I don’t like beer, but I think I’d like to learn how to like it.
So, which beer(s) would you recommend that I start out with?
That depends. Do want something that’s fairly mild? Maybe a good lager would do.
I don’t like beer either. Have you considered apple cider? It’s good for when you hate beer but you want to kick back with a cold bottle of something and get your drink on.
What don’t you like about it? That would help. I could assume that you’ve tried the standard American adjunct lagers like Bud/Miller/Coors or their light versions, but maybe your first beer was Guinness.
Also, what sort of alcohol do you already like? I ask, because if you’re into deeply complex oakey reds, perhaps a barrel aged stout or American strong ale would be right down your alley. Or if you tend towards sweeter drinks or fruity cocktails, a framboise might be a good place to start. A good crisp all malt pilsner is a classic starting point as well.
Beer, as a category, is one of the most broad and diversified in all of alcohol. There really is a beer for everyone if they care to try. I mostly tend towards IPAs and other hop-forward brews like American barleywines myself.
Yeah, way too broad to answer without knowing more. However, I’ll try.
Belgians are often a good place for beer-dislikers to start. It’s a diverse host of styles, but start by trying a Chimay Blue or perhaps Chimay Red for a commonly available Belgian. These two beers are more alcoholic than average beers (7%-9%), and drink more like a complex red wine than what you may think of as “beer.” It’s not pound-back-a-six-pack-watching-the-ball-game types of beer.
For everyday quaffers, I would try the following:
Sierra Nevada Pale Ale. This is a drinkable, somewhat hoppy beer, but not at all over the top like many microbrew APAs and IPAs. If you discover you like this one, come back and we can show you more aggressive styles.
Fat Tire. I actually do not like this one, but many former beer haters I know seem to have started on this beer. It’s a middle-of-the-road microbrew, more malty than hoppy, but not excessively malty. It has a distinct cereal-like backbone to it which I’m not a big fan of, but many enjoy.
Bell’s Oberon. If you can find it in your area, this is a refreshing American-style wheat beer. Perfect for hot summer days, it has a gentle fruitiness, low hops, gentle wheatiness. A crowd pleaser for both beer geeks and casual beer drinkers alike.
Guinness. I don’t know if you’ll like it or not, but it’s worth a shot to see. As far as stouts go, Guinness is pretty mild and, despite it’s “heavy” image, one of the lower calorie and lower alcohol beers (at 4.2% and 126 calories per 12 oz.) Order it at the bar so you can get a proper nitro pour. Guinness is always served carbonated with a mix of mostly nitrogen and a bit of carbon dioxide, which gives it smaller bubbles and a very creamy mouth feel, which many find a treat. Also, with its relatively low alcohol content, it’s a great session beer that you can drink all night without getting hammered too quickly.
I think those five suggestions should give you some basic, easy research and give us an idea of where your beer tastes might be so we could further refine our suggestions.
ETA: Or, if you happen to have a Belgian beer bar or just any solid beer bar or microbrewery, just go, talk to the bartender (who should be happy to help you figuring out a beer you might like), and start drinking. Some places may offer “flights” of beers, where you can sample small servings (like 5 oz) of six beers or so at a time.
J. W. Dundee’s Honey Brown Lager. I call it beer pop. It’s sweet and light - to me anyway.
Coors Light was the beer for the non-beer drinker back in my early beer-drinking days.
Oh, and don’t discount Samuel Adams Boston Lager. That’s truly a middle-of-the-road beer which I think is an excellent example of the style, and it also happens to be the beer that turned me into a beer lover. I thought I hated beer until I discovered Sam Adams and then, a lifelong obsession began…
Keep a look out for beer festivals in your area. They’re a great way to try all types of beer, from the light fruit-infused pales (e.g. Peach Melbear) to the dark, chocolatey eight percent stouts (e.g. Black Dragon). All festivals I’ve been to have the option of ordering beer in halves rather than pints, so you don’t have to waste money on a full pint of beer that you don’t like.
I’m assuming there are beer festivals in America - my experiences are from English beer festivals, like the Cambridge Beer Festival going on this week.
Most of my non-beer drinking friends like wheat beers, so I’d suggest Hoegaarden or a hefeweizen. Also, Duchess du Bourgogne is a sour Belgian beer that I’ve found most non-drinkers like.
Bud Lite.
I am not a beer drinker. That is, I don’t really seek it out, but can enjoy the odd brew.
I love Belgians. Love love love them. I’m not really a hop person, and Belgians are often smoother, less hoppy and more malty. (Hops add floral notes and flavors to beers, then are used later in the brewing process as bittering agents. The “hop monster” beers you might have heard about use lots and lots of hops, and can be overly bitter for my taste. I avoid them, because I don’t care for them. But lots and lots of others do.) A particularly excellent Belgian brew is Kwak- lots of creamy maltiness, with just enough hops to balance.
Don’t shy away from stouts (like Guiness). They have an image of being too heavy (I think because of the color) but they’re really not. Plus, caramel, coffee, and chocolate flavors, what’s not to love? Despite their dark coloring, they can be light and delightful.
I’m also a fan of Blue Moon - it’s a wheat beer that’s refreshing and tasty with light orange notes and (again) light on the hoppiness.
Indeed. I’d suggest you patronize an establishment that specializes in beer–on tap & in the bottle. You will find it filled with experts! Don’t know your location, but there are Flying Saucers in several cities & most towns have some local places for beer fans. Most of the imported or craft beers will be better & fresher served “live” than picked off the shelf at a liquor or grocery store. And a flight is a great way to sample several beers.
Another vote for Guinness. It looks fierce but is actually quite smooth.
Belgians are generally “safe”.
Wheat beers. (My husband makes an awesome wheat with hints of banana and clove - sounds horrible, doesn’t it? It’s fantastic and everyone, even the non-beer drinkers, seems to like it.)
Do you like wine? If you live in the right area, you can get a beer called Festina Peche from Dogfish Head brewery. It is almost wine-like and very light tasting.
Brew pubs have sampler trays so you can try a little bit of everything and discover what you like. You may find that you actually like the stronger beers.
If you go to a brewery, IME you can either do a tasting (shots of many beers) or get a sampler of small glasses of 4 - 6 beers. WooHoo!
Anchor Steam.
The definitive example of the only beer style indigenous to the US.
Also known as California common as Anchor has trademarked “Steam”.
Longboard Lager (Kona Brewing Co.) might be a good choice. It’s ‘bready’ and a little sweet, which might make it appeal to people who don’t like the bitterness or other flavours typically associated with beer. it’s a good, refreshing drink, especially with meals. (NB: I usually only drink alcohol with meals. Usually.)
I also like Mac and Jack’s African Amber. Quite tasty. AFAIK it’s only available locally.
My ‘go-to’ beer is Guinness.
It’s for people that don’t like the taste of beer, but do like to pee a lot.
And it tastes like pee.
All of pulykamell’s advice was solid, and I’d suggest finding a local brew pub and sampling a flight of beers. But my biggest piece of advice is that when sampling beer, especially a darker beer like Guinness, is don’t sip it. Take a mouthful of beer, taste it, and swallow it. Sipping will only focus on the bitterness and none of the smoothness of a good beer.
IME pubs will allow patrons to sample a variety of their offerings; just enough to get a taste of each. So to follow Munch, explain the situation to the barkeep. S/He will be able to make a recommendation, and will (IME) let you sample a few to see which you like.