# Beer for a non-beer drinker **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Tags:** beer\ **Created:** [May 24, 2011, 5:33am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/beer-for-a-non-beer-drinker/582986 "2011-05-24T05:33:41Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 3
**Author:** ![velveeta](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/v/13edae/32.png) [@velveeta](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/velveeta)\ **Post date:** [May 24, 2011, 7:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/beer-for-a-non-beer-drinker/582986/41 "2011-05-24T19:06:49Z")
> [@pulykamell](#): > > There’s a bit I need to pick out of there. The bitterness in beer is the hops (although you can also get some astringency from the water and the grain). Yeast adds little, if any, discernible bitterness. Yeast can add fruitiness, it can add funkiness, it can add sourness (in the case of wild yeasts and bacterias), but I can’t think of any yeast that lends a bitter flavor to a brew. Let’s not forget about diacetyls. Maybe that falls under “funkiness”? I’ve never been able to describe the flavor correctly. I call it sour feet. Some people say rancid butter, but I don’t think that does it justice. Just to be clear to the beer newbies, there are good diacetyls and BAD diacetyls. If there are high levels of diacetyls in a beer, well I hope you like the taste of feet. ---
**Author:** ![Doctor\_Who](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/ed8c4c/32.png) [@Doctor\_Who](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Doctor_Who)\ **Post date:** [May 24, 2011, 7:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/beer-for-a-non-beer-drinker/582986/42 "2011-05-24T19:14:03Z")
All these posts and nobody brings up Keystone Light? It’s not the choice of 18-year-old sorority girls around the country for nothing. It’s practically Beer 101. ---
**Author:** ![Red\_Barchetta](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/da6949/32.png) [@Red\_Barchetta](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Red_Barchetta)\ **Post date:** [May 24, 2011, 7:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/beer-for-a-non-beer-drinker/582986/43 "2011-05-24T19:14:55Z")
As one who used to hate beer, and have since converted a friend or two, I can’t recommend \*\*Fat Tire \*\*enough. Grab a case, have one a day, you’ll (hopefully) grow to like it soon. After that, I’d recommend giving **Blue Moon** a shot. ---
**Author:** ![velveeta](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/v/13edae/32.png) [@velveeta](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/velveeta)\ **Post date:** [May 24, 2011, 7:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/beer-for-a-non-beer-drinker/582986/44 "2011-05-24T19:19:30Z")
> [@markdash](#): > > My preferred beers are pilsners, although oddly enough I do not like Pilsner Urquell. It’s frequently skunked. There’s nothing wrong with your taste. 😉 ---
**Author:** ![markdash](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/ba8739/32.png) [@markdash](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/markdash)\ **Post date:** [May 24, 2011, 7:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/beer-for-a-non-beer-drinker/582986/45 "2011-05-24T19:20:31Z")
> [@velveeta](#): > > It’s frequently skunked. There’s nothing wrong with your taste. 😉 That is a relief, although I fear I have tried it frequently enough that the odds are rather against me. ---
**Author:** ![velveeta](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/v/13edae/32.png) [@velveeta](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/velveeta)\ **Post date:** [May 24, 2011, 7:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/beer-for-a-non-beer-drinker/582986/46 "2011-05-24T19:32:29Z")
> [@markdash](#): > > That is a relief, although I fear I have tried it frequently enough that the odds are rather against me. Have you tried it on tap? It’s honestly no where near my favorite, but it’s better tasting than the putrid hot mess that’s in those green bottles. My father-in-law buys the bottles and can’t figure out why he’s the only one who ever drinks it. We finally said, “Don’t you think that tastes kinda funky?” and he goes, “Yes…?” ---
**Author:** ![Mahaloth](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mahaloth/32/1079_2.png) [@Mahaloth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mahaloth)\ **Post date:** [May 24, 2011, 8:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/beer-for-a-non-beer-drinker/582986/47 "2011-05-24T20:02:34Z")
Go get a Genessee beer. It’s quite tasty, cheap so you don’t pay a fortune, and a very friendly beer for non beer drinkers. [Genessee](http://www.google.com/imgres?imgurl=http://www.tias.com/stores/phillipdpritchard/pictures/07bar024a.jpg&imgrefurl=http://www.tias.com/cgi-bin/showcase-item.cgi%3FitemKey%3D3923244771%26store%3D/stores/phillipdpritchard&usg=__YO-0FKao8uCcrVnKGsI_KM-3v54=&h=450&w=338&sz=96&hl=en&start=0&zoom=1&tbnid=QO0TI4sFZaa8bM:&tbnh=134&tbnw=114&ei=ww7cTanRNsbj0QHl1ZS4Dw&prev=/search%3Fq%3Dgenesee%2Bbeer%26um%3D1%26hl%3Den%26safe%3Doff%26client%3Dfirefox-a%26sa%3DN%26rls%3Dorg.mozilla:en-US:official%26biw%3D1152%26bih%3D607%26tbm%3Disch&um=1&itbs=1&iact=hc&vpx=663&vpy=89&dur=2883&hovh=259&hovw=194&tx=97&ty=168&sqi=2&page=1&ndsp=18&ved=1t:429,r:3,s:0) ---
**Author:** ![markdash](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/ba8739/32.png) [@markdash](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/markdash)\ **Post date:** [May 24, 2011, 8:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/beer-for-a-non-beer-drinker/582986/48 "2011-05-24T20:08:55Z")
> [@velveeta](#): > > Have you tried it on tap? It’s honestly no where near my favorite, but it’s better tasting than the putrid hot mess that’s in those green bottles. My father-in-law buys the bottles and can’t figure out why he’s the only one who ever drinks it. We finally said, “Don’t you think that tastes kinda funky?” and he goes, “Yes…?” I guess I’ll give it a try the next time I see it on tap. And if I still don’t like it, I’ll make sure to go to the Czech Republic and try it directly from the brewery. However, if I still don’t like it then, I probably never will. 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![kayaker](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kayaker/32/441_2.png) [@kayaker](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kayaker)\ **Post date:** [May 24, 2011, 8:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/beer-for-a-non-beer-drinker/582986/49 "2011-05-24T20:28:57Z")
> [@Mahaloth](#): > > Go get a Genessee beer. It’s quite tasty, cheap so you don’t pay a fortune, and a very friendly beer for non beer drinkers. > > [Genessee](http://www.google.com/imgres?imgurl=http://www.tias.com/stores/phillipdpritchard/pictures/07bar024a.jpg&imgrefurl=http://www.tias.com/cgi-bin/showcase-item.cgi%3FitemKey%3D3923244771%26store%3D/stores/phillipdpritchard&usg=__YO-0FKao8uCcrVnKGsI_KM-3v54=&h=450&w=338&sz=96&hl=en&start=0&zoom=1&tbnid=QO0TI4sFZaa8bM:&tbnh=134&tbnw=114&ei=ww7cTanRNsbj0QHl1ZS4Dw&prev=/search%3Fq%3Dgenesee%2Bbeer%26um%3D1%26hl%3Den%26safe%3Doff%26client%3Dfirefox-a%26sa%3DN%26rls%3Dorg.mozilla:en-US:official%26biw%3D1152%26bih%3D607%26tbm%3Disch&um=1&itbs=1&iact=hc&vpx=663&vpy=89&dur=2883&hovh=259&hovw=194&tx=97&ty=168&sqi=2&page=1&ndsp=18&ved=1t:429,r:3,s:0) After not having Genny Cream Ale for around 25 years or so, I had a case given to me. Wasn’t bad at all!! ---
**Author:** ![Snickers](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/5daacb/32.png) [@Snickers](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Snickers)\ **Post date:** [May 24, 2011, 9:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/beer-for-a-non-beer-drinker/582986/50 "2011-05-24T21:21:13Z")
Other exceptional ciders to try: Crispin (not sure where it’s brewed) and Magner’s (Ireland). ---
**Author:** ![pulykamell](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/pulykamell/32/3166_2.png) [@pulykamell](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/pulykamell)\ **Post date:** [May 24, 2011, 9:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/beer-for-a-non-beer-drinker/582986/51 "2011-05-24T21:26:59Z")
> [@velveeta](#): > > Let’s not forget about diacetyls. Maybe that falls under “funkiness”? I’ve never been able to describe the flavor correctly. I call it sour feet. Some people say rancid butter, but I don’t think that does it justice. Butter or butterscotch tend to be the usual descriptors. Not sure about sour feet, but I guess I’ve never had anything with really terrible diacetyl aroma or flavor (it can also be caused by a pedioccocus bacteria contamination.) ---
**Author:** ![appleciders](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/85f322/32.png) [@appleciders](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/appleciders)\ **Post date:** [May 24, 2011, 9:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/beer-for-a-non-beer-drinker/582986/52 "2011-05-24T21:43:10Z")
Lots of people have recommended Hefeweizens, which are wheat beers. They’re a good choice in and of themselves, because they’re normally not very hoppy and sometimes almost sweet. They’re usually what I serve to people who don’t normally drink beer. However, if you want to make them even more palatable to the non-beer-drinker, add a wedge of citrus. Lime is maybe the most common, but lemon and orange are also very acceptable. ---
**Author:** ![velveeta](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/v/13edae/32.png) [@velveeta](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/velveeta)\ **Post date:** [May 24, 2011, 10:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/beer-for-a-non-beer-drinker/582986/53 "2011-05-24T22:27:16Z")
> [@pulykamell](#): > > Butter or butterscotch tend to be the usual descriptors. Not sure about sour feet, but I guess I’ve never had anything with really terrible diacetyl aroma or flavor (it can also be caused by a pedioccocus bacteria contamination.) Butterscotch is supposed to be an “ok” flavor. I don’t like it. Butter is flat out bad no matter what. Soapy is another way I’ve described the flavor. Soapy rancid butter with a side of feet? We went to a beer fest and I tried some seasonal beer from a small brewery, and it was so bad with diacetyls I had to spit it out. The fact that they were selling the stuff in stores horrified me. Maybe they were ditching their bad product at the beer fest, I don’t know. I’m having a flavor flashback right now… ew. I’ve brewed my share of rejects, but I don’t pawn them off on unsuspecting beer lovers. That’s just cruel. ---
**Author:** ![drastic\_quench](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/e36b37/32.png) [@drastic\_quench](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/drastic_quench)\ **Post date:** [May 24, 2011, 11:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/beer-for-a-non-beer-drinker/582986/54 "2011-05-24T23:51:41Z")
> [@velveeta](#): > > Butterscotch is supposed to be an “ok” flavor. I don’t like it. > Butter is flat out bad no matter what. Soapy is another way I’ve described the flavor. Soapy rancid butter with a side of feet? > We went to a beer fest and I tried some seasonal beer from a small brewery, and it was so bad with diacetyls I had to spit it out. The fact that they were selling the stuff in stores horrified me. Maybe they were ditching their bad product at the beer fest, I don’t know. I’m having a flavor flashback right now… ew. > > I’ve brewed my share of rejects, but I don’t pawn them off on unsuspecting beer lovers. That’s just cruel. I had a Three Floyds Scottish Ale that was loaded with diacetyls. It was way too buttery to even choke down, and it was one of my very few drain pours. ---
**Author:** ![Moonchild](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/d9b06d/32.png) [@Moonchild](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Moonchild)\ **Post date:** [May 25, 2011, 12:25am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/beer-for-a-non-beer-drinker/582986/55 "2011-05-25T00:25:56Z")
Sissy beer drinker here. Try Newcastle Brown Ale. Per Wikipedia, introduced in 1927 by Newcastle Breweries and now produced by Heineken Int’l. and still brewed in England. I LIKE IT. 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![kaylasdad99](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kaylasdad99/32/3398_2.png) [@kaylasdad99](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kaylasdad99)\ **Post date:** [May 25, 2011, 12:36am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/beer-for-a-non-beer-drinker/582986/56 "2011-05-25T00:36:39Z")
> [@Scubaqueen](#): > > my two cents: lambic anything - they’re all pretty tasty, woodchuck cider (not the granny smith version! it’s awful), strongbow, indy blonde (if you have a ram restaurant in your area) and, last but not, least blue moon. > > instead of a wedge of orange, i pour in a jigger or so of OJ to every glass of beer. no rind, no pulp, just orangy goodness with your belgian wheat. not every restaurant has OJ, but i always ask first. 😕 What kind of a restaurant isn’t prepared to pour a screwdriver, or a tequila sunrise? Probably one of those places that thinks pouring water into a glass that consists of a cone on a stem makes it a martini. ---
**Author:** ![MPB\_in\_Salt\_Lake](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/c0e974/32.png) [@MPB\_in\_Salt\_Lake](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MPB_in_Salt_Lake)\ **Post date:** [May 25, 2011, 1:18am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/beer-for-a-non-beer-drinker/582986/57 "2011-05-25T01:18:33Z")
> [@gaffa](#): > > I don’t like beer, but when visiting friends in England, we all went down to the pub and I tried one of their ciders. Excellent! Very tasty. Just don’t make the mistake of an American apple cider, which is usually made by beer companies and is apparently made with beer yeast, and has a nasty beer flavor to it. Stick to UK brands of cider. There is an outfit up in Sonoma County (heart of wine country) called Ace Cider Co., that makes several ciders that are all quite excellent, but to me their standout is Ace Perry, which is made with pears, as opposed to apples. It is truly a perfect summertime drink, and at 5% alcohol, not too overpowering, so you can enjoy several over the course of a warm summer evening. Try it sometime, and I am betting that you will agree that there is at least one American cider that is world-class quality. ---
**Author:** ![bump](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/7c8e57/32.png) [@bump](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/bump)\ **Post date:** [May 25, 2011, 2:38am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/beer-for-a-non-beer-drinker/582986/58 "2011-05-25T02:38:39Z")
> [@markdash](#): > > That is a relief, although I fear I have tried it frequently enough that the odds are rather against me. I can say with some authority, that PU doesn’t travel well at all. Having had it in Prague, Vienna, Budapest, London and Dallas, it gets less malty and more sharply bitter the further you get from the Czech Republic. The genuine article is a marvelously balanced beer, but the older it gets (I’m guessing it’s age that does it), the more sharply bitter it seems to get I agree with the people who suggest going to a local beer pub and trying flights of beers. I’d also do one other thing- I’d see about going through the BJCP style guidelines- and trying a beer or two in each style if you can. There are huge differences between styles- a Dunkel is worlds apart from a Wit, which is an entirely different animal than an Imperial IPA. Since the style guidelines are intended as judging standards for homebrewing competitions, they give you an idea as to the alcohol level, intended flavors, and bitterness levels, so if you know that say… an American Pale Ale is supposed to be about 30-45 IBU (hop bitterness) and "Refreshing and hoppy, yet with sufficient supporting malt. ", you can compare that with what you taste when you have a Sierra Nevada Pale Ale, and realize that’s what they’re talking about and what 30-45 IBU is like. Do enough of that, and you’ll have an idea of the taste just from the style guidelines. > **[BJCP 2008 Style Guidelines - Index](https://legacy.bjcp.org/2008styles/catdex.php)** ---
**Author:** ![pulykamell](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/pulykamell/32/3166_2.png) [@pulykamell](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/pulykamell)\ **Post date:** [May 25, 2011, 3:03am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/beer-for-a-non-beer-drinker/582986/59 "2011-05-25T03:03:07Z")
> [@MPB\_in\_Salt\_Lake](#): > > Try it sometime, and I am betting that you will agree that there is at least one American cider that is world-class quality. They have Ace cider around where I’m at. They’re worth a shot to see if it’s something you like, but their perry is not made from pears (although you did say “with pears” so maybe you know this.) The base is still Ace cider from apples, and some pear essence is added at the end. ---
**Author:** ![pulykamell](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/pulykamell/32/3166_2.png) [@pulykamell](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/pulykamell)\ **Post date:** [May 25, 2011, 3:05am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/beer-for-a-non-beer-drinker/582986/60 "2011-05-25T03:05:36Z")
> [@bump](#): > > I can say with some authority, that PU doesn’t travel well at all. Having had it in Prague, Vienna, Budapest, London and Dallas, it gets less malty and more sharply bitter the further you get from the Czech Republic. I absolutely agree. That’s one beer that really does not travel well at all. I was always a little dubious about claims that certain beers taste very different at their source, but PU is almost a different beer over there vs. what it is here. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/beer-for-a-non-beer-drinker/582986.md?page=2) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/beer-for-a-non-beer-drinker/582986.md?page=4)