Beers that Don’t Taste Like Beer: Your Complete Guide

Everyone has that one friend who just does not like beer. Often, they will shut you down entirely when you ask why or try to dig more. “I just don’t like the taste.” They say. And you leave it alone. But maybe you shouldn’t. Maybe, if you are a true beer lover, introducing your friend to beers that don’t taste like beer could be one of the greatest gifts you could give.

And if you are the person in question, the one who just doesn’t like beer, it’s worth exploring why.

What Does Beer Taste Like and Why?

After all, what does beer taste like? What does a person even mean when they say they just don’t like beer?

Maybe they had a bad experience one night in high school. Perhaps college beer pong challenges with too much PBR destroyed beer in their taste buds.

But the truth is, not all beer tastes the same. In fact, it never has.

For millennia, beer has been brewed with such a wide variety of ingredients that one man’s, or woman’s, gross is another one’s delight, and vice versa.

For example, most beers made with oats are stouts, thick and creamy and rich and often nutty and chocolatey as well. Who doesn’t like that.

Beers made with wheat, like Hefeweizen, taste like summertime on an outdoor patio with friends and a great burger.

And even many barley based beers do not have to take on the classic “cheap, mass market” beer taste that so many college students are used to because it’s all they can afford.

Indeed, those mass market corporations like Budweizer, Miller, and Coors have even ventured into the craft and experimental flavor scenes to appeal those seeking beers that don’t “taste like beer.”

Then there’s the issue of hops.

What many, many people mean when they say they don’t like beer is that they tried an IPA once and hated it.

And guess what. Millions of people agree that too much hops in beer is a turnoff.

Of course, millions of others love those high International Bitterness Units and seek double IPAs!

Also read: Which is the least bitter beer? The hops and the IBU index

So it could just be a matter of introducing yourself or your friend to a less hop heavy beer.

Finally, it could be the yeast used in the specific beer that they don’t like.

Test Your Yeast

 

Yeast contributes a ton of various flavor and aroma profiles, and the wrong blend on someone’s tastebuds can turn you off to beer entirely.

And that’s just a shame.

So, if you’re willing, take your time exploring the beers listed here that are all very well known and come highly recommended as beers that don’t taste like beer.

Top 10 Beers that Don’t Taste Like Beer

Allagash White

A Portland, Maine wheat beer designed to pair well with virtually any meal, pick this one from your restaurant menu next time you’re out and about and feeling adventurous.

Allagash is beloved by new beer drinkers and seasoned brew lovers alike, and it’s an excellent choice as a beer that is still clearly a beer, without any crazy, wild concoctions involved.

21st Amendment Hell or High Water Watermelon

Speaking of crazy, wild concoctions, if you haven’t tried Hell or High Water Watermelon by 21st Amendment brewery out of San Leandro, California, you do not get to say you don’t like beer.

This summertime craft wheat brew shows up all over social media every year as the go to for anyone who wants beer that does not taste like beer but instead tastes like a fresh bite of watermelon with a mellow hint of wheat in the background.

Boulder Shake

Chocolate shake, anyone?

Boulder Shake, out of, you guessed it, Boulder, Colorado, is a porter stout dessert beer that shouts chocolate cake, cocoa, coffee, and toffee, without screaming it.

Check this one out next time you come across it.

Abita Purple Haze Raspberry Lager

Now we dip into the fruitier sides of beer with Abita’s Purple Haze out of New Orleans, Louisiana. So no wonder it’s experimentally delicious.

The brewery’s motto is “culture on tap,” after all.

If you’re looking for more than “just” beer, give this one a chance.

Leinenkugel’s Summer Shandy

And don’t forget to explore shandy beers!

A shandy, traditionally, is a 50/50 mix of lemon lime soda and beer. Take that, Corona with lime.

Leinenkugel, out of Wisconsin, puts their own spin on it by mixing lemonade with a wheat beer.

Perfection for anyone who loves heavy lemon flavor.

Shock Top Lemon Shandy

And if you like Leinenkugel, then you must try Shock Top, the brewery out of St. Louis, Missouri known for putting a delightful spin on beer.

Blue Moon

Blue moon is in this same citrusy wheat beer family, with hints of orange instead of lemon, and made to be poured into a glass with a slice of orange perfectly poised on the rim.

Originally out of Denver, Colorado but now also brewed and distributed out of Canada, Blue Moon is a great beer for new beer drinkers who want to try an actual beer, but don’t want it to taste too much like beer.

If you know what I mean.

UFO Georgia Peach

In stark contrast, if you are seeking a beer that you can barely tell is beer, you must try this UFO Georgia Peach from the Harpoon brewery in Boston, Massachusetts.

It tastes like a ripe peach bursting in your mouth with none of the typical hints of banana and clove you get from other wheat beers.

Moody Tongue Beers

Now, if you want to talk about the combination of food and beer, check out Moody Tongue out of Chicago, Illinois, designed and brewed by a former chef!

This whole range of beers have flavors like Peeled Grapefruit and Carmelized Chocolate Churro.

You can’t go wrong trying beer that makes you think of food rather than beer.

Try Cider

And finally, if you just can’t bring yourself to try anymore beers, and you don’t like any of them at all, just go with a nice mellow cider!

Most pubs offer great ciders that come out of breweries that have no hint of beer whatsoever.

Your beer loving friends will forgive you. I promise.

Cheers!

Passionate about the beer and/or wine making process? So are we! If you’re interested in finding out how you can use our technology to control fermentation and monitor your yeast, save work hours and improve the cost-efficiency of your business, drop us a line at [email protected] or check out our product pages:

Also, you can now get access to a fully functional demo account to test your yeast via our Web App. Completely free of charge and with no commitment to purchase.

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