The advent of hard seltzers has not helped craft beer lovers convince their friends who say they don’t like beer that there’s still some real beer out there they’ll enjoy. That’s why most big name domestic breweries have taken the “If you can’t beat ’em, join ’em” approach and produced their own fruity, spicy water.
Yet those who champion beer should not stop fighting the good fight. For plenty of people, beer still means the watery industrial lagers so many of us guzzled down in college. For those who don’t like beer in the classic American commoditized sense, a citrusy IPA, a coffee-like stout, or a nutty brown ale is all it takes for an ah-ha! moment. There are plenty out there, however, who find even those beers too unpalatable and have sworn off beer forever.
BUT! That’s the beauty of how far craft beer has come, so much so that the nerdiest of beer nerds have turned to beers like hazy IPAs that look and often taste almost like orange juice and pastry stouts that taste like pie. Breweries are even harnessing the power of hops to alter the flavor of IPAs to barely taste like beer. Then there are the milkshake IPAs that use lactose for an enhanced mouthfeel.
There’s a whole world of beer that doesn’t taste remotely like beer to help convince those who’ve sworn off the brewed beverage for good that there is, in fact, a beer for them.
For your convenience, here are some of the best beers that don’t taste like beer. We’ve also tried to include beers that are at least available regionally, but to be sure, there are plenty of awesome local brewers experimenting with beers and making them taste like they’re not, well, beer.
UFO Georgia Peach
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If you hate beer so much you can’t stand to think you’ll ever taste it,
UFO Georgia Peach
is the brew for you — especially if you’re a peach lover.
The brewery, spun off from Boston-based Harpoon, promises “right-off-the-peach-tree” flavor, and it essentially tastes like a bite into a ripe peach. While it’s a hefeweizen base, none of the classic hefeweizen flavors — such as banana or clove — shine through, leaving a refreshing, peachy drink. Not a peach fan? That’s OK, there’s a whole line of other UFO beers that come in variety packs, including pineapple, mango limeade, watermelon lemonade, and blood orange lemonade.
Sixpoint Jammers
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When talking to beer novices, a word we often steer away from is sour, but they can be some of the best beers to introduce a hater to the category. Specifically for our “beers that don’t taste like beer” theme, take a look at
Sixpoint’s
Jammer series. The base beer, Jammer, is a gose, a lightly soured beer originating from northern Germany that is reminiscent of lemonade. Sixpoint expands this beer with plenty of real fruit juice flavorings, and the “Jammer Pack” includes Citrus Jammer, Ruby Jammer, Tropical Jammer, and Berry Jammer.
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Elysian Brewing Raspy Whisper
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Washington-based
Elysian Brewing
is plenty experimental with its beers, once making a pumpkin peach beer — famous for a Budweiser ad that made fun of pumpkin peach beers shortly before Bud’s parent acquired the brand (because who doesn’t like a good pint of irony). Elysian hasn’t strayed from its ways and is making Raspy Whisper, a raspberry and chocolate gose. Each barrel of the beer has 20 pounds of raspberries and five pounds of cocoa nibs. Clocking in 3.6% alcohol by volume, this fruity, sweet, and tangy beer has plenty going for it.
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Schlafly Raspberry Hefeweizen
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Staying true to the raspberry theme as it’s a powerful and often refreshing flavor, is St. Louis-based
Schlafly’s
Raspberry Hefeweizen. Schlafly uses plenty of real raspberries during the fermentation process to ensure plenty of bright fruit flavors and a nice pink color. Like a fresh raspberry in the summer, the hefeweizen is clean and tart, yet refreshing.
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Moody Tongue Beers
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Moody Tongue
is a Chicago-based brewery that’s small but pretty widely distributed. The brewery was started by Jared Rouben, a chef-turned brewer who brought his culinary mindset to the beer world. His beers include Peeled Grapefruit Pilsner, Caramelized Chocolate Churro Baltic Porter, and Steeped Emperor’s Lemon Saison — all of which are more reminiscent of their foodie namesakes than beer.
This might be a stretch, but why not try to go big?
Prairie Artisan Ales’
Prairie Bomb! Clocks in at a massive 13% ABV, so it’s not gonna drink like a beer. Beer lovers rave about this beer, but so long as one has an adventurous palate, so will non-beer-lovers. It also has loads of chocolate, vanilla beans, coffee, and chili peppers, so there’s plenty of flavor going on to keep a picky drinker from proclaiming, “This tastes like beer!”
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Short’s Soft Parade
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Short’s Brewery
is well known in Michigan for its eclectic beers with distinct flavors. The Soft Parade fruit ale is one of Short’s five flagship beers that have made it out of Michigan to other states. They brew it with pureed strawberries, blueberries, raspberries, and blackberries. It sounds like the makings of a wine cooler, but fruitiness doesn’t overwhelm the beer’s overall balance. Its low IBA content gives it a dry and smooth finish, making this beer an excellent choice to try and convert your anti-beer buddies. Be careful, though. Its drinkability combined with its high ABV (7.5%) will sneak up on you.
Starbucks and Nespresso partner to launch new Vertuo Iced Double Espresso capsules
A new way to enjoy your iced Starbucks favorites at home
Today, Starbucks has announced a brand-new innovation that blends the precision and convenience of the Nespresso Vertuo machine with the reliable taste of Starbucks espresso. The new Starbucks by Nespresso for Vertuo Iced Double Espresso capsules makes it easy to make convenient, premium iced cafe drinks at home. Vertuo Iced Double Espresso capsules are available in three flavors, ranging from a classic Starbucks Blonde Espresso Roast to flavored varieties of Vanilla or Caramel. Each box contains eight single-serving iced espresso capsules designed specifically for brewing and use in iced espresso drinks.
One capsule delivers two shots of espresso expertly crafted for iced beverages and full of flavor for making drinks like an iced Americano, iced latte, or an iced cappuccino. The new capsules can also be used as a base for popular drinks like lattes and cappuccinos. Capsules are now available for purchase nationwide at grocery retailers like Target, Kroger, and Meijer, with national availability increasing over the coming months. Capsules will also soon be available for purchase online.
Put a spring into your step with these twists on cocktail classics
Take a classic recipe and add an unusual ingredient to welcome the spring
There's never a bad time for a classic cocktail, but sometimes you're after something a bit different. These spring recipes feature classic combinations like bourbon and bitters or whiskey and lemon, but with a special twist to make each drink unique -- the perfect way to welcome the spring.
1933 Sunshine
Ingredients:
Thinking of trying mushroom coffee? Check out these deals starting at $24
The mushroom coffee market is rapidly growing as more people seek alternative coffee options, and mushroom coffee is one of the top choices because of the many benefits you can get from drinking this beverage. When you drink mushroom coffee, you're cutting down on your caffeine intake -- no more jitters or restless nights. You're also ingesting healthy compounds such as antioxidants that will play a role in supporting a healthy immune system, and mushroom coffee can also help reduce your stress levels and aid you in losing weight.
As more people turn to mushroom coffee as a coffee alternative, we're seeing more deals on the instant beverage. If you're thinking of trying it out, we've picked our favorite mushroom coffee deals that are available right now, and we've highlighted them below. You're going to have to make your purchase quickly though, as we're not sure how much time is remaining before these offers expire.
Yege Mushroom Coffee (30 servings) -- $24 $30 20% off
