Favorite/Worst Cheap Beer?

[Iowa Brewer]

Mashed published an article on the worst & best cheap beers, according to "637 beer drinkers."

That's all good, but I want to know the best & words cheap beers according to the greatest beer experts on the inter-webs: the good folks here on HomeBrewTalk.com.

What say you?
1. A cheap beer you love, either for nostalgia or its qualities? (no judgement, here)
2. A cheap beer you wouldn't serve as a prank?

Thanks!

 

[Upstate12866]

I'll bite.

Favorite cheap beer is probably Coors original or banquet beer (in the tan can). You can get it in train stations and food halls for like 2.50 in a big can. If you are wasting time, buy one for sure. Better than most alternatives you can find at that price. I don't like the prices of beer these days. No 7 dollar pours or $11.99 six packs for me. Some drugs are cheaper than that.

Honorable mention for Yuengling, which by all rights should be the best cheapie. Still aged in caves and all that. But in recent years I don't like it as much. If you wanna bring a cheap beer to a party without looking like a dingus, grab Yuengling "for the history."

Worst cheap beer that I've bought frequently (not Steel Reserve or Camo, which I hope I never buy again) is Natty Strawberry Lemonade. Why do I buy it?? You get 6x16oz tall cans for $2.30 at the grocery store, not on sale or anything. Somehow that is the regular price. Cheaper than Natty Lite! So every few months I'll see it and say **** it, it's 2 bucks. But it's so sweet and gross I don't think any man can drink em all and survive. Someone should make a tiktok challenge out of it.

 

[bracconiere]

What say you?
1. A cheap beer you love, either for nostalgia or its qualities? (no judgement, here)
2. A cheap beer you wouldn't serve as a prank?

Miller High Life is what i buy, on the rare occasion i buy beer.....(used to be milwaukee's, but now they cost the same. and i prefer High Life)

and as far as worst, back when a twelver of milwaukee's was 4.99, there apeared this twelver for 3.99...i bought one, i'd rather drink sea water.

pretty sure it was called "Cedar Creek"

 

[CascadesBrewer]

Favorite cheap beer is probably Coors original or banquet beer

I don't generally drink or brew pale lager styles. A few years ago I made a couple pale lagers to to give it a try. I picked up a pack of Coors to compare against my American Lager and I was pleasantly surprised by the subtle complexities in the Coors. It was better than my version and it was better than many craft lagers that I have tried.

There is a lot of really bad beer out there, but there is some odd flavor in Miller Lite that I just do not like. I have not really been able to identify what the source of that flavor is. I guess it is from the hops they use?

 

[day_trippr]

Not understanding the point of the question posted to a homebrew group.
And I don't do "cheap beers", even on a lark

 

[Rob2010SS]

A buddy of mine always had this thing that he would do for parties - he would bring the cheapest 6 pack he could find to the party. Being a recent college graduate, he was still always on the hunt for cheap beer. For my housewarming party, he found a 6 pack of this...

I kid you not, for all of us being young and not really caring at the time, and quite a few of them were college grads, couldn't even GIVE this sh*t away for free. We cracked a bottle open and a ton of people tried it. I ended up spitting it out. By far the worst beer I've ever had and go figure, it didn't leave my house so I was stuck with it.

Fast forward a couple of weeks, my dad came over and asked if I had any beer. I said I have this and gave him one. Told him how I hated it and couldn't give it away because it was gross and that he didn't have to drink it. He opens it, takes a sip and loves it! Said it tasted how beer tasted when he first started drinking beer (he was born in 1931 mind you). He ended up taking the other 4 bottles with him!

I don't really have any cheap beer that I love. PBR actually isn't bad, but won't say I love it.

 

[bracconiere]

A buddy of mine always had this thing that he would do for parties - he would bring the cheapest 6 pack he could find to the party. Being a recent college graduate, he was still always on the hunt for cheap beer. For my housewarming party, he found a 6 pack of this...

View attachment 739399

I kid you not, for all of us being young and not really caring at the time, and quite a few of them were college grads, couldn't even GIVE this sh*t away for free. We cracked a bottle open and a ton of people tried it. I ended up spitting it out. By far the worst beer I've ever had and go figure, it didn't leave my house so I was stuck with it.

Fast forward a couple of weeks, my dad came over and asked if I had any beer. I said I have this and gave him one. Told him how I hated it and couldn't give it away because it was gross and that he didn't have to drink it. He opens it, takes a sip and loves it! Said it tasted how beer tasted when he first started drinking beer (he was born in 1931 mind you). He ended up taking the other 4 bottles with him!

I don't really have any cheap beer that I love. PBR actually isn't bad, but won't say I love it.

but it's premium?

 

[Sunfire96]

1) Olympia or Rainier
2) Coors Light or Rolling Rock

 

[jwalk4]

Not a beer, but people shouldn't turn their noses up at blended scotch. Some great blends out there.

Anyways, I'll drink a Coors or Labatt's Blue, but will not serve a Carling even if I don't like you.

 

[Rish]

jaywalk4 beat me to it! Only beer I can remember not being able to finish was a Carling Black Label. Really cold PBR is my favorite cheap beer.

 

[2hennepin6]

1. Genesee Cream Ale (more nostalgia over taste). I'd have said their Bock but they don't make it anymore AFAIK.

2. Goebels-long gone and long bad. 4.99 a case as an underaged college student in 1988. Those old long neck bottles with the washer wear rings.

 

[Barbarossa]

Recently I got myself a case of Corona with a few limes. I regret nothing.

Pabst Blue ribbon would be the beer I wouldn't want to be caught dead with.

Special points for Coors Light. Seriously. I don't even understand how that can get away with selling things like that. Pretty sure they brew a 8% beer and just double it with tap water.

 

[MaxStout]

Not understanding the point of the question posted to a homebrew group.
And I don't do "cheap beers", even on a lark

1. Miller High Life (in bottles)
2. PBR

 

[2hennepin6]

I second the Corona comment.

 

[marc1]

I'll bite.

Favorite cheap beer is probably Coors original or banquet beer (in the tan can). You can get it in train stations and food halls for like 2.50 in a big can. If you are wasting time, buy one for sure. Better than most alternatives you can find at that price. I don't like the prices of beer these days. No 7 dollar pours or $11.99 six packs for me. Some drugs are cheaper than that.

Honorable mention for Yuengling, which by all rights should be the best cheapie. Still aged in caves and all that. But in recent years I don't like it as much. If you wanna bring a cheap beer to a party without looking like a dingus, grab Yuengling "for the history."

Worst cheap beer that I've bought frequently (not Steel Reserve or Camo, which I hope I never buy again) is Natty Strawberry Lemonade. Why do I buy it?? You get 6x16oz tall cans for $2.30 at the grocery store, not on sale or anything. Somehow that is the regular price. Cheaper than Natty Lite! So every few months I'll see it and say **** it, it's 2 bucks. But it's so sweet and gross I don't think any man can drink em all and survive. Someone should make a tiktok challenge out of it.

Naturdays is the cheapie that I like! It's the only beer that I've bought somewhat regularly for the past couple years (3 or 4 cases a year). It's delicious and refreshing, but 2 or 3 is about all I'd want to drink at once.

 

[madscientist451]

Hamm's light was $16.50 (including tax) for a 30 pack but they just quit making it. It wasn't bad for the price and I kept some around for those 100F days out kayaking and to blend with over the top IPA's and home made cider that was a little too acidic.

 

[Upstate12866]

Naturdays is the cheapie that I like! It's the only beer that I've bought somewhat regularly for the past couple years (3 or 4 cases a year). It's delicious and refreshing, but 2 or 3 is about all I'd want to drink at once.

I hate it but I must love it since I keep coming back! Haha

 

[Bramling Cross]

I used to look forward to drinking Kokanee when I used to drive up to BC for some fishing. It was a decent enough beer, but I'm sure the joy of being out in the sticks and not having to see another human being for a full week had something to do with it.

As for my least favorite "cheap" beer, I've never understood what people see in Corona. Once you strip away the advertising campaign and the lifestyle it suggests, there's nothing of substance left. It's the beer version of Jimmy Buffet's music.

 

[bracconiere]

I've never understood what people see in Corona.

it's foreign Miller. and costs more...

 

[Beermeister32]

Home brewers generally like beer and buy a lot of all types. I’m always amazed at light beers considering how hard it is to produce something that light on a home brew scale.

My favorite cheapie is Coors light. So neutral and light, almost like seltzer water. I recently made a batch of IPA that came on too strong - I ended up watering it back 50/50 with Coors light in the glass and became an easy drinking IPA!

Coors light is also good for glugging on the weekend in high volumes while working in the summer 97F heat here in SoCal... !

Leopold Schmidt, founder of Olympia Brewing said it best in the early 1900’s - “The lighter the beer, the better it sells”,,,!

 

[Beermeister32]

Special points for Coors Light. Seriously. I don't even understand how that can get away with selling things like that. Pretty sure they brew a 8% beer and just double it with tap water.

You may be right!

 

[GBRbrew]

1 Coors light cause it makes a great red beer.


2 naturdays, it left a taste in my mouth so bad it ruined the next 2 good beers I drank.

 

[Miraculix]

I live in Germany.... Pretty much every beer here is cheap and well below 1 dollar per half a litre can/bottle. But if you want to go really low low low....


The worst really cheap one I had is probably Von Raven or hemelinger or... Nooooooo, how could I forget, the worst is definitely Astra.


The best really cheap one is 5,0 original (yes that's the name). All of them listed are below 50 cents per 0.5 litre.

 

[solsbrew]

My favorite cheap beer is really malt liquor - Mickey's.
Worst cheap beer is really hard but probably Keystone.

 

[Bluekat]

Favorite: Genesee Cream Ale. To me it's the gold standard cream ale at a great price.
Least Favorite: Bud Light. It's simply tasteless.

 

[Broothru]

I'll bite.

Favorite cheap beer is probably Coors original or banquet beer (in the tan can). You can get it in train stations and food halls for like 2.50 in a big can. If you are wasting time, buy one for sure. Better than most alternatives you can find at that price. I don't like the prices of beer these days. No 7 dollar pours or $11.99 six packs for me. Some drugs are cheaper than that.

Honorable mention for Yuengling, which by all rights should be the best cheapie. Still aged in caves and all that. But in recent years I don't like it as much. If you wanna bring a cheap beer to a party without looking like a dingus, grab Yuengling "for the history."

Worst cheap beer that I've bought frequently (not Steel Reserve or Camo, which I hope I never buy again) is Natty Strawberry Lemonade. Why do I buy it?? You get 6x16oz tall cans for $2.30 at the grocery store, not on sale or anything. Somehow that is the regular price. Cheaper than Natty Lite! So every few months I'll see it and say **** it, it's 2 bucks. But it's so sweet and gross I don't think any man can drink em all and survive. Someone should make a tiktok challenge out of it.

Def agree on the Coors (the beer of my youth, so both nostalgia and taste). I'm 'man enough' to admit that I've brewed both Light and Banquet varieties in the past year along with Continental lagers and over-the-top hoppy IPAs. Variety is the spice of life.

 

[BongoYodeler]

1. Genesee Cream Ale (more nostalgia over taste). I'd have said their Bock but they don't make it anymore AFAIK.

2. Goebels-long gone and long bad. 4.99 a case as an underaged college student in 1988. Those old long neck bottles with the washer wear rings.

Favorite: Genesee Cream Ale. To me it's the gold standard cream ale at a great price.
Least Favorite: Bud Light. It's simply tasteless.

Agreed, Genny Cream is my favorite cheap beer. For me it sets the cream ale standard. I wish I could get it out west.

Worst beer? Anything I've tried from Budweiser. Never tasted right to me.

 

[Miraculix]

Def agree on the Coors (the beer of my youth, so both nostalgia and taste). I'm 'man enough' to admit that I've brewed both Light and Banquet varieties in the past year along with Continental lagers and over-the-top hoppy IPAs. Variety is the spice of life.

I also like Coors. Not available/much known in Germany, but I had a few in Britain. It's clean and had some very subtle nice stuff going on. I remember a hint of banana.

 

[Rob2010SS]

it's foreign Miller. and costs more...

I dont know what it is about Corona. When the wife and I want to just go home after work and have some beers, Rona Light is our go to. Mixed with some true lime powder packets. It's our go to when we're not drinking craft.

 

[BrewMan13]

Favorite cheap beer (but couldn't tell you the last time I actually drank it): Labatt blue
Worst cheap beer: regular Genny, Milwaukee's best ice
"Honorable mention": I think corona is the most overrated macro ager, period. I've even had discussions with people who generally like craft beer extol the virtues of corona, almost invariably that it's "great in the summer". I guess that's marketing for ya.
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