Beer Recipe my girlfriend would like?

Would like to attempt to make a beer/mead/etc. that might convert my girlfriend into a beer lover. She never drinks beer, doesn't like the taste, so she says but she hasn't tried any beer's besides a select few.

I'm thinking something really light bodied with citrus or apricot notes and maybe a few more aromatics, like maybe even lavender? She loves lavender. She will only drink like really sweet wine cooler type stuff when she does drink so it will probably be an arduous task.

Any feedback welcomed! Cheers!

IDK about mead, but making a beer for someone that doesn't like beer could mean you have to drink a lot by yourself. Not necessarily a bad thing, but your tastes may be different.

Personally I recommend finding styles she kinda likes and work from there. My wife doesn't like most beers but I do know that she's partial to some lambics, wheat beers, and generally lighter beers. She prefers beers with fruit, and sounds like she has similar wine preferences to your gf. If you can force her to try some shock top, sam adams blackberry witbier, hoegaarden, framboise, kriek, etc. you may find what styles she likes better and work from there.

I've noticed trying to find a beer style my wife likes a bit difficult because she doesn't like beer that just tastes like plain beer. I know, very vague description, but she basically doesn't like any beer that follows reinheitsgebot. I haven't had her try many beers with esters that she may like, but I suspect playing with yeast might come close to getting a "plain" beer that she likes.
*edit* My wife's favorite beer is Magic Hat #9, have your gf try that as well.

I agree, try a few commercial beers on her before you brew something she might not like. I think too often girls are given bland/fruity beers, what does she like to eat/drink? How about a coffee stout? A vinous Flanders Red? A citrusy IPA? It sounds like she just hasn’t had much exposure to good beer, show her the range that exists.

I’ve had a number of female roommates over the years that I’ve converted into beer nerds. They’ve been won over with beers like Pannepot, Cantillon Fou Foune, and Weihenstephaner Dunkel. Don’t pressure her, just let her have a sip of whatever you are drinking (if she likes it buy her one).

You let her have a choice? Hell my wife drinks what I give her and does it with a smile on her face, or she gets the the backhand.


Kidding.


But, w/out knowing what she likes I do the Blue Moon Clone on here or a lighter blond.

I agree with Oldsock, just let her have a sip of whatever you have. Eventually she will try one that "isn't too bad". And then after that she will finally go with you to the liquor store and pick up a sixer of the beer she likes. Then you can brew something like that.

I got tired watching my gf pay $11 for a sixer of Left Hand Milk Stout, so I brewed up the clone. It's on tap now and everyone is happy.

And while experimenting with light stuff, don't forget about the heavy stuff too. Who knows? Maybe a sip of Rochefort 10 served in a Bordeaux glass will make her a convert.

JonM said:

And while experimenting with light stuff, don't forget about the heavy stuff too. Who knows? Maybe a sip of Rochefort 10 served in a Bordeaux glass will make her a convert.

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My wife and her friends love Watermelon wheat. My friends secretly do as well.

Ingredients:
------------
Amount Item Type % or IBU
0.50 lb Rice Hulls (0.0 SRM) Adjunct 5.00 %
5.50 lb Pale Malt (2 Row) US (2.0 SRM) Grain 55.00 %
4.00 lb Wheat Malt, Bel (2.0 SRM) Grain 40.00 %
0.50 oz Hallertauer [4.80 %] (60 min) Hops 8.7 IBU
1.00 oz Hallertauer [4.80 %] (15 min) Hops 8.6 IBU

7.00 lb Watermellon (Secondary 10.0 days) Misc
1 Pkgs American Hefeweizen Ale (White Labs #WLP32Yeast-Wheat


Mash Schedule: Single Infusion, Light Body, Batch Sparge
Total Grain Weight: 10.00 lb
----------------------------
Single Infusion, Light Body, Batch Sparge
Step Time Name Description Step Temp
75 min Mash In Add 12.50 qt of water at 165.3 F 150.0 F


Notes:
------
Rack on top of Watermellon in Secondary

+1 on the blue moon or something like it. I think a wit's a good gateway beer.

thenagain, both my mom and sister (traditional beer haters) were turned on by different stouts. Anything that might be chocolatey, full bodied, and sweet are the trick.

This is one of the most asked questions here, I haven't figured what I can make that my wife would love. I just brew what I like, maybe someday she will enjoy one. I personally gave up trying to get her involved in this hobby, she is just not into beer like I am.

It's hard to say without some pics.

Yeah thinking about it I wouldn't want to go through the trouble and gamble on a brew she may not like and I'm stuck with 5 gallons on so and so beer lol.

I do have a Hoegaarden white ale clone fermenting right now, I'll see how she likes that and then I think that beer complimented with some apricot and lavender would probably taste pretty good for a future brew.

She did try a taste of the Magic Hat #9, I believe that is the apricot one right, that's where I got the idea to use apricot because she did seem to like it.

That watermelon wheat looks pretty interesting! Have to keep that in mind.

For a sweeter beer would I kill the yeast off prematurely, at like 1.025 left, or just use some artificial sweetener that can't be fermented when bottling? I wouldn't know how much to use though, I'm trying to envision a sugary beer and just can't lol, think it would taste pretty nasty but...

Brew_4iT said:

Yeah thinking about it I wouldn't want to go through the trouble and gamble on a brew she may not like and I'm stuck with 5 gallons on so and so beer lol.

I do have a Hoegaarden white ale clone fermenting right now, I'll see how she likes that and then I think that beer complimented with some apricot and lavender would probably taste pretty good for a future brew.

She did try a taste of the Magic Hat #9, I believe that is the apricot one right, that's where I got the idea to use apricot because she did seem to like it.

That watermelon wheat looks pretty interesting! Have to keep that in mind.

For a sweeter beer would I kill the yeast off prematurely, at like 1.025 left, or just use some artificial sweetener that can't be fermented when bottling? I wouldn't know how much to use though, I'm trying to envision a sugary beer and just can't lol, think it would taste pretty nasty but...

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Magic Hat #9 has no fruit to it, that I remember. It's their "Not quite pale ale". Has some fruity esters maybe. http://www.magichat.net/elixirs/9
She's the one who drinks it all the time, not that I wouldn't. I just have to drink other stuff she doesn't drink so that she has some

I normally make my wife try a sip of whatever I have and she's started trying a lot more things. Unfortunately she had to work during Total Wine's Belgian Beers class, as she might have found some she likes.

That's another thing to try and do. Some craft beer bars, local brewpubs, and liquor stores have tastings, samplers or even classes. We went to Sea World's beer garden during their BBQ, Bands, and Brew event. This lets you try a lot of styles at once and helped me get a feel for what my wife likes.

EDIT: #9 does indeed seem to contain apricot, though I don't remember it on the label and it isn't on their page about the beer.
As far as sweetening a beer, you can always add lactose (like milk stouts) or just cut down on the bitterness. Killing off yeast would mean you can't age it (I believe) and you have to catch it before it stops.

i brewed a peach wheat (american style) for mine... turned out better than i expected actually. she didn't really care for it (she just doesn't like beer much) but her friend has gone through a case of it in a few weeks.

i have a lambic aging for her as well - half that will go on peaches as well.

I got my wife interested in craft brews when I started visiting local microbreweries and ordering their sampler trays. After all the food is always pretty good and their was usually wine or hard liquor for her. After a couple visits my wife started asking for a taste of this or that from the tray. She found that she really liked certain styles that she probably never would have tried otherwise. She now keeps her own supply of stout, porter and cream ale in the fridge.

I think hitting a few microbreweries you like and sharing a sampler tray will give you a good indication of whether there is a style of beer she likes.

Acoma said:

It's hard to say without some pics.

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That my friend is hilarious!!

I have nothing useful to add except that I haven't made anything my wife likes because she isn't a beer fan yet either, however she does like a Peach Lambic I have bought before and it is quite good so that is a good start.

Oldsock said:

I agree, try a few commercial beers on her before you brew something she might not like. I think too often girls are given bland/fruity beers, what does she like to eat/drink? How about a coffee stout? A vinous Flanders Red? A citrusy IPA? It sounds like she just hasn’t had much exposure to good beer, show her the range that exists.

I’ve had a number of female roommates over the years that I’ve converted into beer nerds. They’ve been won over with beers like Pannepot, Cantillon Fou Foune, and Weihenstephaner Dunkel. Don’t pressure her, just let her have a sip of whatever you are drinking (if she likes it buy her one).

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^^^^^^ Sage advice....^^^^^^^

Brew what you like. Give her sips of beers you're drinking be it yours or a commercial beer. One might strike her fancy....brew one similar to that.

She may never like beer...that's o.k., too. I honestly don't understand the whole "convert my significant other to being a beer lover" thought process.

I haven't found a beer yet mine likes.She wont even taste most, she just smells them. But she loves Bailey's Irish Cream and caramel or mint chocolate liquer.So I'm thinking some kind of caramel cream stout. Sounds good to me too, so if she doesnt like it,F her, I'll drink it myself.

As close as I've come is an AHS Gold Seal Belgian Wit kit I made this winter. She almost liked it. Since I've started alternating brew days with Hard Cider and Raspberry Wine days. Cost a couple of extra pet carboys for the longer ferments but keeps peace in the family.

Hugh_Jass said:

She may never like beer...that's o.k., too. I honestly don't understand the whole "convert my significant other to being a beer lover" thought process.

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My reasons are this. I started out not liking beer, but this was a phase that passed. If my wife likes the beer I'm making, she's more apt to like me making it instead of giving me that "you know you have chores too" look when I mention I want to brew something. Not everyone is a beer person though, so I'm not going to force her or anyone to do something they don't want to do.

I would say try some commercial beers first. Gumballhead and Oberon ale(or any American Wheat) along with a good Hefe would be the first ones I would try.

Hugh_Jass said:

^^^^^^ Sage advice....^^^^^^^

Brew what you like. Give her sips of beers you're drinking be it yours or a commercial beer. One might strike her fancy....brew one similar to that.

She may never like beer...that's o.k., too. I honestly don't understand the whole "convert my significant other to being a beer lover" thought process.

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Erroneous said:

My reasons are this. I started out not liking beer, but this was a phase that passed. If my wife likes the beer I'm making, she's more apt to like me making it instead of giving me that "you know you have chores too" look when I mention I want to brew something. Not everyone is a beer person though, so I'm not going to force her or anyone to do something they don't want to do.

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I agree with Hugh_Jass. I mean, if I don't like olives I'd get really mad at somebody trying to show me the light and try to force me to like olives.

Some people like beer, some people don't. Trying to come up with a recipe that someone is "supposed" to like is futile.

I'd suggest buying some unique commercial beers and seeing if she likes that. I wouldn't make 5 gallons of something in the hope that she would "see the light".

If the OP's girlfriend doesn't like beer, she doesn't like beer. If you want to make her something, why not a hard lemonade if she likes that? Make an "Island Mist" wine kit- those are really good for people who like wine coolers and/or those "Arbor Mist" wines.

I really hate when well-meaning boyfriends try to make us women appreciate something they love when we just don't. I will never love NASCAR, for example. But that's ok if he loves it. But I would get very upset if he tried to convince me I was wrong in my aversion to it! Same with beer. If she doesn't like it, that should be fine. As long as she doesn't try to tell you that you shouldn't love it.

I would find out which beers she's tried and has not liked. Could be they were more hop forward, or malt forward, and she didn't care for that. Or maybe they were just not really good beers. It could be that the hops used were just not to her tastes either. IMO, too many variables to go from without knowing.

I would brew things that take that into account, and try it myself before asking for her to try it. My current English pale ale was more hop forward at 3-6 weeks in bottles (I dry hopped it) and has smoothed out significantly over the past few weeks.

Personally, I'm not using other people's recipes, or clone recipes anymore. I used other's recipes for my first few batches, and did one clone (didn't like it as much as I had hoped). Every batch that I created the recipe of has been a solid brew (if not great).

If you really want to make a batch that she will enjoy drinking, then start making recipe test batches. You could do 2.5 gallon batches to see if she likes it (when it's ready for drinking). I would also advise making sure the brew is in the right temperature range when drinking it. I've found that having it too cold significantly alters the brew's flavors. A few degrees warmer and it changes into something most excellent. :rockin:

Brew_4iT said:

I do have a Hoegaarden white ale clone fermenting right now, I'll see how she likes that and then I think that beer complimented with some apricot and lavender would probably taste pretty good for a future brew.

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How about posting that recipe.

Hoegaarden is my favorite beer on tap when ever I visit Copenhagen

Yooper said:

I agree with Hugh_Jass. I mean, if I don't like olives I'd get really mad at somebody trying to show me the light and try to force me to like olives.

Some people like beer, some people don't. Trying to come up with a recipe that someone is "supposed" to like is futile.

I'd suggest buying some unique commercial beers and seeing if she likes that. I wouldn't make 5 gallons of something in the hope that she would "see the light".

If the OP's girlfriend doesn't like beer, she doesn't like beer. If you want to make her something, why not a hard lemonade if she likes that? Make an "Island Mist" wine kit- those are really good for people who like wine coolers and/or those "Arbor Mist" wines.

I really hate when well-meaning boyfriends try to make us women appreciate something they love when we just don't. I will never love NASCAR, for example. But that's ok if he loves it. But I would get very upset if he tried to convince me I was wrong in my aversion to it! Same with beer. If she doesn't like it, that should be fine. As long as she doesn't try to tell you that you shouldn't love it.

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Well, the only time she drank beer was once, budweiser and got so sick that she vowed she would never like beer again (not since I knew her). Although since then I have gotten her to try sips from various beers such as magic hat #9's which she liked and actually got mad when I took it back and finished it. She has a very linear mind set about beer and I am trying to broaden it. It's really a lot more simpler than I think this thread has manifested into...