Look, some people just don’t like the taste of beer. However we have friends and family who do, or at least pretend to and therefore we desire a suitable placeholder. Thankfully there’s a wide variety of “beer like” drinks that mask, minimize or outright replace the traditional beer flavor with… something else.
Radler Beer
Radler is a refreshing German beer-based mixed drink that combines beer with lemon-lime soda or lemonade. Here are some key points about Radler beer:
- Origins: Radler originated in Germany in the 1920s when an enterprising Bavarian innkeeper mixed lager beer with lemon soda to help stretch his beer supply for thirsty cyclists. “Radler” means “cyclist” in German.
- Ingredients: Traditional Radler consists of roughly equal parts lager beer and lemon-lime soda or lemonade. Some versions use grapefruit soda instead of lemon-lime.
- Alcohol Content: With the addition of non-alcoholic soda, Radler has a lower alcohol content than regular beer, typically around 2-3% ABV.
- Taste: The lemon-lime or lemonade flavors give Radler a tart, refreshing, almost shandy-like taste balanced by the beer’s toasted malt flavors. It is very light and crisp in character.
- Serving: Radler is served well-chilled, often with a lemon wedge garnish. It makes for a thirst-quenching, sessionable drink perfect for hot summer days.
- Popularity: While popular in Germany for decades, Radler and Radler-style shandies have grown in popularity worldwide in recent years as a refreshing beer alternative.
So in essence, Radler provides an enticing middle ground between beer and lemonade – lighter than beer but more flavorful than lemonade alone.
Blue Moon
Blue Moon is a popular Belgian-style witbier (wheat beer) brewed by MillerCoors under the Molson Coors parent company. Here are some key details about Blue Moon beer:
Ingredients:
- Malted wheat
- Orange peel
- Coriander
- Oats
- Barley malt
Appearance:
- Hazy golden-orange color due to the unfiltered wheat and oats
- Thick, fluffy white head
Aroma/Flavor:
- Citrusy aroma and flavor from the orange peel
- Spicy notes from the coriander
- Bready, wheaty malt backbone
- Light to medium bodied with a creamy mouthfeel
Alcohol Content:
- 5.4% ABV
Serving:
- Typically served with an orange slice garnish to complement the citrus notes
Origins:
- First brewed in 1995 in Montreal
- One of the earliest popular craft-style wheat beers produced by a major beer company
Popularity:
- One of the best-selling craft beer brands in the United States
- Helped popularize the witbier style among American beer drinkers
Overall, Blue Moon is known for its refreshing, orangey flavor and unfiltered, cloudy appearance typical of Belgian-style wheat beers. Its wide availability made it an affordable “cross-over” craft beer option.
Shock Top
Shock Top is a Belgian-style wheat ale brewed by Anheuser-Busch InBev. Here are some key details about this beer:
Ingredients:
- Unmalted wheat and malted barley
- Belgian yeast strains
- Citrus peels (orange, lemon, lime)
- Coriander
Appearance:
- Hazy golden color from the unfiltered wheat
- Thick, fluffy white head
Aroma/Flavor:
- Citrusy aromas from the orange, lemon, and lime peels
- Spicy notes from the coriander
- Bready, slightly sweet wheat malt backbone
- Light to medium body with a creamy mouthfeel
Alcohol Content:
- 5.2% ABV
Serving:
- Often served with an orange slice garnish
Origins:
- First introduced in 2006 as a spring/summer seasonal beer
- Became so popular it was made a year-round offering in 2007
Varieties:
- Shock Top Belgian White (the original)
- Shock Top Raspberry Wheat
- Shock Top Lemon Twist
- Shock Top Honeycrisp Apple Wheat
Shock Top was one of the first widely available Belgian-style wheat ales from a major American brewery. Its unique citrus and spice notes, along with its hazy, unfiltered appearance, helped popularize the witbier style in the United States. It’s marketed as a more affordable “crafty” option.
Hoegarden
Hoegaarden is a classic Belgian witbier (wheat beer) originally brewed by the Hoegaarden Brewery in the town of Hoegaarden, Belgium. Here are some key details:
Ingredients:
- Unmalted wheat (around 50% of the grain bill)
- Malted barley
- Curaçao orange peel
- Coriander
Appearance:
- Hazy pale yellow color from the unfiltered wheat
- Thick, fluffy white head
Aroma/Flavor:
- Citrusy, spicy aroma from the orange peel and coriander
- Light, wheaty malt backbone
- Subtle zesty orange flavor
- Dry, refreshing finish from the wheat
- Light to medium body with a creamy mouthfeel
Alcohol Content:
- 4.9% ABV
Serving:
- Traditionally served in a hexagonal Hoegaarden glass without any garnish
History:
- Originated in the village of Hoegaarden in the 1600s
- The witbier style died out until Pierre Celis revived it in 1966
- Hugely popular in Belgium and a landmark beer that inspired the modern witbier revival
Hoegaarden set the standard for the witbier style with its hazy appearance, citrus aroma, creamy body and refreshing finish from the wheat. Its balanced flavors of orange and coriander make it an iconic and quintessential example of Belgian wheat beers.
Other Beers for People Who Don’t like Beer
- Weihenstephaner
- Franziskaner
- Schöfferhofer
- Framboise