5 Tips For Making Cheap Beer Taste Better

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With the rise of craft beer, the styles in a pint glass can range from fruit-packed smoothie sours to hefty barrel-aged stouts. Yet, for many, there's still a time and place for throwing back one (or many) cheap brews. However, while such suds are made to be both drinkable and affordable, sometimes their taste just doesn't cut it. After all, low prices typically mean cheaper ingredients, which translates to a worse fermentation, aroma, taste, and appearance. And if it's on the older side, the beer might even pick up cardboard-like or skunky flavors.

Whether you have one or many inexpensive brews on hand, you don't need to merely tolerate the taste. Instead, turn to additions that can improve cheap beer's flavor, whether it's mixing in more booze, crafting a beer-based cocktail, or simply throwing in some seasonings. Think of cheap beer as a blank canvas for more interesting flavors, and it'll certainly end up being more drinkable.

For an especially transformative addition, reach for some liqueur. Not to be confused with high-proof liquor, these often sugary fruit and botanical-infused beverages offer a diverse palate that mingles surprisingly well with beer. Such cocktails have hit the spotlight by way of drinks like the Spaghett, which combines Aperol and lemon juice in a Miller High Life bottle. Cynar — a bittersweet amaro crafted with artichokes — goes surprisingly well with yeast-heavy lagers. And the tart, gently sweet flavors of sloe gin, made from the berries of the blackthorn shrub, can invigorate a blonde ale with a pleasant flavor. If you have a liqueur or two on your bar cart, pour some into your beer bottle and see what results.

Another option is to replace the soda water in an Americano with beer; it'll complement the vermouth and Campari for a spin on aperitivo hour. You can also give palomas a twist with beer – especially if they're on the fruitier side. So, use up those cheap cans as an ingredient in mixology, letting bolder ingredients dictate the flavors.

While there's certainly a place for innovative beer cocktails, don't forget the tried-and-true michelada. After all, a dash of hot sauce can take cheap beer to the next level, and this is the best formula for the task. Besides the brew, the drink combines citrus, salt, hot sauce, and a source of umami, which is oftentimes tomato juice or Worcestershire sauce.

For an easy foray into the prepared drink, go for a classic Clamato michelada. Trusty components like already bottled Clamato juice, Tajin lime and chile seasoning, and Tabasco and Worcestershire sauces synergize into a refreshing whole. And if you're looking for an even simpler option, you can buy pre-bottled mixes, like LAVA's All Natural Authentic Michelada Mix, online.

Nevertheless, this is a drink that also rewards creativity. Switch between hot sauces or throw in oranges alongside the standard lime wedges. Garnish with condiments like chamoy and zesty salt rims, or integrate aromatics through flavored ice cubes and unique ingredients like Bittermens Orchard Street Celery Shrub. You could even add a bit of soy sauce or black garlic to craft a bold umami base. And as for the beer? Well, with so many additions, basically any cheap light lager or amber beer is fit for the task. Keep it chilled, pour it on ice, zhuzh it up, and enjoy the refreshing results.

Serving a slice of citrus alongside beer is already a well-known combo: Think classics like pairing Corona Mexican lager with lime or a pint of Blue Moon with orange. Yet, with a cheap can or bottle on hand, you can go one step further and juice the fruit right into the brew. It's a mixed beer creation closely related to a shandy or radler. However, while these drinks often feature fruity sodas, there's plenty of refreshment in using straight juice.

Grapefruit is a terrific option; the citrus fruit's balanced dose of bitter and tart flavors melds well with beer. After all, there are dozens of hop varieties that feature grapefruit flavors. Accordingly, you could try pairing it with hoppy brews like a pale ale or even an affordable IPA. Although don't rule out wheat beers and lagers, either; mix and mingle among options to see what fits best for your palate.

Alternatively, for a bit more sweetness, reach for oranges and craft a beermosa. Just like the well-established pairing of bubbly wine and OJ, the gentle, almost creamy carbonation of a hazy IPA will serve as a great foundation for the fruity drink. Squeeze the oranges yourself for the most aromatic results. And, as an even easier move, don't sleep on lime juice. Mixed with a lager on ice and crowned with a salt rim, a quickly whipped-up chelada — essentially a pared-down michelada — hits all the right notes.

To improve cheap beer with less fuss, simply reach for some ultra-useful cocktail bitters. Just a few dashes imbue drinks like the Old Fashioned with their cornerstone flavor. So, it's no surprise that they can transform beer, too. Bitters come in a range of flavors, infused with everything from tree bark to chiles and flowers, so you'll want to match the palate alongside your brew.

If there's one bitter likely already on your bar cart, it's probably Angostura. Thankfully, the ubiquitous bottle melds well with just about any readily available lager. Add a few shakes to the beer, and enjoy complex herbal and spice notes. If you have hoppier beer lying around, then reach for grapefruit-inflected bitters to bridge flavors. Also, don't rule out uniquely flavored bitters like Peychaud's, which add a fun anise twist to light beers.

It's best to throw a few dashes of bitters in the bottom of a glass, but you can also add them to your can or bottle for ease. Because of their intensity, the flavor combinations will enhance even the most affordable of brew offerings.

The advantages of seasoning foods during cooking are well-documented, but how about salting your beer, too? Although the maneuver may seem unusual, there's surprising merit to throwing a pinch of salinity into a brew. The mineral will make your cheap beer taste better, adding a contrast to some of those unappealing cloyingly sweet, bitter, or off-tasting notes.

The salt even has an effect on the beer's texture, causing it to foam and ultimately mellowing out its mouthfeel. Not only does the seasoning lend your suds a certain robustness, but, similar to an electrolyte drink, the salt also gives it a refreshing quality, making this technique a great call during a hot day.

Beer drinkers have long enjoyed the benefits of salt; historical evidence shows that some of the earliest fermented beers involved a seasoning step. Plus, beer salts have been around for nearly a century, available at dive bars and gas stations. In fact, the practice is widespread in cities like San Antonio, where a salted beer is called "dressed". So, grab a shaker alongside that 24-pack — it might be the cheapest way to increase your cheap beer's drinkability.