautiful lager style.

"The Rowdy Kellerbier is our take on an old school German lager style," says FogHorn Brewhouse chief brewing officer Shawn Sherlock.

"Traditionally, Kellerbiers are served at or very near the brewery, and by definition tend to be very fresh. Like most German lagers, they aren't characterised by huge amounts of hop additions, but by lager standards they do tend to be a little more hoppy."

Hops or not, Lagerboys need not be afraid no more. It's summertime, and the living is relatively easy. Lagers are back, baby, and they're as delicious, refreshing and beautiful in their simplicity as ever.