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13 Beer Brands You Should Try

If you're thirsty for something more than a mug of suds, here's a quick tutorial on several major types and brands of beer that ought to elevate your brew.

By Meaghan Cameron
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Courtesy of Anheuser-Busch
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Bass Pale Ale

Brand from: Samlesbury in Preston, England
Beer category: Anglo American-Ale
Beer type: Premium Bitter ESB (extra special bitter)
Alcohol content: 5%
One can find many bitter beers in English breweries. Premium Bitters are stronger in alcohol—above 4.8%. Bass is a classic example of this variety. Bass is amber with a toasty flavor and light enough to sip all evening (responsibly).

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Courtesy Sierra Nevada Brewing Company
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Sierra Nevada Pale Ale

Brand from: Sierra Nevada Brewing Company in Chico, California
Beer category: Anglo American-Ale
Beer type: American Pale Ale
Alcohol content: 5.6%
Light and at the same time complex, this beer is considered by many to exemplify this variety of beer. It showcases a balanced combination of subtly sweet malt and mildly bitter hops.

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Courtesy Merchant du Vin
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Orval

Brand from: Brasserie dOrval inFlorenville - Villers-d.-Orval, Belgium
Beer category: Belgian Style Ales
Beer type: Belgian Ale
Alcohol content: 6.2%
Beers that qualify as this style rarely fit neatly into beer categories. Color can range as can acidity, malt levels, hoppiness and yeastiness. Though the alcohol is generally under 7%. Orval, unlike other Trappist breweries, only makes one ale available to the public. Between the first and second fermentation the beer also undergoes additional dry-hopping process resulting in a extra-dry, hoppy beer.

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Courtesy Saint Bernardus Brewery
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St. Bernardus Abt. 12

Brand from: St. Bernard Brouwerij in Watou, Belgium
Beer category: Belgian Style Ales
Beer type: Abt/Quadrupel
Alcohol content: 10.5%
Abt, or quadrupel, is the name given to ultra-strong Trappist and abbey ales. Alcohol is very high commonly for both. This brew is the highest in alcohol content, 10.5%, so St. Patrick's day imbibers beware. Most wines are between 13-15%. This is a dark, fruity and smooth beer.

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Courtesy of Anheuser-Busch
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Stella Artois

Brand from: InBev Belgium in Leuven, Belgium
Beer category: Lagers
Beer type: Pale Lager
Alcohol content: 5.2%
Pale Lagers are probably one of the best known types of beer, including the drinkable but predictable Budweisers, Heinekens, and Coronas. Stella Artois has a nice yeasty aroma and a clean flavor; get it from a freshly tapped keg for the best taste.

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Courtesy Merchant du Vin
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Pinkus

Brand from: Brauerei Pinkus Müller inMünster, Nordrhein-Westfalen, Germany
Beer category: Lagers
Beer type: Classic German Pilsner
Alcohol content: 5.2%
German Pilsners come in two varieties, northern and southern. The golden pilsner was developed in Pilsen, Bohemia (now the Czech Republic), in the mid-19th century. Pinkus describes their organic Ur Pils as golden in color well balanced, bright hops and fresh malt.

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Courtesy The Boston Beer Company
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Sam Adams Boston Lager

Brand from: Boston Beer Company in Boston, Massachusetts USA
Beer category: Lagers
Beer type: Premium Lager
Alcohol content: 4.9%
Premium Lagers fall between mainstream Pale Lager and Pilsner and are deep gold to bronze in color. Sam Adams is created by 'decoction mash, a time consuming, traditional four vessel brewing process' which is no longer used in many breweries, says samueladams.com. This beer is a perennial favorite and can be found just about anywhere.

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Courtesy of Anheuser-Busch
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Hoegaarden

Brand from: Brouwerij Hoegaarden (InBev) inHoegaarden, Belgium
Beer category: Wheat Beers
Beer type: Belgian White
Alcohol content: 5%
Belgian Whites are pale and cloudy with distinctive coriander and orange flavors; Hoegaarden is a classic example of the type. Drinkers pronounce it as refreshing. This is what you want from a beer that won't weigh you down. As easy to drink as Bud but bursting with flavor.

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Courtesy The Boston Beer Company
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Sam Adams Blackberry Witbier

Brand from: Boston Beer Company inBoston, Massachusetts
Beer category: Wheat Beers
Beer type: Fruit Beer/Witbier
Alcohol content: 5.5%
A fruit beer is any beer brewed with the addition of fruit. In this case, blackberries are married with the citrus style of the whitbier. Great wild-blackberry flavors dominate with the first sip of this beer, which then mellows out on the finish.

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Courtesy Merchant du Vin
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Lindemans Framboise

Brand from: Brouwerij Lindemans in St Pieters Leeuw-Vlezenbeek, Belgium
Beer category: Wheat
Beer type: Lambic - Fruit
Alcohol content: 2.5%
Real Lambics are brewed only in Brussels in the Senne Valley. Raspberry, or framboise, is the traditional fruit used, along with cherry. Lindemans Framboise is among the most popular. This sparkling brew is low in alcohol and very refreshing.

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Courtesy The Boston Beer Company
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Samuel Adams Winter Lager

Brand from: Boston Beer Company inBoston, Massachusetts
Beer category: Wheat Beers
Beer type: Weizen Bock
Alcohol content: 5.8%
Weizen bocks are brewed with heavily malted wheat and consequently are great as late winter/early spring brews-perfect for a chilly St. Patrick's Day evening! Cinnamon and toasty spices dominate.

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Courtesy Merchant du Vin
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Samuel Smith's Oatmeal Stout

Brand from: Samuel Smith in Tadcaster, England
Beer category: Stouts and Porters
Beer type: Stout
Alcohol content: 5%
'Originally a drink for lactating mothers,' is the way the description of this cousin to Guinness (arguably the most famous stout) starts. A small addition of oats give it it's name. Flavors of rich, dark chocolate dominate in this smooth, satisfying beer.

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Courtesy Flying Dog Brewery
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Road Dog Porter

Brand from: Flying Dog Brewery inFrederick, Maryland
Beer category: Stouts and Porters
Beer type: Porter
Alcohol content: 6%
Porters are often confused with stouts. Stouts are drier than porters because they use roasted unmalted barley as opposed to the roasted malted barley that porters use, according to thebeerofthemonthclub.com. The difference resides in the residual sugars, and the many varieties will range in sweetness. This porter was the brewery's first to be illustrated by Ralph Steadman who is best known for the art he created for Hunter S. Thompson. The bitter coffee and malty chocolate flavors make this a good choice for a dessert under 200 calories!

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Your Comments

  • Rroush

    I’m not much of a beer drinker, but I love this stuff.  So much more going on here than in your typical American brew.

    • Rroush

      Referring to Sam Adams Boston Lager

  • Rroush

    Another good one from Sam.  NIce rich flavor.

    • Rroush

      Referring to Sam Adams Winter Lager.

  • Butch K

    How pathetically SAD that RD is promoting the ALCOHOL DRUG, which KILLS 100,000 Americans every year! Be smart, stay away from the alcohol drug!

  • ausitn

    I can’t believe Stella Artois is on this list. What a horrid, putrid beer.

  • Klivel

    Cripes, I thought it said 13 beer brands, not 8 beer brands, and a half dozen sam adams makes. It’s not like there aren’t 13 good beer brands out there without naming sam adams so many times… what, did they sponsor this bullshit story?

  • Sampledmywaythrougheurope

    Anyone who belives this to be an impressive list does not appreciate a truly good beer. Most of these are mass market offerings.

  • TheBarkeep

    Come on people, do you really believe in a story that opens with a photo from Anhueser-Busch of a Bass Ale black & tan being poured with a fancy effing diffuser?

    BTW, in Czech not long ago, a colleague repeated an old Czech saying:

    “You know what American beer and making love on the beach have in common?”

    They are both effing close to water”.