Raising the Bar: Five Beers You Shouldn't Be Afraid to Try

And that is why we have come up with a few beers that you may have heard of, but were either unwilling or “afraid” to try. And if you have, then good for you, you’re already one of the chosen ones. 

Taking into account that there are hundreds – wait, make that thousands of beers on the market today, our five beers are widely available across the nation and can be found in just about any grocery store. They’ll be in their own section, but if you look a bit, you’ll find them. And just in case you were wondering:  no, you don’t have to drink any of these warm. That’s just disgusting.  

Stella Artois

This beer has to be the perfect import substitute for the cookie-cutter lagers of America.  The most “common” beer on this list, this Belgian-brewed bottom-fermented pilsner lager is the number one seller in the UK (for lagers).  It also has 5.2% alcohol by volume (ABV), which is slightly higher than any traditional U.S. beer. Like Mikey says, “try it you’ll like it.”

Franziskaner

This German Hefe Weiss is best known for the bottle's happy monk rubbing his belly while drinking a brew. The foil-wrapped bottles contain a golden Hefe:  wheat beer. Certain steps need to be taken when pouring this beer (found here), which are half the fun and quite the challenge after drinking 5 or 6 of them.  Fruit is involved, which is normally a no-no with beer, but essential for any Hefe, so we’ll let it slide on this one.

Carlsberg

This is “probably the best beer in the world,” or so they say, at least. They’re not far off, but we’re just not ready to give the Danes that crown quite yet... but it is damn good.  While they make many beers, the German-style pilsner is what they are most noted for and what you should try. Straw in color, this beer is the best thing to come out of Denmark since, well, hot Danish chicks.

Smithwick's

First of all, it’s pronounced  'smit-icks’ not ‘smith-wicks’ Get this wrong in a Irish or English pub and you’ll be instantly tagged a beer poser and a dullard. So just don’t do it. After that you’ll be sure to enjoy this Irish-red ale straight from (you guessed it) Ireland. This beer has a smooth and refined texture with a bitter and complex finish. Drink enough though and you’ll be kissing (or pissing on) the ole’ blarney stone and won’t give a shit either way.

Boddingtons

Right on the coattails of the giant Guinness is the English-brewed Boddingtons. A nitro keg beer, this golden brew is what’s known as a cask bitter. The nitrogen widget in the can produces a smooth pour and a thick creamy head while keeping the beer smooth.  Lighter (in taste too) than Guinness, its unique flavor and 4.7% alcohol content make it a must try. Drink a few yards and see how long you keep your clothes on. Don’t ask how we know this, just trust us.