While there are countless styles of beer perfect for every palate and many of them have specific, nuanced flavor profiles, sometimes you just want an easy-drinking beer. You know, the simple, sometimes crisp, thirst-quenching brews you just want to sit around and drink with your friends. We’re talking little to no-frills. Maybe it’s a crushable beer for an uncomfortably hot day, a crisp beer for when you’ve been mowing your lawn all afternoon, or simply a light beer to drink as the sun sets.
We’re talking about lagers, pilsners, pale ales, any light, drinkable, crushable beer really. This is the definition of an “easy drinking” beer. Luckily, there are many on the market to choose from. There are also a few things that are usually true about “easy-drinking” beers. The first is that they are commonly fairly cheap. So instead of paying $20 for a four-pack of 16-ounce cans, you can grab a sixer for less than $10. So that’s a plus. The second thing is that many of the best options are surprisingly underrated or at the very least not given the respect they deserve.
To celebrate the underdogs, we asked a handful of well-known craft beer experts, brewers, and beer professionals to tell us the best, most under-valued easy-drinking beers of all time. Keep reading to see all of their picks.
Miller High Life
Jesse Mix, regional manager of beer and soft drinks at Sprecher Brewing Company in Glendale, Wisconsin
ABV: 4.6%
Average Price: $6 for a six-pack
Why This Beer?
Miller High Life of course. This beer is 100 percent nostalgia and classic Milwaukee. It’s the first beer I ever had and is still a staple in my fridge. This beer is great for just about anything, and pairs well with just about everything. This is the beer you drink when you want to have a great time with family and friends, or you are just plain thirsty.
Notch Kolsch
Mike Haakenstad, brewing operations manager at Sycamore Brewing in Charlotte, North Carolina
ABV: 4.9%
Average Price: Limited Availability
Why This Beer?
My pick is Kolsch from Notch Brewing in Salem, Massachusetts. It’s easily the crispest and most refreshing beer I can remember. It’s nice and golden clear with hints of honey and grape with a slight bready/toasted maltiness to it. Super refreshing, super delicious, super wish-I-was-back-in-Salem right now.
Creature Comforts Bibo
Keston Helfrich, founder and head brewer of Carolina Bauernhaus Brewery & Winery in Anderson, South Carolina
ABV: 4.9%
Average Price: $12 for a six-pack
Why This Beer?
I really love Bibo Pils by Creature Comforts. Anytime someone I know goes to Athens, I ask them to pick some up for me. It’s just a perfectly crushable beer. It’s crisp and dry with just enough of a spicy hop character to keep me coming back for more.
Pilsner Urquell
David Ringler, director of happiness at Cedar Springs Brewing Company in Grand Rapids. Michigan
ABV: 4.4%
Average Price: $10 for a six-pack
Why This Beer?
A fresh Pilsner Urquell cannot be beaten. I’ve been blessed to tour their cellar with one of their former brewmasters and found it a heavenly experience as a fresh, unfiltered Pilsner is something that is simply unmatched. The body is soft with a light, herbal aroma that is subtle, refreshing, and begs for another sip.
Young Veterans Life Finds A Way
Josh Lancaster, brewer at Seven Sounds Brewing Company in Elizabeth City, North Carolina
ABV: 4.2%
Average Price: Limited Availability
Why This Beer?
Young Veterans Brewing Life Finds A Way Lager is a supremely crisp helles lager with a touch of sweetness and a light body that makes for perfect crushable quality. Tom Wilde, owner and brewer, contributes a fun aesthetic to the brewery atmosphere and labels that somehow make what is already quality beer even more exciting and approachable.
Jester King La Petite Prince
Sean Towers, owner and brewer at The Seed: A Living Beer Project in Atlantic City
ABV: 2.9%
Average Price: $11 for a 750ml bottle
Why This Beer?
Maybe a tad outside of the box within the modern push for “crispy boi” lagers, but for me, a bright, low ABV, snappy, zesty, lightly acidic Saison-type beer is always going to fit the bill for the crispest easy-drinking beer. My mind will always harken back to Jester King’s Le Petit Prince. This little 2.9 percent ABV farmhouse table beer is zingy and fresh and carries, for me, every one of those qualities that makes a beer crisp and easy to drink. It is almost paradoxically light yet characterful with bright citrus, quenching yet low-enough acid profile, and zippy carbonation that screams crisp and easy while also delivering a profile that beckons for you to keep returning for more sips. This is one beer that I would want in endless supply through a warm summer backwoods trip.
Kona Big Wave
Hector Cavazos, owner and head brewer at Rebel Toad Brewery in Corpus Christi, Texas
ABV: 4.4%
Average Price: $10 for a six-pack
Why This Beer?
Big Wave from Kona is my go-to easy-drinking beer. The tropical flavors are always great especially in this Texas heat. It’s refreshing, fruity, crushable, and has a nice floral, slightly bitter hop flavor that pairs well with the malty backbone.
Bohemia Pilsner
Douglas Constantiner, founder and CEO of Societe Brewing in San Diego
ABV: 4.7%
Average Price: $8 for a six-pack
Why This Beer?
Bohemia Pilsner is a classic, crispy, thirst-quenching beer. To me, it’s one of the greatest Czech-style pilsners of all time but it’s made in Mexico. It’s crisp, it’s fresh, it’s delicious, and it exemplifies what a traditional old-world beer can be without any gimmicks.
Narragansett Lager
Mike Kelly, senior brewer at Harpoon Brewery in Boston
ABV: 5%
Average Price: $6.50 for a six-pack of 16-ounce cans
Why This Beer?
Narragansett Lager is a can’t miss warm weather beer. Narragansett Lager is a New England Classic, known for its high drinkability, coaster puzzles, and pure nostalgia. This lager is easy to crush with its light malt bill and subtle noble hop aroma.
Asahi Super Dry
Dan Lipke, head brewer at Clown Shoes Beer in Boston
ABV: 5.2%
Average Price: $9.50 for a six-pack
Why This Beer?
Asahi Super Dry is an underrated, crisp, refreshing beer. If you’re looking for a crisp beer, try this Japanese rice lager. Super easy to drink even though it’s extra bubbly. This is my go-to sushi pairing beer.
Suarez Palatine Pils
Alex Wenner, owner of Lasting Joy Brewery in Tivoli, New York
ABV: 4.8%
Average Price: Limited Availability
Why This Beer?
Suarez Family Brewery happens to be just a few minutes up the road from me, and Palatine Pils is the kind of beer I don’t feel crazy wanting to buy a case of. An unfiltered German-style pilsner, it pours with a thick white head, and every little bubble bursts with a lemony, grassy hop aroma. The flavor transitions smoothly from grain and hops into a distinct bite from the high carbonation. A great beer to crush on the porch, next to the pool, while grilling, or right now at my desk.
Arches Bohemian Riot
Brent Manning, co-founder of Riverbend Malt House in Asheville, North Carolina
ABV: 5.3%
Average Price: $12 for a six-pack
Why This Beer?
Bohemian Riot by Arches Brewing is a time-honored classic, a perfect example of the traditional Pilsner style made with Riverbend Pilsner malt and Saaz hops. It’s an exciting intersection of classic brewing techniques and locally sourced malt.
Oskar Blues Mama’s Little Yella Pils
Nik Mebane, brewmaster at Wynwood Brewing in Miami
ABV: 4.7%
Average Price: $10 for a six-pack
Why This Beer?
This is one of my favorite beach beers. When it is super hot and I’m dying of thirst, sometimes I don’t want anything too hoppy. A nice crisp Pilsner fits that bill perfectly. Plus, there’s enough flavor to keep my taste buds happy and refreshing enough to drink all day long.
Keystone Light
Matt Simpson, head brewer at Tennessee Brew Works in Nashville
ABV: 4.1%
Average Price: $5 for a six-pack of 16-ounce cans
Why This Beer?
Keystone Light is popular for a reason. It’s crisp, light, highly crushable, and reminds me of rafting the Colorado River. We do not brew a beer like this because we do not make adjunct lagers, but it doesn’t stop being from enjoying it.
Trumer Pils
Marshall Hendrickson, co-founder and head of operations at Veza Sur Brewing in Miami
ABV: 4.9%
Average Price: $8.50 for a six-pack
Why This Beer?
When I was living back in the Bay Area, there was nothing better than a fresh Trumer Pils on draft. The brewery in Berkley only brewed one style, so you can imagine how dialed-in their recipe was. Fantastic beer. I wish you could get it in Florida, although it’s always better to drink closer to the source.
Source: https://uproxx.com/life/craft-beer-experts-shout-out-the-most-underrated-easy-drinking-beers/
