Beer for SWMBO

My wife doesn't like beer, but she wants to help me come up with a brew that she'd like for a party we're going to have over the summer (so other non-beer drinkers may enjoy it too).

She likes sweet wines (Moscatto d'Asti and Bully Hill's Sweet Walter Red are her favorites). She also likes malternative beverages, especially Smirnoff's Green Apple flavored one.

I brew extract with steeping grains, although I plan to try all-grain some time within the next year or so (not likely to happen for this brew, though).

I'm thinking something relatively light-bodied without a strong hop character. She's suggested something with a fruit addition. I've never done a fruited beer, but I'd be up for trying it.

So basically, I'm looking for suggestions. I'm hoping that if it's good, she may open up to trying a few other beers and maybe start liking my brews (and therefore be more supportive).

Has anyone else found a brew for people who don't like beer?

My wife doesnt like beer but loves an orange infused hefe weizen. Especially when I top it off witha wedge of orange.

Ed Wort's Bee Cave Brewery Haus Pale

BierMuncher's SWMBO Slayer Belgian Blonde (extract version is a few posts down from the top)

Maybe try a Dogfish Head Midas Touch clone - that beer is sweet and tastes like a hybrid between wine, mead and beer. It's not exactly light-bodied though. Pick some up in the store if it's available in your area and see what she thinks.

My wife's favorite beer is Chimay Blue - again, the opposite of a light-bodied beer, but it's wonderfully complex and somewhat fruity from the yeast character, and not at all hoppy. It's pretty widely available for about $9 per 750 ml bottle if you want to try it out before setting out to clone it.

For actual fruit beers, hybrids (cream ale, Koelsch, blonde) make a pretty good base, but a balanced fruit addition can be pretty tricky to pull off properly.

llazy_llama said:

Ed Wort's Bee Cave Brewery Haus Pale

BierMuncher's SWMBO Slayer Belgian Blonde (extract version is a few posts down from the top)

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I've heard good things about EdWort's Haus Pale Ale, but pale ales are probably too hoppy and bitter for her tastes. The SWMBO Slayer looks promising, though...

This stuff was really popular and it couldn't be any easier to brew https://www.homebrewtalk.com/f75/coastarines-peach-wheat-106322/#post1168137

Coastarine said:

This stuff was really popular and it couldn't be any easier to brew https://www.homebrewtalk.com/f75/coastarines-peach-wheat-106322/#post1168137

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Thanks, that looks really good!

One of the Sam Adam's Longshot winners this year is a Cranberry Wit. The recipe is in BYO. This might have a lot of the characteristics you are looking for.

A good belgian wit usually keeps the "non beer drinkers" that I know happy.

I am in the same situation with SWMBO and she has really taken to the fruit Wheats.

She really likes a raspberry hefeweizen as well as hefeweizen with lemon. It brings some of the flavor she likes into a lighter beer.

bbrim said:

One of the Sam Adam's Longshot winners this year is a Cranberry Wit. The recipe is in BYO. This might have a lot of the characteristics you are looking for.

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I have that issue, but after Sam Adam's Cranberry Lambic, I was really skeptical about any other fruited beers that they're putting out. If people think this one is good, though, I may try it.

I don't remember seeing an extract version of it in there, though... Maybe with enough support from SWMBO I can push some AG equipment through the family budget...

I went to AG this year, knocked off about $12 per batch. I did 10 gallons of stout just under $50. Depending how often you brew, you could pay your system off in a year . Otherwise you could just use wheat extract (I think they are usually 50%wheat/50%barley). I've made some tasty Wit and some tasty Hefeweizen with wheat extract.

i agree with the above and try a fruit wheat. just about every one i know that is not a beer drinker likes blue moon and similar beers with orange or other fruit.