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Why is bottom-fermented beer called lager?

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Six small glasses of craft beer in varying amber and golden hues are arranged on a metal tray atop a wooden bar counter in Brussels, Belgium. — Beer Glasses of beer in a bar in Brussels.

The term lager is derived from the German word lagern, which means "to store".1

Historically, brewing was often a winter occupation in continental Europe. Because the bottom-fermenting yeast used in these beers required cooler temperatures, brewers stored the beer in cool environments—often using ice—during the summer months to maintain quality. Consequently, the beer produced through this process came to be known as Lagerbier, or "beer made for storage".12

While modern refrigeration technology now allows for year-round production, the name persists as a descriptor for beers produced using bottom-fermenting yeast, which settles at the bottom of the brewing vessel rather than rising to the top like the yeast used in ales.12